The first Opens of the 2025 season at Eldorado Scioto Downs were held on Friday, May 9. Prince Of Honor took the Open Trot in 1:53 while Hey Hey Mama was first across the wire in the Fillies & Mares Open Pace. Both are now 15-time winners.
Driver Chris Page took Prince Of Honor from post four and made the front just before the quarter in his $34,722 event. Leading through :27.3, :57.2 and 1:25.4 fractions, Prince Of Honor came home in :27.1 to win by 3-1/4 lengths for trainer Ron Burke. Kildare King (Tyler Smith) held on for second, with four-year-old Sugar Instead (Brett Miller) finishing third. Prince Of Honor, by Walner, is owned by Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. The five-year-old gelding now has more than $520,000 in lifetime earnings.
Hey Hey Mama (pictured above) got off the gate to settle in third during the opening quarters of :26.4 and :55.1 in the top distaff pace. Midway down the backstretch, driver Dan Noble pulled her first-up and made the front before the 1:23 third quarter. Coming home in :27, Hey Hey Mama tripped the beam in 1:50, fighting off a tough bid by Naked On A Hill (Chris Page), who came three-wide around the last turn. Hungry Lizzo (Jeremy Smith) finished third. Hey Hey Mama is owned by trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and Odds On Racing. The Downbytheseaside mare now has nearly $380,000 in lifetime earnings. The win was the fifth on the 16-race card for Noble and the first of three for Morgan.
Series action also continued on Friday with three $18,056 divisions of the Kevin Greenfield Trot for Ohio-sired colts that were non-winners of one race. RC Enterprise, a three-year-old son of What The Hill, took the first and fastest division in 1:57 with Dan Noble aboard for trainer Chris Beaver. Other winners were Bold Bastogne (sired by Marseille) in 1:58.3 for driver Trevor Smith and trainer Jeff Smith and Jet Wings (sired by What The Hill) in 1:57.1 in rein to Brett Miller for Virgil Morgan Jr.
Three divisions of the Steve McCoy Pace for Ohio-sired fillies that were non-winners of one race went to Rose Run Aimee (sired by Racing Hill) in 1:51.3 with Dan Noble driving for trainer James Ehrsam, Tameudown (sired by Fear The Dragon) in 1:53.2 with Austin Hanners in the sulky behind the Steve Carter trainee and Judge Me Again (sired by Western Vintage) in 1:54 for driver Aaron Merriman and trainer Chris Beaver.
In the sole division of the Final Breath for three-year-old Ohio-sired trotting colts who were non-winners of $70,000 USD lifetime, Vekna reigned supreme for driver/trainer Kayne Kauffman when the pair crossed the line in 1:54. The Enterprise colt is owned by Kauffman’s wife Natalie. What A Buckeye (Dan Noble) was second with Nelli Up (Jason Beattie) rounding out the trifecta.
Racing continues on Saturday, May 10 with a 16-race card including the $26,000 USD Open Pace featuring Bythemissal as the 5-2 morning line favourite. Two more series events will also be held, including the Carols Comet for Ohio-sired three-year-old pacing colts who are non-winners of $70,000 USD and the K F Pro Sam for three and four-year-old pacing colts who are winners of $70,000 USD but four-year-olds who are winners over $150,000 USD are not eligible.
The 90-day 2025 Eldorado Scioto Downs race meet runs through Saturday, Sept. 13. Races will be held Tuesday-Saturday, with special holiday cards on Memorial Day and Labour Day. First post is at 5:45 p.m. each day except for Memorial Day (4 p.m.), June 19 (4 p.m.), Thursday, July 4 (3:15 p.m.) and Friday, Sept. 12, which will have a 6:45 p.m. post to help accommodate horsepeople attending the Ohio Selected Yearling Sale.
(With files from Eldorado Scioto Downs)