One of the best crowds in many years came out to see one of the best racing programs in many years on Saturday night at Scioto Downs.
The atmosphere was electric with a quartet of Ohio Sires Stakes for sophomores, an Open for each gait, a five-eighth-mile dash that excited fans, and a race for Ohio Driving Legends.
Jetstream Friskie made it three-for-three in Ohio Sires Stakes action this year with his 1:54 win for driver Kayne Kauffman. He moved to the front with confidence in the second quarter and then held off Friskies Cheapsuit and Gun Show to win by two and a half lengths. Joe Essig trains the winner for breeder-owner James Wampler of London, Ohio.
In the other sires stakes split for sophomore pacers, Mr I Am scored an upset win and paid $16. He stopped the clock in 1:55.2 to win over Man He Can Scoot and Noble Trick. Tricia Shepard was thrilled with her first career sires stakes win, as was owner Thomas C. Phillips of Romulus, Michigan. The victory was Mr I Am’s sixth in 14 starts this season.
Cody Coy got the best of a blanket finish in the fastest division of the sires stakes for sophomore trotting males. He thrust his neck in front of pacesetter Count Me In at the wire with Masters Fly Trap finishing third. Five horses were within a half-length of the winner at the wire in the 1:57.4 mile. Cody Coy is trained by Dale Edwards for owner Chris Easterday of Ohio. Ryan Stahl drove the winner.
We Belong Together upset at 18-1 in the other division of Ohio Sires Stakes trotting action with David Myers steering him to a 1:59.3 victory. Favored Countmymuscles was second and pacesetting Jesses Touch was third. Theodore Gawrom of Florida owns and trains the winner.
Bernardi won the $15,000 Open Pace in the most exciting finish of the evening as the first four finishers were separated by a nostril and the fifth-place finisher, favoured Cmon Blaze, was a neck behind the winner. The mile went in 1:53.4 as driver Chris Page shot Bernardi up the rail to win over Chip Of Art and Lucky Lime. Sam Coven trains the winner for Indiana owners Keith Richeson and Cheri Watts.
Lima Legend paid $31 in winning the Open Trot over Brother Gus and Anastasia Winnie in 1:57. Driver Ryan Stahl had him in front all the way to win for trainer Dee Hotton and Timura Trotters of Wooster, Ohio.
The exciting five-eighth-mile dash was taken in a time of 1:13.1 by Supervision and driver Dan Noble. He lead all the way as he shrugged off an early challenge by Rambling Randy to control the race from the start.
The Ohio Driving Legends race had an exciting finish as Marty Wollam and Olin had a big lead entering the stretch, but Chip Noble and Say Its True rallied to win by a length in 1:58.1.
(Scioto Downs)