Alwayssmoothraigin pulled a startling upset in the $15,000 championship of the “Red” Owens Memorial Series Monday afternoon at Miami Valley Raceway.
With trainer Randy Crisler in the sulky, the four-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin was dispatched at 37-1 odds despite finishing second in the final preliminary leg a week earlier. Alwayssmoothraigin dropped in fourth off the gate as odds-on favourite Asadvertised (Jeremy Smith) made the front prior to the :28.4 quarter-mile marker over the sloppy track. Crisler was not content to race for a cheque, though, and set sail to on the outside shortly thereafter.
Alwayssmoothraigin moved up to second on the outside by the :59.1 rated half, remained parked in second at the 1:27.2 third interval, then pressed onward through the :29.2 final panel to pass Asadvertised midway down the stretch and then hold off fast-closing ER Lila (Peter Wrenn) in the final strides.
John Lewis of Alabama owns the winner who now has five career wins and $17,000 in earnings just this young season.
The George “Red” Owens Memorial Series, for female non-winners of two races or $15,000 at the outset of the series, is one of nine Lebanon Legends late-closers currently underway that honour some of the prominent horsemen who helped to put Lebanon Raceway “on the map” in earlier days.
Driver Chris Page solidified his second-place standing in the local dash derby with five wins on the matinee card.
(Miami Valley Raceway)