Colts finished off Ohio State Fair racing action on Saturday, Aug 5 at Eldorado Scioto Downs. There were two divisions each of the two-year-old colt pacers, three-year-old colt pacers and three-year-old colt trotters.
The first and fastest of two $86,000 two-year-old divisions was won by Clever Cody and driver Aaron Merriman in 1:51. The Dr. Ian Moore trainee was parked through the opening quarter of :26.4 and made the front. Clever Cody comfortably set fractions of :56 and 1:23.1 to win by three lengths over Janelle Granny (Nick Clegg) and High On The Hill (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.).
Clever Cody, by The Panderosa, now has three wins in five starts and $99,800 in earnings for owner Clever Cody Stable of Cambridge, Ont. The 1-5 race favourite paid $2.40 to win.
Pariss Dragon (pictured above) broke his maiden in the other division for two-year-olds, winning in 1:51.1 for driver and trainer Dan and Christi Noble. Pariss Dragon was caught wide going into the first turn but settled in third while Who Dey Nation (Merriman) went to the front and set early fractions of :26.4 and :54.4. Brett Miller and Fear The Image popped the pocket just before the 1:23.1 third quarter with Noble following pursuit. The duo battled to the wire with Pariss Dragon coming out on top to win by a neck. Fear The Image was second with race favourite Midwind Beach Boy (Chris Page) getting up for third.
Pariss Dragon, by Fear The Dragon, is a homebred for Dennis Owens and is co-owned by Norman Rae Racing LLC. This was his first win in four starts and his earnings have ballooned to $63,000. The gelding went off at 15-1 and paid $32.60 to win.
Todd Luther’s Burnout took the first division for three-year-old colt pacers in 1:49.2. Sam Widger took the Racing Hill colt to the front to set fractions of :27 and :55.2. Challenged by Act Fast (Page) at the 1:22 three-quarters, he turned away the competition down the stretch to win by 2-1/4 lengths. Rockmelikeyameanit (Noble) got up for second with race favourite Act Fast finishing third.
Burnout is owned by Greg Luther Racing LLC and now has $105,100 earned on the year. The mile was a new lifetime best for the gelding who paid $8.80 to win.
The second division was won by Dunkin in 1:50.4. Merriman sent the Pet Rock gelding to the front from post five and was three-wide for most of the first turn to hit the beam in :26.1. The Real Way (Page) set the rest of the fractions of :55.1 and 1:22.2. Dunkin came out of the pocket to win by a half-length over Dynamite Dylan (Miller). The Real Way was third.
Dunkin is owned and trained by Betty Clegg. He now has $134,840 earned in 29 seasonal starts, with eight consecutive victories. Dunkin was sent off at 2-1 and paid $6.60 to win.
What The Hill geldings took both divisions for three-year-old colt trotters. Jet Hill won the first division in 1:54.1. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. sent him towards the lead from post seven and was parked through the opening turn but settled in the pocket by the :28.1 quarter. Rumble Strips (Kayne Kauffman) hit the half in :57.4 and mid-way down the backstretch Jet Hill pulled to challenge. They hit the three-quarters together in 1:26 but Jet Hill confidently took the race by 1-1/4 lengths. Black Magic (Merriman) was second and Jogging Full Trot, parked the entire mile for Noble, was third.
Jet Hill, is owned by Serenity Racing Stables and trained by Ed Miller. The gelding has $153,150 in seasonal earnings. The race favourite went off at 2-5 and paid $2.80 to win.
The other division of trotters was won by John Dutton in 1:55. Chris Page settled John Dutton in third but pulled mid-way through the first turn to take over just after the :29 opening quarter. The pair set the rest of the fractions of :58.2 and 1:26.3. Bidenurtime (Hugh Beatty Jr.) went first up and finished second and Domovoy (Merriman) got up for third.
John Dutton is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Johnny Yoder and RAS Racing LLC. In 12 seasonal starts, he has seven wins and $131,541 in earnings. Sent off as the 1-9 favourite, John Dutton paid $2.20 to win.
Total purses for the three days of Ohio State Fair racing was $1.28 million. Horse racing was held at the Ohio State Fairgrounds from the late 1860s through 1984. In 1985, the State Fair Races moved to Scioto. The Ohio State Fair, at the Ohio Expo Center, concludes Sunday, Aug. 6.
(With files from Scioto Downs)