Eldorado Scioto Downs hosted four $138,889 Grade 3 events on Saturday, Aug. 23, headlined by the sixth annual #SendItIn Invitational for open pacers, in which the four-year-old Racing Rebel upset at 12-1 in 1:49.1.
Pariss Dragon (Dan Noble) took the early lead, but Chris Page had Racing Rebel out and moving just before the :27 opening quarter. Racing Rebel took the field to the :55.2 half with favourite Little Rocket Man (Jeremy Smith) applying pressure, and he sustained the bid through three-quarters in 1:22.1. Racing Rebel shrugged off the challenger on the final turn, but Pariss Dragon tipped to the outside from the pocket mid-way down the stretch to attack. He could only get within a three-quarters of a length of the leader, though, as Racing Rebel held on for the victory. Women Layer (Tim Tetrick) got up for third. The winner paid $27.
Racing Rebel, bred by Marjorie Polhamus, is a son of Racing Hill-Awakening. He is trained by Ron Burke and owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Page, and Polhamus. Racing Rebel now has $501,313 earned in 46 lifetime starts, with 15 wins.
Noble took Shadows Dancers on a speed mission to win the Cleopatra Invitational for aged pacing mares in 1:48.1.
No Foolin April (Brett Miller) left sharply off the gate, but Shadows Dancers took the lead approaching the :26 opening quarter. After rolling through the :53.1 half, Shadows Dancers put some separation between her the field going to the 1:20.1 three-quarters. She then cruised home to a two-length victory over No Foolin April, with Talk Curdy To Me (Aaron Merriman) finishing third.
Shadows Dancers, a six-year-old mare by Always B Miki-Dancing Shadows K, was bred by Robert Key. Owned by Howard Taylor and Chris McGuire, Shadows Dancers has 23 wins in 91 starts and $431,838 in earnings. The victory was one-fifth of a second off her lifetime mark and Scioto’s track record for aged pacing mares. She paid $3.60 to win.
Divine Thing vaulted off a second-over trip to win the Moni Maker Trot for three-year-old fillies in a career-best 1:54.1. She got away fourth as favourite Mocha Hill (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) led the field to the :28.4 opening quarter, and Miller pulled Divine Thing second over behind Country Victory (Trevor Smith) by the :57.1 half. After the 1:25.3 three-quarters, Divine Thing tipped three-wide and out-kicked Country Victory down the center of the track for the win by 1-1/4 lengths. Country Victory was second, with Rose Run Allison (Page) third.
Divine Thing, by Greenshoe-A Thing Goin On, is trained by Steve Carter for Jay Mossbarger, Brent Hopper, and Kyle Gray. The Crawford Farms-bred filly now has six victories in 22 lifetime starts and $467,244 in earnings. She returned $8.40.
Odds on Chesapeake and Page took the Nadia Lobell for three-year-old pacing fillies in 1:50. Leaving from post two, Odds On Chesapeake headed the field to the :27 opening quarter. After not finding a hole to settle in, Odds On Hialeah (Tetrick) drove on and took over command through the :55.1 half, putting Odds On Chesapeake in the pocket. Noble pulled Sammy Jo Hanover first-up midway down the backstretch as the field travelled to the 1:22.2 three-quarters, and the filly grinded past the pacesetter as they came into the stretch. Odds On Chesapeake found her way to the outside on the final turn, and she battled past Sammy Jo Hanover in the stretch to win by a neck. Fansville (Joe Bongiorno) came up the inside to finish third.
Odds On Chesapeake, a daughter of Downbytheseaside-Macaroon, was bred by Odds On Nourrir and is owned by Odds On Racing and Operation Horsepower. The Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee now has $538,362 earned in 19 lifetime starts with 11 wins. The mile time equalled Odds On Chesapeake’s career mark and was one tick off the track record for her division. She paid $6.40 to win.
On the undercard, 11 divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-olds went postward, racing for $805,556 in total purses.
Downbytheseaside colts took two of the three $69,444 divisions for two-year-old colt-and-gelding pacers.
Lindy Dragonwater took the fastest split by 4-3/4 lengths 1:51. Leaving straight for the lead, Page had Lindy Dragonwater comfortably on top through :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24 splits, and the pair cruised to victory over Swelce (Mike Wilder) and Skull N Crossbones (Wrenn). Lindy Dragonwater ($5), out of Imagine Dragon, is trained by Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Beasty LLC and Brad Grant. He has three wins in five starts and $115,726 in earnings.
Gentlemans Club (Merriman) took his split in 1:51.4. Away from post seven, Gentlemans Club went to the front, but at the :26.3 quarter, Page had When Is Parade out and moving from third. That pair took made front heading towards the :55.4 half before Merriman re-pulled Gentlemans Club to take over before three-quarters in 1:23.4. Gentlemans Club then left the field behind in the final quarter and went clear by three lengths. When Is Parade and Prolific Blend (Austin Hanners) battled for place, with the former getting up by a narrow margin. Gentlemans Club ($13.20), out of See You At Peelers, is now three-for-four lifetime with $78,428 in earnings for trainer Aaron Lambert and owner Anthony Licastro.
Heavy favourite Pet Project made it three victories in a row as he took his division in 1:52.1. After quarter-poling at the :27.3 opening split to take the lead, Pet Project never looked back, carving out middle splits of :56.2 and 1:25.1 and coming home to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Thunder Jam (Wilder) sat in the pocket after leaving smartly off the gate and finished second over Caillou Hanover (Noble). Pet Project is a homebred for JR Stable LLP (Jerry Zosel and Kathy Ratcliff), who co-own him with trainer Kim Dailey. Out of their standout mare Igottafeelinfran, Pet Project ($2.60) is one of 24 foals from Pet Rock’s last crop of Ohio-sired foals. The gelding has won three of his five career starts and raked in $117,040 in earnings.
There were two divisions of rookie pacing fillies, each going for $90,278.
Shehasaway took the first division in 1:53. Sitting third through the :27.3 opening quarter, Miller pulled her second-over going towards the :56 half and went three-wide nearing the 1:24.4 three-quarters. Pacing hard down the stretch, Shehasaway got up for a three-quarter-length victory over a closing Stride For Stride (Justin Irvine). Pacesetter Zooom Call (Noble) was third. Shehasaway ($7.40) is by Summa Cum Laude-Town Temptress and owned by trainer Steve Bauder along with Harold Bauder and Douglas Swihart. The filly is now two-for-three lifetime with a bankroll of $58,290.
Shesafirewoman (Luke Hanners) went gate-to-wire to win her fifth race in a row in 1:53.1 in the second split. Setting fractions of :27.4, :57.1, and 1:26.1, the roan filly by Catch The Fire-Shesasmokinlady was three-quarters of a length the best over Laude Da (Wrenn), with Sassy By The Sea (Noble) third. Shesafirewoman ($2.60) is a homebred for Harry Horowitz. The Mark Winters trainee now has six wins in seven starts and $197,914 in the bank.
In Range colts took two of the three $69,444 two-year-old colt trot divisions, but Ready Russell snagged the spotlight by setting a new track record for rookie trotting geldings of 1:54.3. After cutting fractions of :28.1, :58.2, and 1:26.2, Noble let Ready Russell fly home in to win by five lengths over Eleven Bang Bang (Trevor Smith) and Soulful Saul (Miller). Ready Russell ($2.40), by Ready For Moni-Fortheloveoflindy, has now won five of six lifetime outings. Deborah Swartz trains the gelding, who has now earned $149,518, for Jeff Fought Racing, Brian Carsey, and David Fought.
Rose Run Boom (Noble) was the first wire-to-wire winner by In Range, winning in 1:55.1. After setting fractions of :28.1, :56.4 and 1:25.2, Rose Run Boom was able to hold off a late bid by Bitcoin King (Tyler Smith), who was a head short in second. Where Theres Smoke (Wilder) was third. Rose Run Boom ($6.40) is owned by Jeff Fought Racing, Carsey, Adam Friedland, and Jacob Beard. Steve Carter trains the gelding out of Loconotion, who broke his maiden with the victory in his sixth start and increased his bankroll to $68,061.
Big Ranger stayed perfect in his career as he won his division gate-to-wire in 1:55.1. Leading the field through panels of :28.4, :59.1, and 1:27.1, trainer/driver Ronnie Gillespie tucked his whip coming for home as the duo won by 3-3/4 lengths over Rose Run Banker (Page), followed by Special Moni (Tyler Smith). Big Ranger ($3.60) is owned by Madison Global. The Next Generation winner is now undefeated in four outings and has earned $208,676.
All three $69,444 splits for freshman filly trotters were won on the front end.
Setyoursightshigh (Wilder) extended her winning streak to five with a 1:55.3 score. She took over after a :29.1 first panel, trotted :58.2 and 1:27.4 middle splits, then held off a closing bid by pocket-sitter Demonic Niko (Noble) by a head. Charlies Moni (Chris Lems) was third. Setyoursightshigh ($2.60) is owned by Heights Stable, Mantorp LLC, AMG Stable Inc., and K Kjellgren Livs Ab Inc.. The In Range-Special Interest filly is now five-for-six lifetime with $327,855 in earnings.
Joyofmylife As made her record a perfect four-for-four as she captured the second division in 1:56.1. Noble rated her to fractions of :28.3, :58.4, and 1:28.2, and she glided to a four-length victory. Sarahs Mission (Page) was second across the line but placed sixth, resulting in Lindy Princess (Austin Hanners) being elevated to second and Lucky Lady Volo (Tetrick) moving up to third. Joyofmylife As ($2.20) is a homebred for ACL Stuteri Ab and Kjell Johansson. The Anette Lorentzon-trained filly by Guardian Angel As-Josies Joy stepped up from the Buckeye Stallion Series in the win and increased her earnings to $75,634.
Speedbewithyou and Austin Hanners took the last division as the even-money favourite in 1:55.4. Getting to the opening quarter in :28.2, Speedbewithyou wasn’t challenged until the field went past the :58.1 half, when Divvy It Up and Miller pulled the pocket. That rival went off stride after three-quarters in 1:26.3, leaving Speedbewithyou to roll clear to a 1-3/4-length victory over Readi Star (Lauren Harmon), who closed up the inside. Toms Babe (Jeremy Smith) rounded out the top three. Speedbewithyou ($4.20), by Mission Accepted-Instinct, is trained by Todd Luther for Greg Luther Racing LLC and co-owner/breeder David Wills. The filly now has three wins in six starts and $152,882 in earnings.
Noble was the day's winningest driver with five wins on the 16-race program. After his victories with Rose Run Boom, Joyofmylife As, Ready Russell, and Shadows Dancers, Noble won the finale, a $27,778 Open II Pace, with Gem Quality ($3.20) in 1:49.4. The leading driver tallied two more wins than second-placed Page on the card to give him much-needed breathing room in the standings, extending his margin to four. Noble is closing in on his second straight season with more than 500 victories across all tracks and is striking at a 23.7 per cent clip this year.
(With files from Scioto Downs)