A dead heat for win does not happen often. Especially in a sub-1:50 mile. But that is exactly what happened on Saturday, June 14 at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
Captain Cowboy, driven by Chris Page, and Celtic Spirit N, with Dan Noble, crossed the line together in the $34,247 Open Pace in 1:49.4 over a sloppy track.
Carbine (Austin Hanners) charged to the opening quarter from post six and rolled to a :25.4 opening quarter. A couple lengths to the good, he stepped through the :53.3 half. By the 1:21.3 third quarter and well into the last turn, both Captain Cowboy and Celtic Spirit N were pinned along the pylons in the short six-horse field.
At the top of the stretch, Noble and Celtic Spirit N dove to the inside to go up the passing lane while Page took Captain Cowboy towards the grandstand. Charging home fastest in :27 from last, Captain Cowboy made up the most ground but the photo could not separate him from Celtic Spirit N down on the inside. Only two lengths separated the entire field. The poocket-sitting race favourite, Binge On Yankee (Jeremy Smith), was a neck back from the winners to finish third.
Captain Cowboy is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and Beasty. The six-year-old son of Captaintreacherous-Odds On Laddomyhrt now has 17 wins in 85 lifetime starts.
Celtic Spirit N, a seven-year-old by Sweet Lou out of Shards Fantasy, was making his first appearance this season after coming over from New Zealand last summer. Owned by James Morris, Dennis Owens, Carl Howard and Norman Rae Racing, Celtic Spirt N now has 12 wins in 35 lifetime starts. The 1:49.4 mile was a new lifetime mark for the Christi Noble trainee.
Almost three years ago to the date (June 18, 2022), Rose Run Ulysses and Kayne Kauffman dead heated with Later Dudes and Tony Hall as they crossed the wire together at Scioto in 1:50.3 in that evening’s Open Pace.
(Scioto Downs)