On Wednesday, August 12, Ocean Downs featured the highly-popular Chesapeake Bay Racing Series. The series had two divisions for fillies and mares and the same for geldings and horses.
The first division included trotting geldings and horses and ended with a new track record. Seven-year-old Safari Heat set the track record for aged geldings back in 2007 at 1:57:4. If any horse was going to break his record, it was going to be him Safari Heat decided. The gelding trained and owned by Thomas Morris, Jr. started the race on the rail and never relented the lead. Urgent pushes were made from eventual second place finisher, Concertino, but he was held off. Safari Heat ($2.20) finished the mile in 1:57:2, taking the $26,600 prize.
"It's as if he gets better with age," said his driver Roger Plante, Jr. "He's a great horse and just like great championship sports teams, he always finds away to win the big ones. I contribute that to the work of his diligent trainer."
Dilly Dally Delia ($3.00) won the trotting event for fillies and mares worth $26,800. Despite starting in the five hole, the five-year-old mare took the early lead and went wire to wire in a time of 1:59:4. Victor Kirby drove the lass to a 15-length victory. John Wilkerson trains the mare.
The fillies and mares pacing race worth $27,400 was run in the pouring rain. The morning line picked Moms Toy to win and Twin B Scamper to finish second. A better selection could not have been made because Moms Toy and Twin B Scamper were nose to nose their entire trip down the homestretch. The photo finish showed Moms Toy reaching the wire first by less than a nose.
Just as Moms Toy's driver John Wagner began to celebrate his victory, the judges reversed the call and gave the win to Twin B Scamper ($10.80). Moms Toy was disqualified for cutting into the rail markers and gaining an unfair advantage.
Twin B Scamper was the horse of the meet at Ocean Downs in 2007. After the race his driver, Frank Milby, covered in wet clay and mud stated, "I'll take a win in any shape or form. My horse is very classy and she's still a winner."
The final event of the Chesapeake Bay Racing series involved pacing horses and geldings. Eight-year-old Sharky Osborne ($6.00) won the $26,800 race. The gelding is trained by Josh Green. Driver Victor Kirby gained two wins in the Chesapeake series as he drove Sharky Osborne to the wire in 1:53:1.
The final of the Hal Belote Memorial Series was also held Wednesday. Four-year-old mare Juanita, winner of two previous legs of the series, surprised no one when she crossed the finish line first, in the $10,800 race. Hal Belote was an honourable horseman that died in an on track accident in 2006. Hal's brother, Sam Belote, joined Juanita in the winner's circle for the heart-warming blanket-awarding ceremony. Jaunita was driven by Jim Morand and is trained by Les Givens.
(Ocean Downs)