Officially the race was a mile but Air Stewart needed only a short distance to make it no contest.
When driver Ray Paver unleashed Air Stewart with a quarter-mile remaining, he moved three-wide around the field with ease and drew off to win comfortably by eight lengths in 1:57.4. Jailhouse Juice was second, nosing out Singlenrdytomingle.
Danny Collins trains the four-year-old son of Striking Sahbra for owner Michael Lewis. It was his second win in a row from six starts this season. He was sent off as a 2-5 favourite.
G S Ren and driver Kyle Ater set the early fractions while Paver had Air Stewart back in the pack. When Air Stewart moved to the front, G S Ren had nothing to offer and finished seventh.
Paver drove the winners of three of the evening’s first five races.
In the co-featured trot, favoured Jailhouse Funk overcame post nine for owner-trainer-driver Sandy Beatty to score a 1:59 win over Fortune Sailor and Roln Win.
It was only the second win in 15 starts this season for the gelded five-year-old son of Jailhouse Jesse.
Second choice Ticket To Broadway got away fastest for driver Ryan Stahl, then yielded to Miley Jo who was moving fast on the outside. Beatty had Jailhouse Funk in striking position and he surged to the front at the three-quarter pole. Then he had to fight off a determined challenge from Fortune Sailor, but Jailhouse Funk had a solid half-length margin at the wire. Roln Master was 10-1/2 lengths back in third.
(Scioto Downs)