If there was ever a time to break your maiden, winning a $138,889 Ohio Sires Stakes Gray Championship seems to be a good time. First-time winners took the top spot in three of the four freshman divisions of the consolation events – Dancin Miki (Two-Year-Old Filly Pace, 1:53.2), Kikionamission (Two-Year-Old Filly Trot, 1:56.2) and Jidoo Bythesea (Two-Year-Old Colt Pace, 1:54.1) – as the Friday, Sept. 11 card at Eldorado Scioto Downs kicked off Ohio Super Weekend, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ohio Sires Stakes program.
Dancin Miki was the first to break her maiden, winning the two-year-old filly pace for driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke in 1:53.2.
Half the field left to get to the top, but it was Demons Angel (Aaron Merriman) who made the early lead towards the :27.3 opening quarter while Page got Dancin Miki settled second along the rail. Rose Run Charlie (Marvin Luna) took over to lead the field through the :57.3 half and got pressure from Dancin Miki as she pulled mid-way down the backside. By the 1:25.2 third quarter, the fillies were neck and neck, but Dancin Miki kept pouring it on, winning by a length and a half over favoured Miki Grad (Brett Miller) who got up for second; Demons Angel was third. Dancin Miki went off at 8-1 and paid $19.80 to win.
“She was huge, I mean going against the one [Miki Grad] I thought it was gonna be tough,” said co-owner Carl Howard.
Friday’s win was after a less-than-ideal August during which Dancin Miki scratched and then finished last in a world record mile (1:50) by Tempting Flames.
“If you saw her early lines, she was really sharp to start the year off, so we knew she had talent. We still got Delaware, so that will be fun,” continued Howard.
By Monte Miki out of the Sweet Lou mare Sweet Britches, Dancin Miki was a $104,166 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase. With just four races now under her belt, Dancin Miki has $92,684 in earnings for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and R A S Racing.
Sam Widger patiently sat with another Burke-trained maiden winner, Kikionamission, through the first half before taking the two-year-old filly trot in 1:56.2.
Shinie T (Aaron Merriman) set the early fractions of :27.3 and :55.4 before giving way to Steady Mind (Ken Holliday). Widger had Kikionamission on the move heading towards the 1:25.1 third quarter mark and was three-wide around the last turn. Kikionamission won by a quarter of a length over Steady Mind while Victory Howl (Justin Irvine) came up the passing lane to be third. Going off at 11-1, Kikionamission paid $25.20 to win.
A homebred for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and Beasty, the Mission Accepted-Be My Baby Now filly now has $97,145 earned in eight starts.
Jidoo Bythesea convincingly broke his maiden, winning the two-year-old colt pace in 1:54.1 for trainer Robert Cleary with Justin Irvine driving.
Sea Monster (Luke Hanners) went straight to the front from post nine and hit the quarter in :27.2. Jidoo Bythesea didn’t see a pylon until midway down the stretch and easily set the remaining fractions of :57.1 and 1:26. Irvine never moved coming down the stretch as Jidoo Bythesea cruised home to win by two lengths over State Room (Mike Micallef). Sea Monster was third. Jidoo Bythesea went off at 2-5 and paid $2.80 to win.
“Both times I drove him, I took care of him. Robert texted me tonight and told me just keep him quiet and give him a good trip,” said Irvine after the race. "Leaving from post six, the choice was get away fifth or keep going to the front. I thought the best trip would be on the front. This colt’s got a good turn of foot and the last couple times I drove him, he’s always sprinted home good so I knew they’d have to have a pretty good kick to get to him.”
By Downbytheseaside out of the Western Ideal mare Santa Rosa, Jidoo Bythesea was a $98,592 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase. Owned by Ken Jacobs, Jidoo Bythesea now has $89,619 earned in five lifetime starts.
A track delay did not deter the odds-on favourite Obsessed With Me as Brett Miller drove him to victory in the other two-year-old division for trotting colts in 1:54.4 for trainer Matthew Burkholder.
Lou Armstrong (Anthony MacDonald) left from post eight to lead through fractions of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:25.4. Obsessed With Me got away third, pulled as the field headed to the three-quarter pole and won by a half-length. Lou Armstrong fought valiantly through the wire to be second with Commanders Moni (Aaron Merriman) getting up for third. Obsessed With Me was sent off as the 6-5 favourite and paid $3.40 to win.
“I was very happy he was able to sit that long,” said Burkholder. “It seems like if my horse can stay relaxed early in the mile then he’ll finish a lot better.”
Obsessed With Me is by Ready For Moni out of the Tom Ridge mare Celebrity Obsession and was an $118,055 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase. Owned by Dark Horse Farm, Obsessed With Me now has four wins in seven starts and $140,513 in earnings.
Fire Run got the perfect pocket trip engineered by Marvin Luna to take the three-year-old colt pace in 1:51 for trainer Erv Miller.
Odds On RPJ (Luke Hanners) comfortably set fractions of :27, :55.3 and 1:23 and Fire Run came up the passing lane to win by a length. Odds On RPJ was second with Caillou Hanover (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) being placed third. Set off as the 2-1 second choice, Fire Run paid $2.20 to win.
“I thought Luke was going to be good and I was happy following him,” said Luna after the race. “At the half, I was happy -- everything worked out great. It’s a great feeling, especially for my buddy Atlee Bender and Erv Miller, they’re great people.”
Fire Run, a gelded son by Catch The Fire out of the McArdle mare Rose Run Vanity, is owned by Ervin Miller Stable, Mark Winship and Bryn Campbell. Friday’s victory was his sixth in 27 lifetime starts and pushed Fire Run’s earnings over $250,000.
Joyofmylife AS confidently took the three-year-old filly trot in 1:54.1 for the husband and wife, driver and trainer team Tony Hall and Anette Lorentzon.
Leaving alertly from post six, Hall got Joyofmylife AS to the :26.1 opening quarter and was able to slow the fractions down to a :55.2 half and 1:24.1 third quarter. Joyofmylife AS won by a length over Readi Two (Hugh Beatty), who was third-placed-second and Guardian Doll (Ronnie Gillespie), who was second-placed-third. Going off as the 3-5 favourite, Joyofmylife AS paid $3.40 to win.
“I wasn’t hoping for :26 for the first quarter, but that’s what you get sometimes,” said Lorentzon. “We’ve been very happy now lately with her and she raced very good last start at Red Mile [winning in 1:50.4]. I was hoping she would [be able to hold them off].”
By Guardian Angel AS out of the Muscle Hill mare Josies Joy, Joyofmylife AS is a homebred for owners ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson. The filly now has seven wins in 18 lifetime starts with earnings just shy of $300,000.
Odds On Trickster and Luke Hanners took the three-year-old filly pace in 1:51.1 for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr.
Leaving from post five, Odds On Trickster was parked through the :27 opening quarter but comfortably led through the :55.3 half and 1:23.2 third quarter. Odds On Trickster cruised home in :27.4 to win by 4-1/2 lengths over Beach Babe Hanover (Justin Irvine), who got up for second, with Odds On Dividend (Chris Page) finishing third. Going off as the 8-5 second choice, Odds On Trickster paid $5.20 to win.
“I liked this filly a lot; as a two-year-old I told [Odds On Racing owner] Dana [Parham] that she could be special," said Morgan. “As a three-year-old this year, she got a late start…I think she’s put it behind her now and she’s a nice filly.”
Odds On Trickster, by Lather Up out of the Western Terror mare Preppy Party Girl, now has four wins in 12 starts during her debut campaign and $117,830 in earnings.
Deer In Range powered home off a four-wide move off the last turn to win the three-year-old colt trot by a quarter-length in 1:55.1 with Kurt Sugg at the lines.
Sam Widger had Where Theres Smoke hot off the car, easily making the lead from post seven and taking the field to the :27.1 quarter and :56.2 half. Sugg got Deer In Range away fifth and pulled heading towards the 1:25 third-quarter. Coming around the last turn, the duo was three-wide and ended up four-wide before coming off the turn to win over even-money favourite Bitcoin King (Aaron Merriman). Time Has Come (Brett Miller) finished third. Going off at 8-1, Deer In Range paid $15.20 to win.
Deer In Range, sired by In Range out of the Uncle Peter mare Deer Run Lily, is owned by trainer Allen Miller. Unraced at two, Deer In Range now has seven wins in 13 starts with $163,706 in earnings.
Ohio’s Super Weekend continues on Saturday, Sept. 12 with eight divisions of the $300,000 USD Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championships. The 16-race card also includes the $250,000 USD Charlie Hill Memorial Trot (Grade 2) and the $260,000 USD Jim Ewart Memorial Pace (Grade 2). The program will be broadcast on Fox Sports 2 with Gabe Prewitt and Jessica Otten hosting. For those that attend on track, there will be many family activities available as well as a multitude of wagering opportunities, including guarantees and second chance drawings.
(With files from Scioto Downs; photo of Dancin Miki winning on Sept. 11)