Odds-on favourites Geralds A Keeper, Fancy Like That and Tony Babe swept a trio of $119,863 Maryland Sire Stakes championships for three-year-olds on the Wednesday, July 24 pari-mutuel card at Ocean Downs while a would-be odds-on favourite in Only I Exist likewise coasted to victory in the non-betting Maryland Sire Stakes final for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Geralds A Keeper (pictured above) completed a sweep of the series and extended his winning streak to five with a 1:58 score in the three-year-old male trot. Trae Porter launched the Lockkeeper-Brilliance Hanover gelding to the fore from the outside post six and the pair travelled unopposed through splits of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:28 before evading a mild late rally from stablemate K J Dash by two lengths. War Pony was a one-paced third from the pocket.
John Wagner trains Geralds A Keeper, now a six-time winner from seven sophomore starts with lifetime earnings climbing to $162,727, for owner Kelsey Wagner.
Fancy Like That likewise swept the three-year-old pacing filly series, building on 15-1/2 and 11-1/4-length wins in her preliminaries with a dominating 12-length, 1:56 score over Yourgracefound Me. Marissa For Real was a distant third.
Johnathan Ahle drove Kasey Bendix and Virginia Marvel's homebred daughter of Rustys For Real-Scootin Woody to her her ninth win of the season from 15 starts. With 16 career wins, Fancy Like That is just shy of the quarter-million mark in earnings. She paid $2.10 to win.
In the sophomore male pace, Tony Babe and driver Jonathan Roberts rated splits of :28.3, :58.2 and 1:27.1 before accelerating in the stretch to repel a late challenge from pocket rival Petes For Real by a half length in 1:55.4. The Editor finished third.
Tony Babe, a Rustys For Real-Aunt Babe gelding, has now won four races — all this season — and just over $150,000 in purses for owner, breeder and trainer Ronald Short. He paid $3.40 to win.
The non-wagering three-year-old filly trot was a virtual walkover for Richard Hans' homebred Only I Exist, who was never challenged by runner-up Emilys Locket and the galloping New Concept at any point in her 1:56.3 lifetime-best mile, which she won by 21-3/4 lengths. Russell Foster drove the Yall Beneath Me-Get Rich Quick filly to her 12th win in 13 career starts. Her six-for-six sophomore campaign has boosted her bankroll over $300,000.
Hans also owns, trains and bred Watch Me Goo This, who won the $18,493 final of the Tom Cooke Memorial for two-year-old trotters. In line to Ahle, the daughter of International Moni-Gooreatness sprinted to a four-length lead over Prince Of Royals through a :58.2 first half and then narrowly held off a late bid from that rival to win by a nose in 1:59.4. Chex Check, the 4-5 favourite, closed significant ground around a failing second flight to finish third, beaten 2-3/4 lengths.
In the $16,438 Open Handicap Trot, Eric Foster's Sinatra De Vie rallied to his fourth win in as many starts at the Ocean meet, vaulting three-wide up the backstretch to post a last-to-first, 1:55.1 win over Coventry Hall. The four-year-old Southwind Frank-Lola De Vie gelding vaulted five lengths clear in the stretch to give Ahle his third of four driving wins on the evening.
Racing returns to Ocean Downs on Sunday, July 28 with a 12-race card. First post is 7:05 p.m.
(With files from Ocean Downs)