Former Maritime stakes champion Top Brand set a new track record for four-year-old pacing mares at Scioto Downs, winning the $20,000 Filly & Mare Open Pace in 1:50.3.
The previous record of 1:51.1 was set in 2013 by Docs Hope.
Bred by Meridian Farms, Top Brand is a four-year-old mare by Brandons Cowboy out of This Marks A Lady. She’s currently conditioned by Scioto Downs leading trainer, Virgil Morgan Jr., for Green Acquisition Corp. of Canfield, Ohio.
Ronnie Wrenn Jr. was the pilot and they started from post seven after a scratch in the field of nine. Wrenn left for early position and was able to get away in the three-hole. The opening quarter was paced in a hot :26-seconds. Top Brand was asked for more when Wrenn pulled going to the half, which was paced in :54.2, and quickly cleared to the lead. Top Brand didn’t let up. She paced the third quarter in :27.2 and drew off from her foes. Wrenn and Top Brand cruised to a five and quarter length victory over So Jazzy and A Sham Of Amber completing the trifecta.
Victory Is Coming and Its Complicated triumphed in their respective $20,000 Open Trots.
The third race on the Friday night card was the field of seven filly and mare trotters. Victory Is Coming swooped the field in a season's-best 1:53.4. Victory Is Coming is a seven-year-old Ohio bred mare by Victory Sam out of Norse Comer. She’s trained by Ammon Hershberger for Betty and John “Red” Shaw of Mt. Vernon, Ohio. This was her 100th career start and 44th career victory. Victory Is Coming is currently $20,000 shy of a half a million in career earnings.
Victory Is Coming is usually driven by her trainer, but he turned the lines over to Scioto Downs leading driver, Chris Page. They started from post five in the field of seven. Page was unhurried in the early going, getting away fourth. The fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1.24.2 were set by the lone millionaire, Action Broadway. Page waited until the top of the stretch to ask Victory Is Coming to go to work and she responded. She trotted her final quarter in :28.3 and won by one and a quarter lengths over Action Broadway and Ajuama was third.
Its Complicated continued his win streak after taking the $20,000 Open Trot for horses and geldings in a season's-best 1:53.2. Its Complicated is a four-year-old gelded son of SJss Caviar and he’s trained by Brent Davis for the Hatfield Stables of Columbus, Ohio.
The hot-handed Josh Sutton had the assignment from post two in the field of seven and he definitely used the inside post to his advantage. Sutton and Its Complicated pushed the gate away and powered to the lead. They stopped the quarter timer in :27.4 and caught a second-quarter breather off a half in :57 seconds. It was a sprint down the back side and they hit three-quarters in 1:24.2. Sutton and Its Complicated were confident on the lead and trotted to a one and three quarter victory over CIS Buckeye and Boy Meets Girl K rounded out the trifecta.
(With files from Scioto Downs)