Eldorado Scioto Downs held the first Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) races of the year and Virgil Morgan Jr. took three of the four divisions for three-year-old filly pacers and trotters.
Dream Something was the lone OHSS winner not trained by Morgan as she remained perfect in two seasonal starts while taking a new lifetime mark of 1:53.3 in the night's opening 90,278 division for filly trotters.
Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) took the early lead in the first race of the evening, tripping the beam in :27, while Dream Something, the 4-5 favourite, sat in the pocket. Shortly after the :56.4 half, Tyler Smith pulled Dream Something out of the pocket to challenge and by the 1:23.4 three-quarters mark had cleared to the lead and went on to win by a length. Mega Money was second with Travel Nurse (Brett Miller) getting up late down the lane to finish third.
Dream Something, by Uncle Peter out of the Glidemaster mare Travelin Dream, is owned by trainer Miles Wollam and Julie Ann Sweet. The filly, a multiple OHSS winner last year, now has seven wins in 11 lifetime starts and $262,559 in earnings.
The other division of filly trotters went to the Morgan-trained reigning OHSS divisional champion Aunt Laura and Brett Miller in 1:56.3.
Triump Over You (Dan Noble) took the early lead off the car, but 3-1 third choice Aunt Laura was quickly on the move and cleared by the :29 opening quarter. Leading at every other call, she hit the half in :59.4 and three-quarters in 1:28 before crossing the wire a length the best. Rose Run Allison (Chris Page) came up the passing lane to be second, with Chrome Trim (Merriman) coming up on the outside to be third.
Aunt Laura is also by Uncle Peter, out of the S Js Photo mare Tori Ann. Owned by Joyce McClelland Stable, Aunt Laura’s win pushed her lifetime earnings to $358,254 and gave her win number four in 11 lifetime starts.
The two divisions of the three-year-old filly pace also went to Morgan trainees: Odds On Hialeah in 1:50.3 and Odds On Chesapeake in 1:51.1.
The reigning OHSS divisional champion Odds On Hialeah and Miller got away fourth from post seven while Queen of Fear (Tyler Smith) and Prolific Fire (Austin Hanners) battled to the :26.3 opening quarter. Shortly before the :55.2 half, Miller had the 3-5 favourite on the move and by the 1:22.1 third-quarter mark had taken over the lead. Rose Run Aimee (Noble) tracked her down to cut the lead down to a length by the finish. Downthejerseyshore (Page) got up from near the back of the pack to finish third.
Odds On Hialeah is owned by Let It Ride Stables and Odds On Racing. Friday’s mile was the filly's first start in 2025 after three qualifiers. The daughter of Lather Up out of Laughandbehappy now has eight wins in nine starts lifetime, with $488,684 in earnings.
Another horse owned by Odds On Racing, Odds On Chesapeake, took the other three-year-old filly pace division with Dan Noble driving, leading at every call of :28, :57.3 and 1:24.4. Coming home, the 3-5 race favourite by Downbytheseaside out of Macaroon won by a head over Skywalker Sea (Hanners) with The Word Is Out (Page) third.
Odds On Chesapeake pushed her earnings to $270,204 after the victory, her sixth in 12 lifetime starts. A neck off Odds On Hialeah in last year's championship, she is two-for-two this year.
Other Friday night action included three $18,056 divisions of the Kevin Greenfield Series for Ohio-sired colt trotters. The winners were: Long Highway (Sandy Beatty) in 1:56; I Stand Alone AS (Noble) in 1:55.3 and RC Enterprise (Noble) in 1:57.2.
Prince of Honor (Page) took his second consecutive $34,722 Open Trot in 1:51.2 while No Foolin April (Sam Widger) took the Filly & Mare Open Pace in 1:49.1.
Racing at Scioto continues on Saturday, May 17, with another 16-race card, featuring the $26,000 USD Open Pace. PJ Lou is installed as the 5-2 morning line favourite after finishing fifth in last week’s Open.
(With files from Scioto Downs; photo of Dream Something winning on May 16)