Muscle Hill mares bred to Volstead won two of the five $27,397 divisions of the Buckeye Stallion Series for two-year-old filly trotters on Tuesday, July 24 at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Dublins Dragonfly and Volstarita each won their division in 1:57.4.
Dublins Dragonfly, with Dan Noble up, was content to sit in the pocket while Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) set fractions of :28.3, :59 and 1:28.1. Just before the three-quarters, Noble tipped Dublins Dragonfly and went around the 6-5 favourite in the last turn to win by a length and a half. Countn On CC (Chris Page) was second with Mega Money third. Jesmeral Stable owns the Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee, who is out of Pink Dandelions. Dublins Dragonfly was a $60,000 Ohio Select Yearling Sale purchase from breeder Dublin Valley Farm. She earned his first win in three attempts.
Trainer/driver Ronnie Gillespie had Volstarita in the correct position to win their division by 4-3/4 lengths. The duo went to the front towards the :28.2 quarter but yielded to Aunt Laura (Page), who was parked through the first turn. Aunt Laura led through the :58.3 half but made a break going to the three-quarters, so Volstarita inherited the lead as they hit the beam in 1:28.2. Iwillmakeuproud AS (Tyler Smith) came from way back to finish second with Say Oui (Brett Miller) coming up the passing lane to be third. Volstarita, owned by M3 Racing Stable, is out of Southwind Magic and was also purchased out of the Ohio Select Sale, for $55,000 from breeder Euro Stall SE. Volstarita has made the rounds, making her first start a winning one at the Lebanon (Kentucky) fair, then went to Oak Grove to start in the Kentucky Sires Stakes before heading to Northfield Park on July 14 to start in the Ohio Sires Stakes. The filly is now two-for-four lifetime.
Morgan Jr. had another training win with Travel Nurse (pictured above) in 1:57.3. Brett Miller left out of the six-hole with the Enterprise filly and led gate to wire, setting fractions of :27.3, :57.3 and 1:27.2. Travel Nurse won by a length and three-quarters over Countonluna (Daren Harvey), who came up the passing lane to just nip Youthful Kemp (Trevor Smith). Travel Nurse, out of the Andover Hall mare Poster Pin Up, is owned by Joyce McClelland, who bred the filly with her husband Richard. Travel Nurse is now two-for-three with both wins in Stallion Series action.
BBs Kanson Lady took the first division in 1:58.3 with Kayne Kauffman aboard. Wild As You (Merriman) went straight for the front with Annie L (Hank LeVan) pulling from the three-hole at the :28.1 opening quarter. The race winner was sitting fourth through the :57.3 half, but heading to the 1:27.4 third quarter, pulled second-over following the cover of LT By A Nose (Austin Hanners). BBs Kanson Lady went three-wide around the last turn and coasted home to break her maiden in her third career start by 4-3/4 lengths. Wild As You was second with Kaylees Princess third. BBs Kanson Lady is trained by Brian Miller for Anthony Miller. The daughter of Mister Anson is out of the Kadabra mare Kaddy and was bred by Ark Farms.
CS Donatta Girl won the last division in 1:58.2 for trainer Scott Cox and driver Jeremy Smith. I Bee Cream (Alex Hawk) took the early lead and set fractions of :27.3, :58 and 1:27.3. Smith had CS Donatta Girl second-over from fourth by the half and the duo steadily made up ground following the cover of Mona Lisa Hill (Trevor Smith), the latter of which ducked to the inside mid-way down the backside leaving CS Donatta Girl first-up. Smith had CS Donatta Girl in the lead mid-way through the last turn and fended off Oh Hill No (Anthony MacDonald) to win by a half length. Wiley Resources and Tyler Smith were third. CS Donatta Girl is out of the Donato Hanover mare Donata Dont Gotta and owned by Cox, Melinda Biley and Wayne Zollars. The Melvin Detweiler-bred filly, who won her second start, was a $12,000 Buckeye Classic Yearling Sale purchase.
Racing will continue at Scioto on Wednesday, July 25 with stakes action returning on Thursday with four divisions the Stallion Series and three divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-old colt trotters. Friday’s July 26 card will play host to four divisions of the Stallion Series for two-year-old filly pacers three divisions of three-year-old filly pacers.
(With files from Scioto Downs)