Speedy two-year-old pacing fillies went behind the gate in three $70,423 divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes on Friday, July 24 at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
David Miller piloted the fastest divisional winner, Tempting Flames, scoring easily in 1:51.3. Originally getting away in the pocket, Miller pulled Tempting Flames just at the :28 quarter and led through fractions of :56.4 and 1:24.3. Coming home in :27, Tempting Flames won by 2-1/4 lengths over Late Night Legend (Luke Hanners). Yourgonaloveme (Ronnie Gillespie) was 10 lengths back in third.
Tempting Flames, by Catch The Fire out of the McArdle mare Hotshot Temptress, was a $72,222 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase. Owned by William Hartt of Carmel, Maine and trained by Michael Hitchcock, Tempting Flames now has more than $100,000 earned in three lifetime starts. She was runner-up in her first two, in the Next Generation at Scioto and a leg of the Sires Stakes at Northfield Park.
Chris Page gave Cleveland Darby the perfect pocket trip and won the first division in 1:52.4. Breadnbutterz (Chris Lems) took the early lead and set fractions of :27.3, :56 and 1:24.1. Page pulled Cleveland Darby midway through the last turn and drew clear to win by 2-1/2 lengths. Breadnbutterz was second, while Jar Of Hearts (Gillespie) came up the passing lane to finish third.
Cleveland Darby, by Downbytheseaside out of the McArdle mare Loreenas Ruffian, is owned by Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, R A S Racing of Powell, Ohio and Larry Karr of Boca Raton, Florida. The Ron Burke trainee, who notched her first career win, has $52,354 earned in three lifetime starts.
The last division was won in gate-to-wire fashion by Party Up in 1:53.1, giving David Miller a Sires Stakes driving double. After setting fractions of :27.1, :56 and 1:25, Party Up comfortably paced home to win by a quarter-length over Real Classy (Page). Splendid Station (Justin Irvine) was third.
The Lather Up filly out of the Artsplace mare Artchitecture was a $23,944 yearling sale purchase from the Standardbred Horse Sale last fall. Owned by Morrison Racing of Indiana, Pennsylvania and trained by Joe Bongiorno, Party Up now has $70,422 earned in two successful starts, both in the Ohio Sires Stakes.
Scioto also hosted a quartet of $28,169 divisions of the Buckeye Stallion Series for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The winners were Declamation (1:55.2) for the combination of Page and Burke; Rose Run Champ (1:55.1) with Brett Miller driving for Tim Twaddle; Route Fifty (1:56.3) in rein to Austin Hanners for Virgil Morgan Jr.; and Into The Blaze (1:55.3) for trainer/driver Ronnie Gillespie.
Burke had a training triple on Friday's 16-race card, also sending out Open trotter Oh Look Magic to a 1:53 score in rein to Page.
Ohio Sires Stakes action continues at Scioto on Saturday when two divisions go to post for two-year-old pacing colts. The first division goes off as race one, with an off time of 5:25 p.m.; the second division is race number 11 on the 15-race card.
(With files from Scioto Downs; photo of Tempting Flames winning on July 24)