Despite a rainy night, Ohio’s aged veterans shined at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Smoking Jet, Slymars Dragon, Refined, and Charlie May were crowned champions in the $85,000 Veteran Championships on Saturday (Sept. 3).
In the first of the four $85,000 championships, Smoking Jet made it look it easy winning the title for aged horses and gelding trotters. Chris Page took the five-year-old Triumphant Caviar gelding to the lead at the quarter pole and never looked back.
Smoking Jet, the even money favourite, covered the sloppy track in :27.1, :57.1, 1:25.3, tripping the wire in 1:54 winning by a length. Mission Accepted finished second with Shine All The Way third.
The win is the 14th of the year for Smoking Jet, who has now earned $301,532 in his career.
Smoking Jet is trained by Ron Burke and owned by the Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, and Page.
For Page, this Sires Stakes championship is unlike others he has won.
“I own a small piece of this horse and winning as an owner is a different feeling,” he said.
In the veteran championship for pacing mares, Slymars Dragon and Dan Noble grabbed the lead going to the three-quarter pole and pulled away to win by two lengths in 1:52. Real Rockin Ravi was second while Spee Dee Shark was third.
The five-year-old daughter of Dragon Again is trained by Andre Nared and owned by Lionel Watiker and Dr. Allie Stiegler who purchased the mare at the end of 2021.
The win is the biggest of Slymars Dragon’s career as well as the biggest in Nared’s young training career, leaving the conditioner “on cloud nine.”
The win was the fifth of the year for Slymars Dragon, who has now earned $198,676 in her career.
In the veteran championship for trotting mares, Refined rallied down the stretch to win by a head in 1:52.4.
Refined with Mitchell Cushing driving trailed the leader A Fancy Face by two lengths around the final turn but kicked it into another gear and reeled in the winner at the wire. Twentyfour K Magic finished third.
Refined is owned by Joyce McClelland and Larry Wills, and trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. The six-year-old mare won for the eighth time this year in 19 starts and pushed her career earnings to $583,140.
Morgan said the daughter of Uncle Peter is a gritty competitor.
“She was a grinder when she was younger, but now she has matured. She can win any way, on the front end or off the pace.”
In the final championship of the night, Charlie May and Brett Miller went to the lead at the half-mile mark and held on down the stretch holding off Gold Digger King to win the Veteran Championship for horse and gelding pacers. Elver Hanover finished third.
Charlie May tripped the wire in 1:50.1 winning for the fifth time in 12 starts this year. The four-year-old son of McArdle has now earned $1,436,027 in his career.
Owner Don Tiger said he was a little concerned with the sloppy track.
“Brett said Charlie was super and he had to let him roll. He just felt that good, even though the front was soft and horses were tiring.”
Alongside Veteran Championships, two $55,000 divisions of three-year-old colt pacers went behind the gate.
Bythemissal didn’t disappoint his backers as the 1-9 favourite in his OHSS division.
Driven by Chris Page, the Downbytheseaside gelding got fourth along the rail. After sitting patiently, the Adios champion made his move on the backside to easily march across the wire in 1:50.1. With lengths to spare, Bythemissal bested Odds On Capitalism in second while Tre Cruz finished third.
Last year as a two-year-old, Bythemissal only won $3,000 in a single seasonal start. Now at three, the Ron Burke trainee is not only taking Ohio by storm, but the entire nation. With an ever-growing resume, Bythemissal has bankrolled $534,750 in eight victories for Burke Racing Stable, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing, and Weaver Bruscemi.
Rose Run Xiled took the other division in wire-to-wire fashion.
Despite winning the Ohio State Fair Stakes just two starts ago at Scioto, Rose Run Xiled went off at 6-1. Driver Dan Noble left post seven with the gelded son of McArdle and went straight to top. The sophomore held off his challengers, setting fractions in :27.2, :57.1 and 1:24.4 before stopping the clock in 1:52.1. The 3-2 favourite Sling Shock finished second with Dragononthebeach completing the trifecta.
The victory pushed Rose Run Xiled over the $100,000 mark in both seasonal and lifetime earnings. As a $15,000 purchase out of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, the gelding has now bankrolled upwards of $122,000 in lifetime earnings for owner Norman Rae Racing. In 13 seasonal starts, Rose Run Xiled has won three in a row under trainer Christi Noble.
Live racing resumes Monday (Sept. 5) at Eldorado Scioto Downs for a special Labor Day program. First post is 3:15 p.m. Three Buckeye Stallion Series divisions for three-year-old colt trotters and two divisions for three-year-old filly trotters will be taking the stage.
(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association)