A pair of $50,000 Scarlet & Gray Invitationals for the finest three-year-old pacers and trotters in Ohio were supposed to share the spotlight at Miami Valley Raceway on Saturday, April 28. However, the Saturday features shared the stage with a track-record 1:49 performance in the $23,000 Open I Pace. It wasn’t just the horses putting on the show, either, as leading driver Dan Noble visited the winner’s circle seven times on the special Saturday program.
Defending Ohio Sires Stakes freshman colt trotting champion Mission Accepted, who captured four of seven races including the final at two, broke the track record in his division in his first outing of 2018. His 1:54.3 clocking is also the fastest in North America for a three-year-old trotting colt thus far this year.
Trainer Jeff Conger used two qualifiers at his home base of Northfield Park to prep the son of Manofmanymissions for the Scarlet & Gray. Despite a few anxious moments early, when eventual runner-up Sultan Of Cash didn’t relinquish the front end until past the :29.2 opening quarter, driver Ryan Stahl guided Mission Accepted through subsequent splits of :58 and 1:26.2 before sealing the deal with a :28.1 closing panel. The three-and-one-quarter lengths victory pushed the winner’s lifetime earnings to $215,800 in just eight trips to post. Sultan Of Cash held for second with longshot MVP Luke rallying for show.
Veteran trainer Jeff Conger shares ownership of Mission Accepted with Knox Services Inc. and David Wills.
Rockathon, driven by Dan Noble, pulled a mild upset in the Scarlet & Gray colt pacing division, scoring in 1:51.3, a personal best. Dragonology was second and Hackett Memorial-winner Sectionline Bigry third after the three heavyweights battled through the stretch first time. Rockathon moved to the front just past the :27.4 first quarter, then controlled the throttle through middle fractions of :55 and 1:24.1. The son of Pet Rock, owned by Carl and Melanie Atley in partnership with trainer Bill Dailey’s wife Kimberly, cruised from there to victory. His career earnings surpassed $155,000 with five wins in his first 13 starts.
Nuclear Dragon, a six-year-old Nuclear Breeze gelding with red-hot Dan Noble in the sulky, took no prisoners in the Open I. With favored My Hero Ron leaving alertly from the rail, the pair sped past the first quarter station before Noble cleared with Nuclear Dragon. From that point, the winner inched farther and farther ahead before sailing to the wire three lengths ahead. My Hero Ron raced gamely to hold second with Savage Seelster rallying from sixth at the three-quarters to earn a third-place finish.
Nuclear Dragon is trained by Jeff Johnson Jr. for owner Richard Mishkin. With the win, he eclipsed the $200,000 earnings plateau.
Earlier in the evening, Bettor Than You, driven by Josh Sutton, copped the $20,000 Open II Pace in 1:52.3, topping E Z Noah and Lyons Jimmydean. Trainer Steve Carter owns the eight-year-old Bettor’s Delight gelding with partners Peggy Carter, Sheila Hummel and J. Beard.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)