Docs Yankee left the gate fastest of all, yielded the lead to Look Yankee in the second quarter, then shot up the inside to win the featured pace at Scioto Downs on Saturday night
. The win was the second straight at Scioto for Docs Yankee, who is owned by Gerald Denney of Gallipolis, Ohio.
Odds-on favourite Docs Yankee was in front after the first panel was covered in :26.2, but then Devan Miller roared up on the outside with her five-year-old Look Yankee. Driver Chris Page yielded to Miller and took the pocket trip behind the 12-1 shot.
Cmon Blaze and trainer-driver Ray Paver challenged Look Yankee, but wasn’t able to collar Miller and her pacer as Docs Yankee sat in the pocket. Once in the stretch, Page ducked his pacer to the inside and Docs Yankee responded willingly by pacing past Look Yankee to win by a half-length in 1:52.1. Cmon Blaze held for third place.
Docs Yankee paid $3.40 to win.
Hangon Cowboy posted the fastest mile of the season at Scioto when the gelded son of Rustler Hanover ran off and left his pursuers in the dust with a 1:51.2 effort. Jeff Nisonger piloted the five-year-old for trainer Mike Medors, who co-owns Hangone Cowboy with Jerry Sommers. The win was the first in two tries this season for Hangon Cowboy. He hit the wire more than 10 lengths ahead of the field.
Eddie Justice and Louis Escobio, both of Columbus, were co-winners in the “Last Man Standing Contest” among Scioto bettors on Saturday night. Their picks in races two through eight were the best among the entries and they finished tied when the results were tallied. The two men thus split the $500 winning prize, giving each one $250 to bet as they wished on the evening’s 10th race. The Last Man Standing Contest will be repeated periodically at Scioto during the 2012 season.
(Scioto Downs)