Theobald used a bold first-over move to secure victory in $30,556 feature, a conditioned claiming trot, at Miami Valley Raceway on Tuesday, March 31.
Ducking from post three, Chris Page settled Theobald into fourth as 3-5 favourite Unhinged (Trace Tetrick) was sent to the front to lead the field of eight past the opening quarter in :28. As the field rolled to the half in :56.2, Flight Of Fritz (Sam Widger) pulled and flushed cover from Theobald to take aim at race leader Unhinged.
As they passed three-quarters in 1:25, Unhinged continued to show the way but Theobald had pulled within a neck. The two battled around the turn with Theobald wrestling away the lead at the top of the stretch. Flight Of Fritz immediately flipped off Theobald's cover and began to challenge down the stretch, gaining ground the entire time, but Thoebald would prove strong and hang on to win by a half-length in a new lifetime mark of 1:54.3. Flight Of Fritz was second while Tcs Brenda (David Miller) rallied for third, finishing four lengths behind.
For Theobald, it was his fourth win on the year in 10 starts and third win since moving to the midwest tracks. Trained by Ron Burke, the Six Pack-Micheles Baby four-year-old gelding is owned by Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Frank Canzone of Scarsdale, New York, Yannick Gingras of Allentown, New Jersey and Joseph Di Scala Jr. of Somers, New York.
Racing will return on Wednesday, April 1 with a post time of 4 p.m.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)