Trotting mare Victory Is Coming and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. stole the spotlight at Scioto Downs on Friday night with their track and world performance of 1:51 in the $30,000 Open.
The previous world record of 1:51.4 for an aged trotting mare (five years old and up) on a five-eighth-mile track was set by Beatgoeson Hanover and In Your Room. The previous track record of 1:52.2 was held by Unefoisdanmavie and Modern Family.
The seven-year-old mare by Victory Sam out of Norse Comer is trained by Ammon Hershberger for Betty and John Shaw.
Victory Is Coming has now earned over $520,000 in her 107 starts and has made 47 trips the winner's circle.
The mare started from post five in the full field of 10 and went off at odds of 8-5. Wrenn got away an early fifth behind the battle of Its Complicated and Creatine, clicking the opener quarter in a hot :26.2.
The pace didn't slow much when Lachance grabbed leather with Creatine to drop in third. They clocked the half-mile in :54 and it was shortly after that Wrenn pulled the right line and made a quick brush to the front.
Victory Is Coming quickly opened up three lengths on the field as she hit the three-quarters in 1:22.2.
Wrenn had the talented mare well in hand as the cruised to a one and a quarter lengths victory over Southwind Pepino. The other lone mare in the field, Daylon Miracle, was a closing third.
Freshman fillies were featured in $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes at Scioto Downs on Friday night.
Like Old Times and Josh Sutton set a new track record of 1:57.1 for two-year-old trotting fillies.
The previous record of 1:57.2 was held by Rose Run Keepsake.
Like Old Times is a daughter of Chip Chip Hooray out of Royal Two. She's trained by Don McKirgan for Keith Ross of Bellefontaine, Ohio.
She started from post four in the field of eight and was in good company. The 9-5 morning line favourite, Dark Roast, started from post five. Dark Roast and Kurt Sugg left out for command and landed in the pocket spot, but were out to take command just past the quarter that was trotted in :28.3.
Sutton and Like Old Times were parked the entire way and still were charging for command after the half that was trotted in :59. Dark Roast and Like Old Times went toe-to-toe and stride-for-stride down to the three-quarters that was clocked on 1:27.4.
Sutton finally asked the filly for more and she responded by opening up on the field by five and three-quarter lengths. Sammy Star and Aaron Merriman came on late for second and Dark Roast held on for third.
Bettys Sam and trainer/driver Ammon Hershberger upset their division in 1:57.4.
Bettys Sam is owned by John "Red" and Betty Shaw of Mt. Vernon, Ohio. She's by Victory Sam out of Norse Comer. She was out to prove that she wanted to be just like her sister, Victory Is Coming, and her point was made.
The filly started from the rail, but still had hard work ahead of her. The undefeated Sunrise Nibbles had post four in the field of eight. Page sent Sunrise Nibbles to her normal spot and clocked the opening quarter in :29.
Ammon had Bettys Sam sitting third and after the :30 second quarter decided it was time to move. She started her first over grind and hit the three-quarters in 1:28.2. Sunrise Nibbles and Bettys Sam battled down the stretch, a small neck separated the fillies. Bettys Sam earned the victory and paid $71.40 to win. Chip Girl and Wrenn Jr. completed the trifecta.
Lisa Jane took the final division for trotting fillies in a career-best 1:57.2.
Lisa Jane started from post five and Ryan Stahl had the lines for trainer Scott Cox. She's a daughter of Neely Dunn out of Vanilla B and is owned by Parent Racing Stable LLC and G. Peters.
Stahl wasted no time to gain control of the fractions. After the opening quarter was trotted in :28.4 by Ttscaramelcream, Stahl made the move to the front.
They trotted to the half in a moderate :59.1 and passed the three-quarters in 1:28.2. Lisa Jane was well in hand and won by three and a half lengths over Student Of Life, and Dolly Dunn was third.
Bell Flower and Chris Page dominated their $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes division for two-year-old pacing fillies in 1:55.
She is a daughter of Fly Fly Buckeye out of Our Lady Countess, trained by Jim Arledge Jr. for owners Bruce and Patricia Soulsby and Dean Davis.
Bell Flower never made her connections anxious as the heavy favourite. She started from post six in the field of eight. Page steered the perfect filly to the top and never looked back.
She clocked fractions of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:25.4 before drawing clear by seven lengths. Crosswinds Cupcake and Dan Noble rallied for second and Ut Oh Spakiddio grabbed the show spot.
Sectionlinefriskie broke her maiden with a win in her division of Ohio Sires Stakes in 1:56.
Sectionlinefriskie is a daughter of Feelin Friskie out of Aquatic Yankee. She's trained by Steve Bauder for Harold L. Bauder, Michael Dixon and Harold Lee Bauder.
Dan Noble had the assignment from post seven and was overlooked at 22-1. Noble ended up an early seventh in the field of eight. The heavy 1-5 choice, Friskie Lil Devil was the pacesetter and cut fractions of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:27.
Aaron Merriman and Zoeys Lemon Tart sat the pocket trip and waited to pounce in the stretch. Neither one could hold off the late charge from Sectionlinefriskie. She paced her final quarter in :28.3. Friskie Lil Devil settled for the place spot and Zoeys Lemon Tart was third.
(With files from Scioto Downs)