Dayton: Ocean Rock dominant in Pacing Derby

Ocean Rock made a one-horse show of the $175,000 Dayton Pacing Derby with an authoritative 1:48 score for driver Dan Noble on Saturday night at Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway.

There was ample speed at the start, with Ocean Rock getting away third from the pole position as Nicholas Beach blasted to the front midway on the opening bend after This Is The Plan and Yannick Gingras had taken the early lead. After the 26 second opening quarter, Joe Bongiorno and Nicholas Beach were content to yield to This Is The Plan for the pocket, but that plan was short-lived when odds-on favorite Ocean Rock and Noble made a bullet move to clear the front passing the stands for the first time.

Catch The Fire and Scott Zeron attempted to get the outer flow going into the second turn with Little Rocket Man and Let It Ride N on his back, but Noble and Ocean Rock would have none of the challenge, sprinting handily through a half in 53 3/5 and three quarters in 1:21. The third quarter also did a number on This Is The Plan, who struggled to keep with the leader at a critical point.

Noble hardly moved a muscle as Ocean Rock, a 4-year-old by Rockin Amadeus, blitzed a final quarter in 27 seconds flat to leave the field in his wake. Nicholas Beach was able to find room off the final turn and rallied strongly to take the place spot, with This Is The Plan settling for third.

Ocean Rock won for the seventh time in 15 starts this year, including his last four in-a-row for trainer Christi Noble and owner Sandra Burnett of Wilmington, Ohio.

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"I had quite a bit left in the tank," said Dan Noble, acknowledging that his horse likely could have broken the track mark he came within a fifth of equaling.

The 1:48 mile was a career-best, with Ocean Rock eclipsing $900K in career earnings.

"He's taken us on such a ride," said Christi Noble of the Dayton Pacing Derby champion.

Ocean Rock returned $3.60 to win.