On Saturday night, Scioto Downs hosted Ohio Super Night, which included eight Ohio Sire Stakes where new track records were set and David Miller picked up a driving hat trick.
The 3-5 favorite Beeeyouuuuuu was on his way to an impressive and convincing victory in the $80,000 Ohio Sires Stakes championship final for sophomore pacers when he suddenly broke stride and veered to the inside entering the stretch.
That opened the door to victory for Raps Big Boy, who led early in the race and then yielded to Beeeyouuuuuu.
"Around the last turn, I just thought I'd be second to Beeeyouuuuuu," said winning driver Dan Noble. "I was happy to let Beeeyouuuuuu go past the quarter and was just lucky that he went offstride."
Raps Big Boy paced to a 1-1/4 length victory in 1:51.3 over Valentowner and Real Town Guy. Beeeyouuuuuu was placed last for running through the homestretch.
Raps Big Boy is a gelded son of Nobleland Sam and is trained by Stacy Ruddick for Paul Coates of Wilberforce, Ohio.
The eight Ohio Sires Stakes finals were contested before a crowd of more than 8,000 people at Scioto.
No photo finish was needed in the first championship when Rose Run Keepsake won the freshman filly trot. She reached the wire 13 lengths ahead of her pursuers. Trainer-driver Steve Carter pulled the Armbro Laser filly from fifth after the opening quarter to send her to the lead.
"She gave me a little scare when she came out of the hole, but then she flattened out and was just great," said Carter. She hit the wire in 1:57.2, a new track mark for freshman filly trotters. Ronald F. Bates owns the winning filly.
Rose Run Klassy was second and Get Chipped finished third.
The next three Ohio Sires Stakes championships were swept by former Scioto driving champ David Miller. He won first with Best Of Ball, a Presidential Ball filly owned by the Down The Lane Stable. She scooted to an easy three-length win in 1:56 over Cruisinthecoast and Outstanding B B.
Miller then scored with Standupnkissme, a gelding by Stand Forever, in 1:54.4. He moved to the front in the second quarter and drew clear by two lengths in the stretch to win for DM Stables, William Rufenacht and Denny Miller.
Finishing second was Somethingsgotagive while Four Hoof Drive held third.
Miller's third consecutive Ohio Sires Stakes final came when he sent Deep Chip to the front in a :28 second opening panel, then yielded to favored Sun Of A Victory. The two trotters drew away from the field and then Miller tipped Deep Chip out and trotted right past the leader to win by 3-3/4 lengths. The time of 1:57.3 was a new track record for freshmen trotting colts.
Deep Chip is by Chip Chip Hooray and is trained by Jim Dailey and owned by Kathy Ratcliff and Jerry Zosel of Columbus.
Ohio Hall of Famer Sam "Chip" Noble drove the gelding One Awesome Master to a track record 1:55.3 victory in the sophomore colt and gelding trot. His margin was 1-3/4 lengths at the wire over Michaelrowyourboat and Master Can Sizzle.
The new track record holder is owned by B. Statile, K. Clairmont, D. Kaiser, and W. Johnson and is trained by Robert Beauregard.
Noble didn't fare so well in the sophomore filly trotting champion as the 2-5 favorite Shes Not Red broke in the first quarter and finished last. That left the race wide open and the winner was Sugar N Chips, a 15-1 longshot, driven by Brett Miller.
The Chip Chip Hooray lass scored in 1:58.2 over Southern Jade and Normas Rose. She paid $31.60. Virgil Morgan, Jr. trains for John Kalfas, John Howard, and Ron Broadstone.
The thee-year-old pacing filly championship went to Gadjet by a neck over Cruizin Inya Jammys and Perfect M Forever. Matt Kakaley drove the Jet Laag filly for Dominick Staffrey and she prevailed in a wild finish, coming from sixth in the stretch to win.
(With files from Scioto Downs)