The Eldorado Scioto Downs track keeps producing speed, with two more track records broken on Saturday, July 29, including the one for aged mares in the $100,000 Cleopatra Invitational. Grace Hill (pictured above) took the mare feature by a nose in 1:48.4.
Kobes Gigi and Tyler Smith left from the inside with Grace Hill and Tony Hall just to her outside from post three. Stretching Grace Hill a bit going to the quarter, Kobes Gigi yielded to Grace Hill at the :26.2 opening quarter. Grace Hill then looked comfortable setting fractions of :54.2 to the half and 1:21.3 to the three-quarters. Smith pulled Kobes Gigi at the top of the stretch and went after Grace Hill throughout the final eighth but came up a nose short. Violets Rainbow (Ronnie Wrenn Jr) got up for third and paced her first sub-1:50 mile, going in 1:49.4.
“When you’re the favourite like that, more often than not, you land on the front, not that that’s where you always want to be,” said trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. “But I thought she raced great. Nothing’s easy, especially here.
“I still felt pretty good [at the top of the stretch], but the other horse, she’s a really nice mare and she was tracking her really good. But my mare, when she sees another horse, she digs in pretty good, so yeah, was it closer than I wanted it to be? Yeah…it was a little too close for comfort.”
Tom Hill owns Grace Hill, a five-year-old mare by Always B Miki out of the Western Terror mare, Western Silk. In each of her eight 2023 starts, she has been the betting favourite and has visited the winner’s circle six times to boast $336,237 in seasonal earnings and lifetime bankroll to $1.58 million. In the Cleopatra, she was set off as the 1-5 favourite and paid $2.60 to win.
Just 20 minutes later, Ohio-sired Charlie May shot up the inside passing lane to get the victory in the $100,000 #SendItIn Invitational in 1:47.4.
Linedrive Hanover and Aaron Merriman left out of the seven-hole to cut the mile with Charlie May sitting in the pocket. After the :26.4 opening quarter, Little Rocket Man (Jeremy Smith) pulled first-up just before the :54.2 half. The field went by the three-quarters in 1:20.4 with those three horses then putting some distance between them and the rest of the field. With Little Rocket Man still in close quarters to the outside, Charlie May had to wait for the passing lane and took complete advantage, winning by a quarter length. The mile was only one-fifth off the track record for aged geldings set one week ago by Little Rocket Man.
“He got a great trip and I’m proud of Scioto Downs for putting it on,” said trainer Steve Carter.
Also a five-year-old, Charlie May is owned by breeder Don Tiger. He is by McArdle out of the Western Hanover mare, Stipple Hanover. The gelding now has seven starts with two wins in 2023 sending his earnings to $336,140 this year and $1.89 million lifetime. Sent off as the third betting choice at 3-1, Charlie May paid $8.40 to win.
On the undercard, another track record was broken as Pioneer AS and Tony Hall took the $33,000 Open Trot in 1:51.3. The four-year-old mare by Devious Man is trained by Anette Lorentzon for ACL Stuteri AB.
Scioto also hosted three $40,000 divisions of the Ohio Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings with all three winners taking new lifetime marks. Aaron Merriman won the first two splits.
In the first division, Merriman and Janelle Granny took the lead heading to the first quarter and never looked back, winning easily by two lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:52. Janelle Granny has hit the board in all seven starts this year for owner and trainer Betty Clegg. The Fear The Dragon colt has won three and finished second in the other four starts. Racing Rebel finished second with Dancin Moon third.
In the second division, Merriman went gate-to-wire again, this time with Clever Cody, a back-to-back Sire Stakes winner. The son of The Panderosa was never challenged, winning by 2-3/4 lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2. The Dr. Ian Moore trainee has won two of four starts this year for the Clever Cody Stable. With a late charge, Midwind Beach Boy finished second while Outer Banks slipped to third.
In the final division of the night, Hundred Dollar Man and Montrell Teague fired off the gate, taking the early lead and cruised to an easy 5-3/4-length victory in 1:51.4, a new lifetime mark. The son of Lather Up has hit the board in all four of his starts for trainer Clyde Francis and Brenda Teaque Inc., winning two Sire Stakes. Dragons Better was second with Who Dey Nation third.
Stakes action continues next week at Scioto with the Ohio State Fair Stakes for Ohio-sired horses, Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 3-5. Racing is held at Scioto Downs each Tuesday and Wednesday with a 3:15 p.m. first post and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with a 5:50 p.m. first post through Saturday, Sept. 16.
(With files from Scioto Downs and Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association)