After sweeping the Bucky Gray Jr. Memorial Series, Primo Maschio kept his undefeated career record intact with a devastating 13-3/4-length score in his $37,882 Maryland Standardbred Race Fund (MSRF) event for two-year-old male pacers on Sunday (Aug. 4) at Ocean Downs.
Trae Porter, who used front-end and pocket tactics with Primo Maschio in his three previous wins, floated the Badlands Hanover-Primadonna gelding into third and rated well off a :55.3 first-half duel between Brooksforreal and Charge Me Up before making his move. Primo Maschio took aim with three-eighths to go and pushed clear of Brooksforreal nearing the 1:25.1 three-quarters before powering to a career-best 1:54.3 win. Brooksforreal (driven by Corey Braden) held second over Charge Me Up (Jonathan Roberts).
Kevin Lare trains Primo Maschio, who paid $2.60 to win, for owner Forrest Bartlett.
Flight In Motion and trainer-driver Eddie Dennis won the other $37,882 MSRF split for rookie male pacers, sweeping three-wide up the backstretch and defeating pacesetter Happy Jim by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:57.3. The Betting Line-Tidewaterdragonfly gelding, who has now won two of four races for Mulligan Stables and Jason L. Johnson Inc., paid $4.60 to win.
In the lone $63,333 MSRF dash for two-year-old male trotters, the debuting Yall Keep Dreaming swept from last to first to defeat Prince Of Royals by 2-1/2 lengths in 2:01. Johnathan Ahle drove the Yall Beneath Me-Upside Blue Chip colt, who paid $3.00 to win, for owner-trainer Richard Hans.
The overnight feature, the $16,667 Open Handicap Pace, saw Dawn Amiss' homebred Fantastic Voyage ($4.60) lead at every pole and defeat 4-5 favourite On The Cards N by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:52.2. Jared Moyer drove the seven-year-old Cool Flying Fun entire for trainer Deshawn Sample.
Eric Davis led all drivers with three wins on the 12-race program.
Live racing returns to Ocean Downs on Tuesday (Aug. 6); the first of 11 races is due off at 7:05 p.m.
Ocean Claiming Series Cancelled
Officials at Ocean Downs have announced the cancellation of the David Hill III Memorial Series, for claiming pacers, which had been scheduled to begin Aug. 15.
"With our racing days cut that week — thereby going to a three-day-a-week schedule — we need to ensure that Maryland-based horsepeople are properly represented in the entry box," said Peter Szymanski, director of racing at Ocean Downs. "We will honour our friend David Hill with a memorial race to be named later."
Beginning the week of Aug. 11, Ocean Downs will drop Tuesdays from its live schedule, hosting racing on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings through Sept. 5 with a nightly post time of 7:05 p.m.
(Ocean Downs)