Driver Mark MacDonald worked out a perfect pocket trip for Obrigado behind supplemental entry Muscle Up The Goal to prevail through the passing lane in the $210,000 Charlie Hill Memorial Trot on Saturday night (June 11) at Scioto Downs.
MacDonald and Maxie Lee champion Obrigado followed 4-5 favourite Muscle Up The Goal (Aaron Merriman) through fractions of :27.1, :57.3 and 1:25.3 before coming through inside down the lane to score the 1:53.3 victory. Natural Herbie (Verlin Yoder) had advanced first over and was a late-surging second while Flanagan Memory (Jason Brewer) rallied home from the backfield for third-place. Muscle Up The Goal finished two lengths behind, edging out second over Homicide Hunter (Peter Wrenn) in a photo finish for fourth.
"I had a pretty good spot right behind the car so I wanted to take advantage of it," said MacDonald in a post-race interview. "Last year in this race, it was the same kind of race. Bee A Magician got really soft fractions and I got stuck third over. It was just horrible, I was so far out of it. It's a long way to come to be 10 off at the head of the stretch."
MacDonald had finished fourth with the Paul Kelley-trained Obrigado in the 2015 edition. But this year, a pocket placement worked out better behind the soft fractions.
"I've never raced against Muscle Up The Goal before, but it [the soft fractions] was playing to Obrigado's strength. He's a huge sprinter. Obviously, off those fractions it's going to be tough to catch the horse on the lead, but it was definitely playing into my [horse's] strength.
"[Natural Herbie is] a very classy old horse," added MacDonald. "He gave it a good run late and I was lucky to hang on."
Obrigado is owned by Paul Kelley Racing Stable, Srf Stable, Linwood Higgins, and Stable 45. The six-year-old Boy Band-Malimony gelding now boasts wins in 37 of his 67 career starts while his bankroll sits just shy of the million-dollar mark.
Sophomore Pacing Colts Featured In Ohio Sires Stakes
Four $40,000 divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) for sophomore pacing colts were also contested on Saturday night, June 11 at Scioto Downs.
Whataboy captured the first OHSS division, leading at every pole for driver Chris Page. The gelded son of Big Bad John romped to a new career clocking of 1:52.1 to score his second victory of the season in eight tries. Trained by Brian Brown, Whataboy floated unchallenged through fractions of :27.1, :54.4 and 1:224. In the lane, he was headed briefly by the pocket-sitting Docdor Friskie (Peter Wrenn), who went off stride trying to pass his rival. That left clear sailing for Whataboy, who was in front at the wire by four and three-quarter lengths.
“The horse was good tonight and we got a little break in the stretch,” Page remarked. “This horse has matured a lot mentally this year, but physically, he’s still about the same size.”
Bred by Dm Stables LLC, Whataboy now has $37,450 in seasonal earnings and $80,240 in his career coffers for owners Carl Howard, Gerrie Tucker and RBH Ventures, Inc.
Docdor Friskie survived a stewards inquiry to hold on to his second-place finish, with Whiskey Frisky (Greg Grismore) nailing down third-place honours.
Aaron Merriman gave Canadias Bakin a clever steer to win the second OHSS division in 1:52, a new career clocking for the son of Big Bad John.
Trained by Steve Carter for Chuck Grubbs, Robert Reid, Sheila Hummel and Jacob Beard, Canadias Bakin grabbed the lead and never looked back, flying through panels of :27, :55.4 and 1:24.1, before storming home with a :27.4 final quarter brush to prevail by a length over World Of Gaming (Dan Noble) and Haydenssmoothmoove (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.).
“This colt is very handy out of the gate and I was able to make the front tonight really easily,” said Merriman.
Canadias Bakin now has $49,848 in seasonal earnings from four wins in eight starts and 17 triumphs in 27 career starts with $89,129 in his coffers.
Bred by LMN Bred Stables, Canadias Bakin won leg one of this series on May 7 at Miami Valley Raceway, timed in 1:54.2.
The sturdy-gaited Mr Wiggle Pants kept his winning streak intact in the third OHSS division -- making his triumph his fifth straight for his connections.
The son of Mr Wiggles prevailed in 1:51.4, a career-best, for driver Kayne Kauffman, finishing a length ahead of the hard-trying Winwood Mac (Darrell Wright). Trained and co-owned by Jim Mulinex and Denny Miller, Bill Rufenacht and the Dm Stables, Mr Wiggle Pants took the lead and paced evenly through fractions of :27.3, :56.3 and 1:23.4.
“This colt is very game and is only getting stronger,” Kaufmann noted. “Jim [trainer Mulinix] has done a super job with this colt.”
Bred by Spring Haven Farm, Mr Wiggle Pants pushed his seasonal earnings to $57,500 and his career bankroll now stands at $148,493. He now has eight wins in 15 lifetime starts, including a victory in the first leg of this series at Miami Valley on May 7 in 1:53.4.
The fourth and final OHSS division saw Smoke Up Johnny (Greg Grismore) sweep under the wire first for trainer Doug Hinklin and the Parent Racing Stable in 1:52.2. The son of Big Bad John recorded just his second victory of the season and his fifth win lifetime, pushing his career earnings to $101,327.
Smoke Up Johnny and Hustling Charley (Kyle Ater) got into an aggressive stretch duel down the lane, with the former prevailing by a head over the latter.
“My colt [Smoke Up Johnny] was pretty strong, but when he saw that other horse [Hustling Charley] coming at him, he really dug in and started fighting him off,” Grismore stressed.
Smoke Up Johnny upped his seasonal earnings to $28,975 and now has five wins in 14 career starts. He was bred by Conquest Acres of Indiana.
(With files from Ohio Standardbred Development Fund)