Fear The Hate brought joy to his many backers as the odds-on choice took his sixth straight win in the $41,096 Carols Comet final on Saturday, June 28 at Eldorado Scioto Downs in a lifetime-best 1:50.3.
He and driver Chris Page made the top after the quarter in :27.1 and led to the half in :56.2 when pocket-sitter Zs Said (Tyler Smith) went off-stride and caused some confusion going down the backside. Only Unique Catch (Sam Widger) was in range of the leader at three-quarters in 1:23.2, and he mounted a charge down the stretch, but Fear The Hate held on by a neck for the victory. Woodrow Blue Chip (Austin Hanners) finished third. The winner returned $2.40.
Fear The Hate is a three-year-old colt by Fear The Dragon-The Mad Hatter trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc., and Beasty LLC. He has now won all six of his 2025 seasonal starts, including two legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes. The colt is eight-for-11 lifetime with $173,379 in earnings.
The race's namesake, Carols Comet, who did a meet-and-greet and led the post parade for the race, joined Fear The Hate and Page in the winner’s circle. The race was for Ohio-sired male sophomores with lifetime winnings exceeding $70,000 as of May 6.
Rose Run Zane set a new track record, stopping the clock in 1:48.1 as he blew away his opponents in a $17,808 conditioned event. Getting the perfect pocket trip behind Total Stranger (Brady Galliers), Austin Hanners had Rose Run Zane sitting comfortably as the field went through :26.1, :54, and 1:20.4 fractions. Going into the final turn, Hanners brought Rose Run Zane to the outside, and the gelding took flight, drawing clear by 7-1/4 lengths in 1:48.1. Just Kidding Katie (Trevor Smith) got up for second over Put To Right (Tyler Smith).
The time of the mile was one-fifth of a second off the previous track record set back in 2022 for four-year-old pacing geldings. This marks the third track record to fall at Scioto this season.
Dan Venier trains Rose Run Zane, a four-year-old gelded son of Racing Hill-Mrs American Pie, owned by John and Leann Saunders. Rose Run Zane now has 11 wins in 32 lifetime starts, with Saturday’s victory increasing his bankroll to $378,489. The gelding is two-for-seven in 2025.
After their win with Fear The Hate, Page and Burke teamed up again just one race later to win the $36,986 Horses and Geldings Open Pace with Racing Rebel in 1:48.4. Racing Rebel got the pocket trip and won by a length over Celtic Spirit N (Tyler Smith); Surreal Ideal (Luke Hanners) was third. Racing Rebel is a four-year-old stallion by Racing Hill-Awakening who is owned by his breeder, Marjorie Polhamus, along with Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Page. He returned $8.20 in his fourth win in eight starts this year.
It was one of three wins on the 14-race card for Burke. After going back-to-back with Fear The Hate and Racing Rebel, he and Page won the finale with Twenty Five ($5.80).
Artatac A ($7.60) took the $27,397 Horses and Geldings Open II, vaulting from third to first down the lane to win by a length in 1:50.2 for driver Koltin Noble, trainer Christi Noble, and owners James Morris and Norman Rae Racing LLC.
Racing continues at Scioto Down on Tuesday, July 1 with a 15-race card beginning at 5:45 p.m.
(With files from Scioto Downs; photo of Fear The Hate winning on June 7)