Ervin Hanover exploded in deep stretch to capture the $347,222 Grade 2 Jim Ewart Memorial Pace in a career-best 1:47.2 and reach millionaire status on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
Ervin Hanover got away fourth from post four as Little Rocket Man (Jeremy Smith) took the early lead going towards the :26 opening quarter. Captain Albano (Todd McCarthy) was already on the move and settled on the front, taking the field towards the :52.4 half. Pulling second-over behind Women Layer (Dexter Dunn), Ervin Hanover stalked the leaders heading to the 1:19.4 three-quarters. Coming down the stretch, it was a three-way battle, and Ervin Hanover charged late to prevail by a short neck over Captain Albano. Women Layer was third.
“He doesn’t get off the car when he’s right on it,” said Roy in his winner’s circle interview with Jenna Otten. “Todd [McCarthy] did a great job opening up on us a bit when we hit the stretch, when he saw I had to go three-wide, there was still a lot of work to do for my horse, but he’s just so brave, he does a great job.”
Ervin Hanover, coming off a second-place finish in the Canadian Pacing Derby for trainer Dave Menary and owner Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa., earned his 22nd lifetime win in 70 starts bumped up his earnings to $1,044,774. The five-year-old stallion by Captaintreacherous-Eloquent Grace is six-for-12 this year. He paid $4.60 to win.
This was the second Ewart victory for Roy, who won in 2023 with Dr. Ian Moore’s Tattoo Artist in 1:48.2.
Named after Jim Ewart, who served as the Scioto Downs race secretary for 26 years, 2025 marked the 12th annual edition of the race. Always B Miki and Brett Miller won the Ewart back in 2016 in 1:47, setting the all-age track record.
In the $347,222 Charlie Hill Memorial Trot, there were no anxious moments for Hillexotic and Austin Hanners, who cut the mile 1:51.1. Leaving off the gate, Jurassic Hattie (Brett Miller) crossed over to the early lead, but Hillexotic was hot on her tail, taking over partway through the first turn. Leading through fractions of :27.1, :55.1, and 1:23, the 1-5 favourite won by 1-1/4 lengths over Southwind Coors (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.). Ohio-bred pocket sitter Jurassic Hattie was third.
Hillexotic now has four wins in 12 seasonal starts. The eight-year-old gelding by Muscle Hill-Exotic Destination is 34-for-99 lifetime with $1,750,296 in bankroll. He is owned by Greg Luther Racing and trained by Todd Luther. He returned $2.60.
It was the first Grand Circuit win in the 26-year-old Hanners’ career.
The Charlie Hill, named for the founder of Scioto Downs, was inaugurated in 2014. Homicide Hunter and Aaron Merriman won the fastest edition (1:50.3) back in 2018.
Driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke dominated the undercard, winning five of the six $69,444 fifth-leg divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) for two-year-olds. There were also six splits for sophomores, with purses for all divisions totalling more than $1 million.
The first Burke/Page combo to win on the night was pacing gelding Illbetyourboots, who made it two in a row in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.4. Getting away third as Prolific Blend (Austin Hanners) made the top, Illbetyourboots pulled just as the field hit the :27.1 quarter and made the front going under the line for the first time. Hitting the half in :56.1 and the three-quarters in 1:24.1, Illbetyourboots was able to hold off the bid by pocket sitter Prolific Blend to win by 1-3/4 lengths. Catch My Dragon (Tyler Smith) finished third.
Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc., and Larry Karr own the five-time winner in eight starts who now has $220,342 in earnings. Illbetyourboots ($5.60) is a son of Summa Cum Laude-Age Of Consent.
Backninebar broke his maiden for Burke and Page in taking the second colt pace division in 1:52.1. Page got the colt away fourth as the field went towards the :27.2 opening quarter. Thunder Jam (Mike Wilder) then took over and headed the field to the :55.3 half with Backninebar coming first-up. Putting a nose in front by the 1:23.3 three-quarters, Backninebar went clear by 1-1/4 lengths over Caillou Hanover (Dan Noble). Thunder Jam was third.
Backninebar ($7), by Downbytheseaside-Restless De Vie, is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Knox Services Inc. A first-time winner in seven starts, Backninebar now has $67,182 in his coffers.
Laude Da also broke her maiden, winning her pacing miss split in 1:53.4. Getting away sixth from post seven, Laude Da watched as Stride For Stride (Justin Irvine) went straight to the front and led the field through fractions of :27.3, :55.4, and 1:24.3. Flushing cover going into the second turn, Laude Da slowly made her way closer to the lead, tipping three-wide at the three-quarters. Laude Da then closed wide down the lane and got up by a nose over Stride For Stride, with Zooom Call (Noble) a narrow third.
Laude Da ($7.40), the third winner for Burke and Page, races for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Knox Services Inc. By Summa Cum Laude-Real Diva, Laude Da now has $77,787 earned in four lifetime starts.
Shacarri romped in a five-length victory in her filly pace division for the Burke/Page team in 1:53.3. Getting away fifth during the :28.3 opening quarter as Shes As Well (Jeremy Smith) set the tempo, Page pulled Shacarri out as the field straightened down the stretch the first time. Shacarri made the top before the :58.1 half, paced strongly to the 1:26.1 three-quarters, and cruised home to victory over Ima Beach Girl (Chris Lems), followed by Rodeo Dancer (Brett Miller).
Shacarri ($3.40), a daughter of Summa Cum Laude-Rockin Racer, now has four wins in seven starts and $183,770 in earnings. The half-sister to Louprint is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Phillip Collura, and Zippett Racing Stable.
Lindy Dragonwater took the last OHSS contest of the evening, winning his division for pacing colts and geldings in 1:51.4 to complete the Burke/Page quintuple. While Pet Project (Trevor Smith) took the early lead in the :27.1 opening quarter, Lindy Dragonwater got away third from post five. Smith confidently handled Pet Project through the :56.4 half and 1:24.2 three-quarters, but Lindy Dragonwater launched first-up heading down the backside. Coming off the last turn, Lindy Dragonwater used her momentum to go by Pet Project and win by 1-3/4 lengths over Odds On Sugar (Dexter Dunn). Crocodile Station (Wrenn) was third.
Lindy Dragonwater ($7.40) is now four-for-six lifetime with $150,448 in the bank. The son of Downbytheseaside-Imagine Dragon is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Beasty LLC, and Brad Grant.
The lone non-Burke trained two-year-old winner was Shesafirewoman (Luke Hanners), who won her division nearly gate-to-wire in 1:54. The Mark Winters trainee originally got away second, but took over well before the :27.3 opening quarter and led through the :57.1 half and 1:26.1 three-quarters. Shesafirewoman held off a late rally by pocket-sitter Pacey Station (Page) to win by a length. Rose Run Bristol (Kayne Kauffman) was third.
Shesafirewoman ($2.40), by Catch The Fire-Shesasmokinlady, is a homebred for owner Harry Horowitz. The striking roan filly is undefeated in six OHSS starts and has seven wins in eight outings with $232,636 in earnings.
With Saturday's five wins, Burke, second in the local standings, reeled in Virgil Morgan Jr., who is aiming to defend his title for the 31st straight season. Morgan tallied twice on the card and now leads Burke 101-98 at the top of the table with a week to go in the meet.
Page took sole possession of the lead in the drivers' leaderboard, pulling away from Dan Noble, with whom he was previously tied. Page is up by four victories, with the scores at 225-221. The reinsman, coming off his first season with more than $10 million earnings, is now less than $1.7 million away from reaching eight digits again.
Odds On Chesapeake scored her fourth Ohio Sires Stakes win of the season, headlining the fifth and final leg for three divisions of sophomores, with two $90,278 splits for each.
The filly, driven by Dexter Dunn, won the second division of sophomore filly pacers by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:50.1 to add to an already successful season.
After Rose Run Aimee (Dan Noble) led the field past the quarter pole in :26.4, Odds On Chesapeake took over the lead and remained in front the rest of the way. Odds On Chesapeake posted fractions of :55.4 at the half and 1:23.1 at the three-quarters and cruised to the victory. Prolific Fire (Austin Hanners) was second, followed by Rose Run Aimee in third.
Odds On Chesapeake ($2.20) is a Downbytheseaside-Macaroon filly trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. for owners Odds On Racing and Operation Horsepower. She was a winner in the first, second, and third legs of the OHSS and has hit the board in eight of nine seasonal starts with seven victories and one second. She has 11 wins and $538,362 in earnings in 19 lifetime starts.
Fellow Downbytheseaside filly Skywalker Sea (Austin Hanners) recorded her first OHSS win of the season, taking the first division of filly pacers in a 14-1 upset. Odds On Hialeah (Dunn), a three-time OHSS winner this season and the 1-9 betting favourite, led the field past the first three calls in fractions of :28.2, :57.1, and 1:25 as Skywalker Sea tracked her from the pocket. As the top two pulled away from the rest of the six-horse field, Skywalker Sea made a late charge on the outside and edged out Odds On Hialeah by a head as they both crossed the line in 1:51.3. Rylee Too (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) was third.
The clocking marked a lifetime best for Skywalker Sea ($30.40). Trained by Todd Luther, Skywalker Sea has six career wins and $380,787 in earnings. The filly out of Pet Walker is three-for-11 this year for Greg Luther Racing LLC.
Jailhouse Pearl (Austin Hanners) posted the fastest mile among the two divisions of three-year-old filly trotters, winning the second split in a lifetime-best 1:53.4. The Eric Nesselroad trainee left from post three and led wire-to-wire with fractions of :28.1, :57.1, and 1:25.4. She won by two lengths over Aunt Laura (Brett Miller), who rallied from fifth entering the stretch. Dream Something (Tyler Smith) was third.
The win was the second OHSS victory of the season for Jailhouse Pearl ($13.60), as she also took a division in the second leg in 1:54.4. The Long Tom-Jailhouse Broad filly has hit the board in 25 of 27 lifetime starts with 14 wins and $285,601 in earnings. She is owned by Casey Clemens.
Pelican Hanover (Brett Miller) scored her first OHSS win of the season, taking the first group for sophomore distaff trotters in 1:54.4 after a late rally. Leaving from the far outside, Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) took the lead from the outset and was in front past the first three calls of :27, :56.4, and 1:25.4. After moving-third over, Pelican Hanover was in seventh place at the halfway mark and fifth at the three-quarter pole, trailing the leader by five lengths. The Uncle Peter-Pineys Schooner filly took the lead down the stretch and faced a late challenge from Brink Street (Page) but held on to win by a half-length as Mega Money faded to third.
Pelican Hanover ($4.40) has hit the board in eight of 12 seasonal starts with six victories. The filly is seven-for-20 lifetime and has $151,819 in earnings. She is trained by Miles Wollam for owners Cool Cat Racing Inc. and Bob Troyer.
Sophomore colt trotter Battle Hill notched his third OHSS win of the season, taking the first division for his group in a lifetime-best 1:53.3. His prior OHSS victories came in the first and second legs. The Marseille-Battle Mage gelding led wire-to-wire, posting fractions of :28.3, :57.2, and 1:26 en route to winning by a length over Hilltop Sonar (Page). Vekna (Kayne Kauffman) completed the top three.
Battle Hill ($12) has hit the board in 15 of 18 lifetime starts with nine wins and $432,653 in earnings. The gelding, now five-for-nine this year, is trained by Matthew Burkholder for owner William Hartt.
In the second division of colt trotters, Jet Wings (Dunn) added a second OHSS win to his seasonal resume, tripping the wire in 1:54 to match his time from his third-leg victory. The Morgan Jr. trainee edged out second-place Long Highway (Andrew McCarthy) by a head with Scrappys Love (Noble) finishing third. Long Highway led the field past the quarter pole in :28, but Jet Wings moved to the outside and into the front to the :56.4 half. Scrappys Love edged ahead of Jet Wings to lead by a nose at the 1:25.1 three-quarters and raced side-by-side with him entering the stretch before fading. Long Highway made a strong late challenge in the passing lane, but Jet Wings held on to win the photo finish. Scrappys Love finished third.
The winning What The Hill-Schlim Schlamma gelding has six wins in 15 starts this season. He has hit the board in 25 of 30 lifetime outings with 10 wins and $306,891 in earnings. Jet Wings ($6.40) is owned by Joyce A McClelland Stable LLC.
All five preliminary legs of the OHSS for all eight divisions are now complete. The OHSS Scarlet Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at Dayton Raceway.
The 90-day 2025 Eldorado Scioto Downs race meet is down to the last week, going through Saturday, Sept. 13.
(With files from Scioto Downs & Ohio Harness Horseman's Association)