In a tight finish, nine horses within three lengths, Tarapasta reigned supreme in the $36,986 Fillies & Mares Open Handicap Pace on Friday, July 26 at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
At the start, Ainthesamewithoutu (Luke Hanners) made the early lead by the :26.1 quarter and as the mares came out of the first turn, the field was five in and five out. Towards the :54.2 half-mile mark, Alexa Skye (Dan Noble) pulled even with the leader while the eventual race winner Tarapasta was spotted fourth-over. After the 1:22.4 third quarter, the field started fanning wide, with race favourite Rollin Rosie (Aaron Merriman) tipping three-wide, Racing For Three (Trevor Smith) going four-wide and Tarapasta, who was sitting seventh at the three-quarters, five-wide coming down the stretch. Coming home in :27.2, Tarapasta and Austin Hanners won by a half-length in 1:51.1 for the 24-1 upset. Alexa Skye was second and Rolling Rosie was third.
Tarapasta, by Downbytheseaside, is a four-year-old mare owned by Greg Luther Racing and trained by Todd Luther. She notched her second win in 10 starts this season and now has 11 career victories and more than $300,000 in earnings.
The Friday race card also had seven $27,397 Buckeye Stallion Series events, four for four-year-old pacing fillies and three for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Downbytheaseaside fillies driven by Chris Page took two of the three three-year-old events, with Genetic Edge winning in 1:52.2 and Gone Coastal in 1:52.1.
Gone Coastal virtually went gate-to-wire to take her division by 3-1/4 lengths for trainer Scott Betts. Out of the Shark Gesture mare Take Heed, Gone Coastal is owned by Timothy Betts and has six wins in 10 lifetime starts. The homebred filly did not race as a two-year-old.
Genetic Edge had a very similar front-end trip to win her division by a length and three-quarters. Trained by Tyler Rush for Diamond Creek Racing and breeder Darby Creek Standardbreds, Genetic Edge is out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Live Wire. She now has four wins in 11 lifetime starts.
Laurel Court, by Nob Hill High out of the Western Ideal mare Odds On Hemera, took the third division in 1:53.1 for driver Jeremy Smith and trainer Brian Georges. The filly went straight to the front but yielded to sit in the pocket and come up the passing lane to win by a neck. It was the fourth seasonal victory from 11 starts for Laurel Court, who is owned by Scott Hagemeyer, Mel Hagemeyer and breeders Robert Mondillo and Michael Robinson.
Trainer Steve Carter took two of the two-year-old pacing filly divisions when Maddies Delite won in 1:55.2 and Racin Like A Star won in 1:54.4.
Racin Like A Star is now two-for-two in Stallion Series action after she won in gate-to-wire fashion by a length and a half with Jeremy Smith in the sulky. Bred by Johnson Hill Jr. and Brent Tartar, the Racing Hill filly out of the Jennas Beach Boy mare Joes Miss Daisy, was a $45,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase. She is owned by Jeff Fought Racing, Adam Friedland and Hunter Holton.
Maddies Delight and Dan Noble sat in the pocket for nearly three-quarters of the mile before sprinting by the pacesetter to win by 2-3/4 lengths. The Lather Up filly is out of the Western Hanover mare Moonlite Delite and is owned by SCP Stable. She now has five wins in six starts.
Maa Honey, by Well Said out of the Your Nemesis mare Mary Celeste, led gate to wire to take her division by a length and a quarter in 1:54 with Luke Hanners. Bred by Henry Burkholder, Maa Honey was a $12,000 Buckeye Classic Yearling Sale purchase. Tyler Bates trains the filly, who is now six-for-seven, for Sean McGhee and Suzanne Bates.
Gorgeous Package, driven by Brett Miller, took her division in 1:55 after sitting in the pocket and coming up the passing lane to win by a half length. The daughter of Lather Up out of the Western Terror mare Special Package was bred by Odds On Nourrir and is owned by Thestable Gorgeouspackage. Gorgeous Package, trained by Jason McGinnis, has won half of her four starts.
(With files from Scioto Downs)