Two track records fell at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Friday, June 13.
Prince of Honor (pictured above) has become the fastest trotter in the history of Scioto winning in 1:50.2, a fifth of a second faster than Homicide Hunter’s mile in 2018.
Even-money favourite Refined (Aaron Merriman) set the early tempo in the $35,616 Open Handicap Trot, tripping the beam in :26.1, :55.1 and 1:22.2 to three-quarters. Chris Page then took Prince of Honor up the outside to just get by, winning by a neck. Refined was second while New Swan In Town (Tyler Smith) got up for third.
Prince of Honor is a five-year-old gelded son of Walner out of Princess Aurora who now has 17 wins in 56 lifetime starts and $562,222 in earnings. Bred by Marvin Katz of Toronto and Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont., the Ron Burke trainee is owned by Pennsylvania's Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi.
Just three races later, Rose Run Aimee and Dan Noble took the $41,096 Steve McCoy final in 1:49.4, tying the track record for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Fresh off a second-place finish in Ohio Sires Stakes action at Northfield Park, Rose Run Aimee left sharply from post seven in the event for developing Ohio-sired fillies and led at every call. Fractions of :26.4, :55.1 and 1:23 left enough in the tank to come home in :26.4 and win by 4-1/4 lengths. Pocket-sitter Tameudown (Austin Hanners) finished second and Rylee Too (Page) was third.
Rose Run Aimee, by Racing Hill out of Private Performance, is owned by Ohio's Dr. Jill Dentel, William Rufenacht and Gene Roth and Indiana's Jeff Bankey. The James Ehrsam trainee is now three-for-five on the season and went over the $100,000 mark in lifetime earnings.
Racing continues Saturday, with a 15-race card, including the Open Pace.
(With files from Scioto Downs)