Ohio State Fair stakes action concluded on Saturday, Aug. 1 with nine total divisions at Eldorado Scioto Downs, including events for rookie and three-year-old pacers and three-year-old trotters, along with an aged pace and aged trot.
Up In Place added another victory to his perfect seasonal record as he defeated sophomore pacing male opponents in his $74,217 Director of Agriculture Pace division.
Up In Place got away seventh for Marvin Luna as Backninebar (Chris Page) set opening fractions of :26.3 and :56.1. The outer flow developed with Swelce (David Miller) first-up and Up In Place getting the tow towards the 1:23.1 three-quarters. Up In Place fanned three-wide coming off the turn to get up to win by a length over Swelce. Caillou Hanover (Atlee Bender) was third.
Up In Place ($2.10), by Lather Up out of the Park Place mare Helens Place Girl, is six-for-six on the season and seven-for-14 lifetime with $253,444 in earnings. Tony Alagna trains the colt owned by John Barnard and Alagna Stable LLC.
Luna and Alagna also teamed up to win the $75,203 second Director of Agriculture division. Myboypank went straight to the top from post seven, setting fractions of :26.2, :55.1 and 1:22.3 on his way to victory by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.3 over Fire Run (Bender). Heerz Corinthian (Cam McCown) was third.
The winning Catch The Fire gelding out of the Western Terror mare Bazooka Terror is owned by Sam Bowie. Myboypank has eight wins in 13 lifetime starts and $190,658 in earnings and a six-for-nine record this year. The win price was $3.
The $75,203 final Director of Agriculture split went to Odds On Rpj, who provided one of three wins on the night to trainer Virgil Morgan Jr.
After sitting third while Tsunami Seas (David Miller) set fractions of :26.2 and :56, Luke Hanners pulled Odds On Rpj mid-way down the backside to advance through three-quarters in 1:24. Odds On Rpj came home in :26.3 to win by a quarter-length over Pet Project (Smith) with Tsunami Seas third.
Odds On Rpj ($11.40) a gelded son of Downbytheseaside out of the Rock N Roll Heaven mare Odds On Ashley, is four-for-eight this season for owner Odds On Racing. He now has six wins in 13 lifetime starts and $126,211 in earnings.
Morgan's other stakes winner was Night Surfer in the $116,366 second division of the Buckeye State Pace for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Night Surfer, also driven by Luke Hanners, is now two-for-two in stakes action after winning his division in 1:51. North Rim (Chris Page) took the early lead towards the :27.3 quarter, but as the field slowed to the :57.2 half, Jett James (Brett Miller) came rolling up to take over. Jett James posted a stout 1:23.4 three-quarters and led into the lane, but Night Surfer powered down the stretch from third to win by a length over Jett James. North Rim was third.
Night Surfer, by Downbytheseaside out of the Bettors Delight mare Dark Force, has earned $111,000 for owners Let It Ride Stables, Morrison Racing Stables and Steven Held. He paid $3 to win.
Morgan also won with Makes Sense ($4.20) in an overnight to complete the three-pack. He crossed the 100-win threshold for the meet and leads all Scioto trainers, 43 ahead of second-placed Ron Burke, as he seeks his 32nd straight title at the track.
The other Buckeye State Pace division, going for $115,380, went to Donttruckwithme in 1:51.4 as the gelding stayed perfect in four starts. Sea Monster (Luke Hanners) took the early lead towards the :26.1 opening quarter. After getting away fifth, Chris Lems pulled Donttruckwithme going into the second turn as the field headed to the :57 half. Donttruckwithme made the lead midway down the backstretch heading for the 1:24.2 three-quarters and drew clear to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Into The Blaze (Ronnie Gillespie). Atlantic Ivey (Atlee Bender) finished third.
Donttruckwithme has now earned $270,467 for trainer Daren Harvey and owners Wayne Mast Jr., Eden Acres Farmstead LLC and Kirk Nichols. The son of Catch The Fire out of the Real Desire mare Age Of Consent paid $2.10 to win.
Knob Creek Moni, driven by Trevor Smith, led gate-to-wire to win the first of two $103,521 divisions of the Governor's Cup for three-year-old male trotters in 1:53.3. The pair set fractions, virtually uncontested, of :27.2, :56.4 and 1:24.4 before coming home in :28.4 to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Deer In Range (Kurt Sugg). Rose Run Boom (Luke Hanners) was third. Going off at 15-1, Knob Creek Moni paid $33.60 to win.
The Kim Dailey-owned and -trained Knob Creek Moni now has four wins in 22 lifetime starts. The son of Ready For Moni out of the Muscle Hill dam Southwind Cruella has earned $174,334.
Tom Largo continued his affinity for finishing in the top two by winning the other division in 1:53.2. Soulful Saul (Luke Hanners) took the early lead in a :27.3 opening quarter, but Lems already had Tom Largo on the move. After quickly making the front, Tom Largo set fractions of :56.3 and 1:24.4 and coasted home in :28.3 to win by five lengths. Special Moni (Chris Page) was second, and Grape Crush (David Miller) finished third.
Tom Largo, by Long Tom out of the Valley Victor mare Smith Hall, has finished in the exactor in all nine starts this season with five wins. He is nine-for-18 lifetime and has banked $423,514 for owners Jughead Stables LLC, G. Peters and Robert Kubiak. The win price was $2.20.
Battle Hill was much the best in the $91,549 Jim Buchy Trot for older horses and geldings, winning by six lengths in 1:53.1. He initially got away third as Yanks Dugout (Austin Hanners) got to the quarter first in :27.1, but David Miller pulled Battle Hill to the lead towards the :56.3 half and 1:24.2 three-quarters. Battle Hill then extended his advantage all the way down the lane for his fifth win of the year in 16 starts. Yanks Dugout was second with Caviar Gold (Lems) getting up for third.
Matthew Burkholder trains the winning four-year-old gelded son of Marseille out of the Kadabra mare Battle Mage for William Hartt. The win was the 16th lifetime for Battle Hill, who now has $708,599 in earnings in 37 appearances. He returned $2.80.
Harrisburg Heist won gate-to-wire in the $91,549 Robert Schmitz Pace for older males in 1:49.4. After leading through fractions of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:22.4 for Chris Page, Harrisburg Heist held off a strong bid from pocket-sitter For Once Inmy Life (Brett Miller) by a quarter-length. Rose Run Zane (Tyler Smith) finished third.
By Downbytheseaside out of the Western Ideal mare Cashaway, the Ron Burke-trained Harrisburg Heist is seven-for-10 this year. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Phil Collura and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The four-year-old gelding took his 20th win in 41 lifetime starts and raised his earnings to $1,098,031. He paid $3.60 to win.
(With files from Scioto Downs; photo of Donttruckwithme winning on Aug. 1)