Four sets of two-year-old colts hit the track for the second leg of $30,000 Ohio Sire Stakes at Scioto Downs Racino on Saturday. Three of the winners kept their Sire Stakes win record in tact, winning both legs so far, and all four set new lifetime marks.
Friskie Adam chose a great time to break his maiden when he won his division of the Sire Stakes in 1:55.1 for trainer/driver Sam “Chip” Noble. He finished second to Dibs (Tony Hall) in the last leg of the Sire Stakes at Northfield Park on July 3 by three-quarters of a length and this time out took the race by a nose.
“I wanted to get away as good as I could and when we had Dibs in front of me that was the perfect spot,” said Noble. “This is a big horse and he gets around a half mile track so easy it’s unbelievable. But we drew better here and that makes all the difference.”
Friskie Adam (Feelin Friskie-Lottery Fever) is owned by the Dr. Jerry Maloon Stable of Dublin.
The other division of pacers went to Chance I Might and Brad Hanners in 1:56.2. The colt, by Stand Forever out of the Precious Bunny mare Natures Course, got away at the back of the pack and got up to win by one and a half lengths over Feel The Heat and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. Chance I Might is owned by Rebecca Dwyer of Jamestown, Ohio and trained by Jim Dailey.
Rompaway Galaxy (Rompaway Wally-Rompaway Wynona) took the first division for trotters in 1:58.4 for trainer Krista Williams and driver Mike Micallef. The pair won by four lengths over Hooray For Willie and Kurt Sugg. Rompaway Galaxy was bred and is owned by Rompaway Farms LLC of Battlecreek, Michigan.
Noah Count (Full Count-Ariels Treasure) took the last Sire Stakes event from race favourite Bradymeister (Kurt Sugg) in 2:00 when he came up the inside passing lane to win by three-quarters of a length. Robin Miller, a regular driver at Northfield, came down with the gelding for his only drive on the night for trainer Ray Crawford and co-owner Suanne Kochilla of North Royalton, Ohio.
The two-year-old colts will come back to Scioto for the fourth leg of the Sire Stakes on August 31 before the Ohio Super Night Championships on Saturday, September 7.
The fast miles continued at Scioto Downs on Saturday when Bakin On The Beach and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. won in 1:50.3. The winning time equalled the track record for four-year-old pacing geldings, which was set earlier this year by I Found My Beach and Dan Noble.
However, it was a short-lived record when three races later I Found My Beach, once again with Noble up, won in 1:50.2 to re-take the track record spot.
In the fifth race Bakin On The Beach (McArdle-Elizabeth Street) took the field to an opening quarter of :25.3 and stayed on the lead, even when pocket-sitting Redbud (Dan Noble) pulled down the backside going to the three-quarter pole.
“He’s a very nice horse, he just doesn’t like to be on the lead, but he was okay there,” said trainer Ron Steck. “I would rather of been in the two-hole there, but he chose to cut it.
“He was racing out east and it was a little tougher out there than it was here at that time. But it’s pretty tough here now.”
In the eighth race, the Open, I Found My Beach parked Carols Comet (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), who took the lead at the quarter pole and then re-took before the three-eighths pole. I Found My Beach won by two and three-quarter lengths, clocking a last quarter of :27.3. Lucky Lime (Kyle Ater) was second and Carols Comet held on for third.
(With files from Scioto Downs)