Ocean Music won the final Open Mares Pace of the 2023 meet at Miami Valley Raceway on Friday (May 5) – and did it in style.
The four-year-old daughter of Racing Hill-Ocean Pearl broke the oldest standing divisional track record in the 10-year history of Miami Valley Raceway. It was set during the inaugural season, 2014, when Shebestingin won the Chip Noble Memorial Grand Circuit stakes for driver David Miller in 1:50.4. Ocean Music broke the record a decade later by three-fifths of a second, lowering the standard to 1:50.1.
Chip’s son, Dan Noble, was in the sulky for the record-setting mile. For owner Sandra Burnett, it was a particularly timely victory. Just recently, Ocean Rock, one of Ohio’s best in recent years – and a half brother to Ocean Music – was retired due to an injury and now another superstar emerges in her stable.
Christi Noble, Dan’s wife, is listed trainer on Ocean Music, and Burnett is no stranger to the family. She has been owning winning horses back to the late Chip’s days and has carried on with Dan and Christi.
Dan sent Ocean Music on a mission from the word “go,” although he emphasized he did not realize what the record was until returning to the paddock following the race. The pair lead every step after refusing to let Marloe Hanover (Sam Widger) get by them during the first half-mile. Only Single Girl (Tyler Smith) had any chance of overtaking the leader following a perfect pocket trip. But Ocean Music paced resolutely through the lane, holding the challenger at bay in the $36,000 feature. Foxy Fiji (Austin Hanners) closed for third.
The win was the ninth lifetime for Ocean Music, a beautiful grey mare who has now earned $128,603 in her first two years of racing.
The final 2023 card of the meet is Saturday, with an early post time of noon.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)