Scioto: Close finishes in Saturday's pair of $100,000 Invitationals
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Charlie May backed up his win in the William R. Haughton Memorial by taking the $100,000 #SendItIn Invitational and Grace Hill rebounded after defeats in the Perfect Sting and Dorothy Haughton Memorial by capturing the $100,000 Cleopatra Invitational on Saturday night at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
Driver Brett Miller worked out a pocket trip for Charlie May behind Linedrive Hanover (Aaron Merriman) through fractions of 26 4/5, 54 2/5 and 1:20 4/5 and then rallied up the passing lane to win by a quarter of a length in 1:47 4/5. Linedrive Hanover had to settle for second and Little Rocket Man (Jeremy Smith) was third after a first-over attempt.
Steve Carter trains the winner, a 5-year-old McArdle gelding, for owner/breeder Don Tiger. This was Charlie May's 26th lifetime victory, he has now earned $1,894,185 and he paid $8.40 to win as the 3-1 third choice.
Grace Hill (Tony Hall) was in the lead at the 26 1/5 quarter, 54 2/5 half and 1:21 3/5 three-quarters in the Cleopatra but had to hold off a stretch-long surge by pocket-sitter Kobe's Gigi (Tyler Smith), which she was able to do by a nose in a track record 1:48 4/5 mile. Violets Rainbow (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) was third, 5 1/2 lengths behind the top two finishers.
Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. for owner Tom Hill, Grace Hill has compiled a record of 25-10-4 and has pocketed $1,463,177. She was the 1-5 favorite and paid $2.60 to win.
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Two-year-old colt and gelding pacers headlined the undercard in a trio of $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions. Janelle Granny [1:52], by Fear The Dragon and bred by Larry Miller, won the first grouping for driver Aaron Merriman and owner/trainer Betty Clegg, Clever Cody [1:51 2/5], by The Panderosa and bred by Marvin Raber, took his flight for Merriman, trainer Dr. Ian Moore and owner Clever Cody Stable, and Hundred Dollar Man [1:51 4/5], by Lather Up and bred by owner Brenda Teague, captured the final split for driver Montrell Teague and trainer Clyde Francis.