Through two nights of Ohio Breeders Stakes action taking place at Scioto Downs Racino Thursday and Friday, divisional dominators continued to sweep the state bred races.
Friday’s OBS racing had two and three-year-old colt trotters in the first two races of the night and both winners set new lifetime marks. Final Breath (Victory Sam-First Breath) took the three-year-old division in 1:55.3 for trainer/driver Hugh “Sandy” Beatty and owner Duane Lowe. Sitting third when Heza Rube (Kurt Sugg) took the field to an opening quarter of :27.2, Final Breath went to the outside at the third quarter pole and finished strong to win his seventh race in 10 starts this season.
Soul Train (Trainforthefuture-Dances on Air) and Chris Page took the two-year-old division in 1:59.3. Trained by Scott Cox for Parent Racing Stable LLC, Robert Crynick and John Novak, the gelding now has three wins in seven starts. Hooray For Willie (Sugg) lead most of the way with race favourite Rompaway Galaxy (Mike Micallef) sitting the pocket. Rompaway Galaxy took to the passing lane and Page sent Soul Train to the outside and just nipped the former at the wire by a head.
Thursday there were three divisions of the OBS raced over a sloppy track following an afternoon of thunder showers. Contessa Leigh (Full Count-Howl) and Sam “Chip” Noble have now won six of their seven 2013 starts when they took the three-year-old trotting filly division in 1:57. In The Grippers (Steven One-Overbaked) and Chris Page won their fourth race in a row when they took the two-year-old trotting filly division in 1:59.2. And in the last division, for two-year-old pacing fillies, Paydaze On The Way (Look Sharp-Shantytown Girl) and Dan Noble made it three wins in a row when they scored in 1:57.2.
Saturday’s racing at Scioto will include the two-year-old colt pace division of the OBS. There will also be he Heart of Ohio Trot and Capitol City Pace, which brings in four-year-old and older stallions and geldings that are winners over $60,000 lifetime. Southwind Pepino finished fourth last week in the John Cashman Jr. Memorial (prevously called the Nat Ray) and is installed as the 4-5 morning line favourite. His 1:51.3 mile at The Meadowlands has him favoured over the Ron Burke-trained entry of Run And Tell Pap and Summer Indian.
Racing continues Saturday with a first post of 6:30 p.m. Sunday’s 5 p.m. card is the second of two special cards to make up for the two lost racing days back in June.
(With files from Scioto Downs)