A total of eleven $17,500 divisions of sophomore pacing and trotting colts went postward in Buckeye Stallion Series action on Saturday night at Miami Valley Raceway.
A multitude of different owners, trainers and drivers shared in the total purses of $192,500 allocated to the first leg of the popular series. Ten different drivers won one of the eleven heats, with Jeremy Smith notching the only double. On the training side, ten different stable were victorious, with the only double belonging to Steve Carter.
Pacing winners were Sweet Cruiser (driver Chris Page, 1:54.2, $4.40 win mutuel), Shamma Lamma (Peter Wrenn, 1:52.3, $3.40), B Like Cruiser (Brett Miller, 1:52.3, $2.80), Yankee Boots (Dan Noble, 1:53.3, $3.20) and Rock N Randy V (Jeremy Smith, 1:52.3, $3.00).
Square gaiters who reached the winner’s circle were More Than Miles (Jeremy Smith, 1:58.1, $18.60), Forget It Im Crazy (Kayne Kauffman, 1:57.4, $6.00), TCs Best (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., 1:56.3, $4.20), Homer Hall (Jason Brewer, 1:57.2, $2.80), Peters Express (Sandy Beatty, 1:58.2, $83.40) and Colonel Sam (Kyle Ater, 1:57.2, $4.20).
The final Saturday night $25,000 Open I Handicap Pace of the meet was also staged with Dancin Yankee (Page) topping My Hero Ron (Noble) and Mykindachip (Mike Wilder) in 1:51. It was the 74th career win for the 11-year-old son of Yankee Cruiser who continues to inch closer to the $2 million overall earnings plateau with every start. Dancin Yankee, a multiple past winner of Ohio Horse Of The Year honours is owned by the Burke Racing Stable LLC.
Miami Valley will bring the curtain down on its 2019 season with 2:05 p.m. matinees on Sunday (May 5) and Monday (May 6). The Sunday program will feature three $40,000 first leg divisions of trotting colts in Ohio Sires Stakes showdowns; coupled with a pair of $50,000 divisions for the Buckeye State’s best pacing colts.
Closing day should be quite special as Miami Valley presents a pair of $100,000 Grand Circuit events headlined by Atlanta, last year’s Hambletonian winner, making her first seasonal start in the Miami Valley Distaff; and Shartin N returning to the Ohio five-eighths mile oval as defending champion of the Sam ‘Chip’ Noble Memorial, in which she established a distaff track record of 1:49.3 in the 2018 edition.
(Miami Valley Raceway)