Let It Ride N matched the Miami Valley track record equalled just a week ago on Sunday night (March 12).
Trained by Michael Hitchcock, the 10-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven gelding sat a pocket ride in the $28,000 Open 1 Handicap Pace while General Idea carved fractions of :26.4 and :54.2. Driver Dan Noble then popped with Let It Ride N and took the lead to three-quarters in 1:21.4 and won going away to click a 1:49 mile while winning by 3-3/4 lengths. General Idea finished second with longshot Play Me Rock back in third.
The 1:49 clocking tied Nuclear Dragon’s 2018 effort as well as Saulsbrook Genesis’s time in the same race one week earlier as the fastest in the track’s 10-year history.
William Hartt and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. own Let It Ride N, a 43-time career winner and earner of $789,279. He paid $3.20 to win.
Threshold, recently shipping to Miami Valley specifically to compete in the George Williams Memorial Series, made the trip from the East Coast worthwhile capturing the $30,000 championship final on Sunday.
Moved from the Jen Bongiorno Stable to the Tyler George barn early in February, the four-year-old son of Sweet Lou won the first leg of the late closer, was fourth in the second leg, then drew the rail in the lucrative final and paced to a 1:53 win over Rockin Pulse and Chronicle.
Leading driver Trace Tetrick sat behind Threshold in all three local starts. Tetrick was content to get away third during a quick :26.4 first quarter of the final, but was out and moving before the half was reached in :55.2. Captain Leblanc maintained the lead until the three-quarter pole in 1:24, but Threshold was lurking first up as the even-money favourite. In the lane, the only question was who would get the minor spoils? Rockin Pulse and Chronicle completed the top three.
Threshold surpassed the $100,000 earnings plateau with the win.
The series featured promising pacers who were non-winners of four pari-mutuel races at the onset.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)