Miami Valley: Overflow crowd in attendance for opening night

It took two tries, but Miami Valley finally got the opportunity to host a card of races. After having to send an overflow crowd home Friday night due to a power outage, Saturday was a completely different story. Fans of the sport returned and were treated this time to a great night of racing. The 11-race program produced a handle of $249,042 and a track record mile in 1:52 4/5.

Hall of Fame driver Dave Palone signed hundreds of autographs for an hour prior to the first race along with 2013 leading dash driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. and renowned announcer Roger Huston, who also called several races throughout the evening.

Lookout Macatoo (Randy Tharps) captured the first pari-mutuel race ever in 1:55 1/5, beating Tundra (Kyle Ater) and Quiteaworkofart (Kayne Kauffman). The track record only lasted two races before Hunchie (Dan Noble) bested Concert Ticket (Greg Grismore) and Shark Dressed Man (Tyler Smith) in 1:54 4/5. An hour later it was lowered again when Spill The Beans (Kauffman) sped to a 1:54 1/5 clocking over Call Of The West (Tony Hall) and Fudge (Noble).

Then it was Lyons Josephjnr (Palone) lowering the mark to 1:53 in the ninth race, edging Ra Ra Steven (Kauffman) by a nose with Master Of Desire (Smith) garnering the show dough. Finally, in the $10,000 Open-Preferred pace, Visible Gold lowered the track record for the fifth time with an impressive front-stepping 1:52 4/5 victory for Palone, trainer Ron Burke and his ownership partners Weaver Bruscemi and RTC Stables. The six-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight is now three-for-three on the season. I’m Feelin Good (Hall) was just two lengths back with Lookinforadventure (Wrenn Jr.) on the losing end of the tight place photo.

On the trotting side, the track record holder—at least for now—is Team Zordin, who captured the night’s only event for squaregaiters in 1:58 3/5. Dream On Shorty (Kauffman) and TK’s Karma (Grismore) got the place and show money.

Miami Valley Raceway, located in Lebanon, Ohio, races from Wednesday to Sunday each week through early May.

-edited release (Miami Valley)