Older Ohio-sired battlers contested four $136,986 Ohio Sires Stakes Aged Veterans Championship divisions at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Pariss Dragon (Dan Noble) led at every call in the championship for male pacers, setting a tempo of :25.4, :54.2, and 1:21.2. Racing Rebel (Chris Page) sat third through much of the mile and closed down the lane but could only get within a quarter-length of Pariss Dragon, who stopped the clock in 1:49.3. Wicked Character (Aaron Merriman) was third.
Pariss Dragon ($6.60), a four-year-old son of Fear The Dragon-Lima Ooh La La, was bred by Dennis Owens, who co-owns the gelding with Norman Rae Racing LLC. Trained by Christi Noble, Pariss Dragon now has 16 wins in 41 lifetime starts and $731,763 in earnings.
Jurassic Hattie (Brett Miller) drew away late for the win in the mare trot, crossing the wire in 1:52.2. In a battle for the early lead, Sugar Instead (Tyler Smith) was on the outside with Jurassic Hattie protecting the rail. Sugar Instead made the top at the :27.3 opening quarter, but Jurassic Hattie then took over in short order. Pressured by Refined (Noble) through the half in :56.1 and three-quarters in 1:24.1, Jurassic Hattie still had plenty left late to dispatch her assailant and win by 2-1/2 lengths over Refined. Sugar Instead was third.
Jurassic Hattie ($6.40), bred and owned by Jerry Welch, is a four-year-old daughter of Volstead-High Gear Sahbra. Jurassic Hattie, trained by Stacey Van Huizen, now has 14 wins in 34 lifetime starts and $729,031 in earnings.
My Pal Sparky and driver Cam McCown got up to upset in the horse-and-gelding trot division in 1:53.3. Getting away fifth from the rail, My Pal Sparky sat patiently while the field went to the :27.2 quarter and :55.2 half. After coming up third-over, My Pal Sparky tipped three-wide at the 1:24 three-quarters and surged down the stretch, getting to the front late to score at 19-1. Spaaaanzano (Page) was a charging second by a neck. No Nap Nash (Noble) was third.
My Pal Sparky ($41.60) is owned and trained by Jessica McCown. The seven-year-old gelding by Uncle Peter-Gee Okeeffe is now 20-for-116 lifetime with $363,398 in earnings.
Longshot Celebrate Me Home weaved through traffic to rally from eighth at the half and win the mare pace up the passing lane in 1:50.2. No Foolin April (Miller) left from post eight to lead the field to the :26.2 opening quarter, with the eventual race winner parked through the first turn and Fearless Ginger (Merriman) three-wide. Celebrate Me Home was able to settle fourth along the rail while Fearless Ginger kept moving to make the top by the :54.3 half, where Celebrate Me Home was shuffled to eighth and on the pylons. Hey Hey Mama (Noble) came first-up to take over midway down the backside, and as the field hit the 1:22.4 three-quarters, Celebrate Me Home was moving third-over. She went three-wide to pass stalled rivals, then midway through the last turn ducked back to the rail and came up the passing lane to win by a quarter-length over Hey Hey Mama. Tarapasta (Austin Hanners) was third.
Celebrate Me Home, a daughter of Racing Hill-Yankee Celebration, was bred by Bradley Wallace. Ron Burke trains the five-year-old, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Rich Lombardo Racing LLC. Celebrate Me Home now has 18 wins in 84 lifetime starts and $396,165 in earnings. Sent off at 39-1, she paid $81.80 to win.
Ohio Sires Stakes action continued on the card with three $68,493 divisions for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Pet Project made it four wins in a row when he posted a 2-1/2-length victory in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2 in the third split. Leaving from post six with Trevor Smith aboard, Pet Project settled in third as Thunder Jam (Mike Wilder) and Gentlemans Club (Merriman) played give-and-go going through the :26.4 opening quarter. Gentlemans Club led the way through the :55.2 half, but down the backstretch, Pet Project came first-up and rolled to the top after the 1:24 three-quarters. He extended his margin down the stretch as he cruised to victory over Backninebar (Page), who closed for second, followed by Gentlemans Club.
Pet Project ($3.60) is a homebred for Jerry Zosel, Kathy Ratcliff, and Kim Dailey. Dailey has trained the son of Pet Rock-Igottafeelinfran to four wins in six starts and $151,287 in earnings.
Crocodile Station set a new lifetime mark of 1:52.1 in the first division. Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. made the front with Crocodile Station before the :27.1 quarter, and the gelding headed the field through middle splits of :56.3 and 1:25.1. Crocodile Station pulled away around the last turn and won by three lengths under wraps. Sparks N Fire (Austin Hanners) was second, with Sunnys In The Sea (Trevor Smith) at the bottom of the triactor.
Crocodile Station ($2.60), by Downbytheseaside-Camera Lady, is trained by Mike Hitchcock for William Hartt. The Spring Station Bloodstock-bred now has three wins in six start and $133,383 in earnings.
Illbetyourboots was victorious in his division, winning narrowly in 1:53.3. Initially getting away third in a :26.4 quarter, Illbetyourboots made a move mid-way through the first turn towards leader Swelce (Mike Wilder) and took control. He brought the field through the :56.2 half and 1:25.4 three-quarters and held off the persistent Swelce by a nose for the win. Prolific Blend (Hanners) was third.
Illbetyourboots ($3.20) is now four-year-seven lifetime for trainer Burke. The son of Summa Cum Laude-Age Of Consent is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc., and Larry Karr. Bred by Judy Roegner, Illbetyourboots has now earned $185,620.
In addition to his wins with Celebrate Me Home and Illbetyourboots, Burke trained Twenty Five ($3.40) to victory in the fourth-race conditioned pace. The Hall-of-Fame conditioner, who recently reached 16,000 career wins, has won at a 20.3 per cent rate this year, and is, as usual, a runaway leader in the national wins and earnings standings.
The last leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes for rookie male pacers will be Saturday, Sept. 6. Other Sires Stakes action on that card will include divisions for two- and three-year-old filly pacers and sophomore trotters of each sex. Headlining the evening is the return of the Jug Preview and a pair of $250,000 USD early closers – the Jim Ewart Memorial Pace and the Charlie Hill Memorial Trot, both Grade 2 events.
The 90-day 2025 Eldorado Scioto Downs race meet is down to the last two weeks and runs through Saturday, Sept. 13. There is a special 16-race Labor Day card on Monday, Sept. 1, with racing continuing Thursday-Saturday later that week.
(With files from Scioto Downs; photo of Jurassic Hattie winning on Aug. 30)