The action was fast and furious Thursday, September 22 at the Delaware Ohio County Fair for Little Brown Jug Day, and it didn't take long for the horses in action to start mixing it up
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Aracache Hanover and driver Doug McNair led from start to finish as they claimed the $58,050 Winbak Pace for older male pacers in 1:50.2 on Thursday at the Delaware County Fair.
Sent off at odds of 1-5, the four-year-old son of Dragon Again-Armbro Cachet rolled to the front from Post 1 and was never threatened on his way to his third win of the season in 18 starts. He pushed his season’s earnings to nearly $250,000.
Valentino was second and Trick Man finished third.
“He’s the right one to bring [to Delaware]; he’s a good horse on a half-mile track,” said trainer Gregg McNair. “He’s got good gate speed, so you might as well use it.”
The millionaire pacer has won 15 of 49 career starts. Last season as a three-year-old, he won the Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs and the Windy City Pace at Maywood Park -- both on half-mile ovals.
“He’s been a good horse. He’s been better [than I expected]," said McNair of Aracache Hanover's transition to facing older horses. "I didn’t think he would get as many starts this year and then probably next year be even stronger. But he’s holding his own with them.”
Aracache Hanover paid $2.60 to win.
He is owned by New Yorkers William Switala and James Martin.
Driver David Miller and the Steve Carter-trained Caviart Key went first-up on the final turn and took off on the field in Race 12, a $30,212 division of the Standardbred Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Miller and the son of Ponder had started from Post 4 and sat fourth through the opening half-mile, which saw the fractions cut in :28.4 and :59.
Caviart Key was out and pacing in the third quarter, when he went first up, made the lead after the 1:27 three-quarters clock and turned on the jets.
Caviart Key opened up a ton of daylight on his foes in the final quarter and went on to nail the wire in 1:54.
Peck Blue Chip, driven by Jody Jamieson, finished second, while the Andy Miller-driven Intervention finished third.
The front end had been holding up quite a bit on Little Brown Jug Day, but the Staffin Lind-trained and Brett Miller-driven Celebrity Bombay showed all in attendance a strong closing kick in Race 11, the $121,750 Old Oaken Bucket for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Celebrity Bombay, a Yankee Glide colt, left conservatively from Post 4 and sat fourth as Mythical Hall and driver David Miller cut the opening quarter mile and half in :27.3 and :56.3.
Brett Miller really started his charge up in the third quarter, where he angled Celebrity Bombay out in a gapped second-over position before Mythical Hall tripped the third timer in 1:26.
Soulful Delight, who was steered by Ron Pierce, was looking to convert a two-hole trip to a first-up win off the final turn, but it wasn't the pocket sitter who would laugh loudest.
After having tipped three wide for a charge home, Brett Miller and Celebrity Bombay came home with a full head of steam in the lane and passed the leaders to record a 1:55.2 victory.
Trained by George Teague, Jr. and driven by Montrell Teague, Cold Hearted Shark, a two-year-old Four Starzzz Shark colt, swelled up on the engine and paced to a track, stakes and U.S. season's record in his $30,212 division of the Standardbred Stakes.
Montrell and the colt timed the gate and crossed over early from the outside Post 7. They cut the fractions in :27.2, :56.3 and 1:25 and still had a lot of pace coming home. Cold Hearted Shark closed his mile with a :27.2 final quarter to record a 1:52.4 victory. The clocking was a track, stakes and a United States' national season's record.
Blueridge Dancer finished second and Damon Blue Chip finished third.
Trainer Jonas Czernyson and driver David Miller clicked in the $90,000 final of the Ms Versatility, as six-year-old Victory Sam mare Autumn Escapade went on to record a 1:54.4 U.S. season's record for the class and track size.
The victorious duo had started from Post 5 in the six-horse field. They left out of their starting spot and nestled into the two hole as Pembroke Heat Wave and driver Yannick Gingras cut the opening quarter in :27.4. Miller had his mare out and trotting right after the opening stanza and the pair cleared to the lead soon afterward.
Miller and Autumn Escapade sliced the middle fractions in :57 and 1:26.3 and went on to post the victory over the Rick Zeron-trained Miss Dangles. Ginger Tree Wanda finished third.
In Race 8, a $30,212 division of the Standardbred for two-year-old colt and gelding pacers, Montrell Teague and his Real Desire colt also found success on the front end, as Whirl Monroe went the distance on the point and recorded a 1:54.2 victory while racing at odds of 3-5.
After having left from the rail, the young pilot sent the colt through fractions of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:25.2. They cruised home with a 29-second final quarter and hit the wire ahead of the Jody Jamieson-driven and the Robert McIntosh-trained Rockin Finish, who closed well late from mid-pack. Bakin On The Beach and driver Brian Sears finished third.
Whirl Monroe, who is conditioned by Montrell's father, George Teague, Jr., has now notched two wins and a pair of second-place finishes from his four lifetime starts.
After having gone off as the 2-1 second post-time choice, Osbornes Sweeper, trained by Eric Hamlet and driven by Ryan Stahl, captured the $36,844 second division of the Ohio Breeders Championship for three-year-old pacing fillies.
After having started from Post 4 in the afternoon program's seventh race, Stahl put Osbornes Sweeper, a bay daughter of Ohio sire On The Attack, on the engine early. The pair spun off the fractions in :27.3, :56.2 and 1:24 and kicked home in :28.3 for an OBC record 1:52.3.
Cruzin Angel (driven by Andy Miller) finished second and Pretty Blue Eyes (Kayne Kauffman) finished third.
After a three-horse photo finish, the Mike Conklin-trained and Chris Page-driven Sectionline Yankee emerged as the winner of her $67,132 division of the Standardbred for two-year-old pacing fillies, which was carded as Race 6 on the afternoon card.
The juvenile Yankee Cruiser filly utilized a :28.3 closing quarter to edge out Four Starzzz Girl (driven by Montrell Teague) along the rail and Moonlit Dragon (David Miller) on the outside. Four Starzzz Girl finished second and Moonlit Dragon third.
Sectionline Yankee, a homebred, has accumulated a record of 2-3-1 from seven career starts.
In Race 4, the $67,132 first division of the Standardbred for two-year-old pacing fillies, Destinys Chance edged Cruzin To The Dance to nail the wire first in 1:54.3.
Driven by Yannick Gingras for trainer Ron Burke, Destinys Chance lead from gate-to-wire in what was her third win in her ninth career start.
Destinys Chance returned $3.20, 2.40, 2.10 prices across the board.
Avenue Of Dreams, driven by Yannick Gingras for trainer Roger Hammer, was tops in the third race of the afternoon program, a $38,316 division of the Standardbred for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Gingras and the son of Broadway Hall went to the lead from Post 2 and were on top at every call. They sliced the fractions in :28.3, :58.4 and 1:28.3 and cruised home from there. After a :29.2 final quarter-mile, Avenue Of Dreams went on to trip the final timer in 1:58. They were victorious by more than five lengths.
Awesome Valley (driven by Tyler Smith) finished second and Brussel Sprout (Ed Lohmeyer) finished third.
The $4,000 final of the Signature Series saw four-year-old Dawn Ofa New Day horse Show Me Glory pace to a two and three-quarter-length victory in 1:55.2 for trainer Mike Evans and pilot Tim Tetrick.
The duo had started from the outside Post 7 before having tucked into third. After sitting through opening fractions of :28.1 and :57.4, Tetrick fired first over and was battling with the pacesetting Camm Yankee (driven by Chip Noble) at the 1:26.3 three quarters.
Show Me Glory was game in the lane and sprinted off to the win with a :28.4 closing clip.
The contest was the second dash of the track's afternoon program of racing.
Camm Yankee held for second and Caramel Dumpling (Roy Burns) finished third.
The last race of the morning card saw the Noel Daley-trained and George Brennan-driven Beer Summit lower the track and stakes record to 1:56.1 when he won the first division of the $76,632 Standardbred for two-year-old trotting colts.
Beer Summit, a bay Cantab Hall colt, led from gate to wire and triumphed over Frost Bites K for his first career victory in what was his eighth career start. The $7,000 yearling purchase broke the old stakes and track mark of 1:56.4, which was set last year by Live Jazz.
Beer Summit produced $5.40, 3.20, 3.20 across-the-board prices in victory.
Check back with this story, as Trot Insider will be updating it as Little Brown Jug Day rolls along.
The morning card kicked off with a $26,794 division of the Ohio Breeders Championships for the three-year-old colts and geldings. Only four combatants went forward.
After having left from Post 4, the Josh Green-trained and David Miller-driven Dancin Yankee went to the top early and stayed there for good.
The bay Yankee Cruiser colt cut the fractions in :28.2, :57.3 and 1:25.1 before firing home in :27.2 for a one and a half-length victory in 1:52.3.
Dancin Yankee's win came over the Ryan Maxwell-trained and Aaron Byron-driven Hare Craft, who has found success in recent months over Ontario ovals.
Hare Craft finished second, while Integrity rounded out the triactor.
(With files from the LBJ and HRC)