Fearless Ginger, Adamsville Road and My Red Sea shared the spotlight on Friday, July 19 at Eldorado Scioto Downs, winning the evening’s feature races.
In the $41,096 final of the Dr. Davis Pace, Fearless Ginger and driver Austin Hanners went straight to the front with Gulf Moon (Aaron Merriman) pressing on from the six-hole towards the :26.1 opening quarter. Hanners pulled Fearless Ginger right back out of the pocket to re-take the lead heading into the second turn. Laurel Court (Jeremy Smith) pulled first-up towards the :54.4. half which flushed Illegal (Tyler Smith) out from the four-hole. As the field hit the 1:22 three-quarters, Fearless Ginger opened up and she went on to win by a length and a quarter over the fast-closing Bettorthanamillion (Brett Miller), who went up the passing lane. Gulf Moon was third.
In the Dr. Davis Pace, a mini-series of three legs and a final for fillies eligible to the Buckeye Stallion Series who did not race in the second leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes. Fearless Ginger was scratched sick from the first leg and finished second twice. Tim Lane owns and trains the three-year-old filly by Fear The Dragon who now has five wins in 11 starts this season after a winless rookie campaign.
Adamsville Road convincingly won the $34,247 Open Trot after having his own way, leading gate-to-wire to win in 1:53. Leaving from post six, Adamsville Road and driver Luke Hanners lead the field through fractions of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:24.4. The 2-5 favourite, Refined (Dan Noble), got away fourth and went first-up after the half to challenge the leader. Adamsville Road won by a half length over Refined and Ahundreddollarbill (Brett Miller), who finished in a dead heat for second. John Ryan Melsheimer trains the five-year-old Swan For All gelding, a 21-time winner, for Mel Rose Stable and Joe Nesselroad.
My Red Sea and Austin Hanners took the $34,247 Fillies & Mares Open Pace in 1:51.1. Odds On Cinamon (Luke Hanners) took the early lead, followed closely by Trick Of The Light (Dan Noble) as they headed to the :27.2 opening quarter. My Read Sea then went first-up and flushed Hungry Lizzo (Jeremy Smith) by the :56.3 half. Hungry Lizzo got on even terms with Odds On Cinamon by the 1:23.3 three-quarters. My Red Sea went three-wide coming out of the last turn to win by a quarter length. Trick Of The Light shot up the passing lane to finish second with Seaside Diva (Chris Page) getting up for third. Jason Irwin trains the four-year-old daughter of Downbytheseaside, now a 12-time winner, for Jennifer Bongiorno Stable and Robert Weinstein.
(With files from Scioto Downs)