Scioto: Ohio Sires Stakes events aplenty on a soggy Saturday

Despite a rainy Saturday afternoon, Ohio's older stars shined at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Smoking Jet, Slymar's Dragon, Refined and Charlie May were crowned champions in the $85,000 Veteran Championships.

In the first of the championships, Smoking Jet made it look it easy, winning the title for horses and gelding trotters. Chris Page took the 5-year-old Triumphant Caviar gelding to the lead at the quarter pole and never looked back.

Smoking Jet, the even-money favorite, covered the sloppy track in 27 1/5, 57 1/5, and 1:25 3/5 and tripped the wire in 1:54, winning by a length. Mission Accepted finished second with Shine All The Way third.

The win is the 14th of the year for Smoking Jet, who has now earned $301,532 in his career. Smoking Jet is trained by Ron Burke and owned by the Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Page.

For Page, this Sires Stakes championship is unlike others he has won. "I own a small piece of this horse and winning as an owner is a different feeling," he said.

In the championship for pacing mares, Slymar's Dragon and Dan Noble grabbed the lead going to the three-quarter pole and pulled away to win by two lengths in 1:52. Real Rockin Ravi was second while Spee Dee Shark was third.

The 5-year-old daughter of Dragon Again is trained by Andre Nared and owned by Lionel Watiker and Dr. Allie Stiegler, who purchased the mare at the end of 2021.

The win is the biggest of Slymar's Dragon's career, as well as the biggest in Nared's young training career. "I'm on cloud nine," beamed Nared.

The win was the fifth of the year for Slymar's Dragon, who has now earned $198,676 in her career.

The championship for trotting mares saw Refined rally down the stretch to win by a head in 1:52 4/5. Refined, with Mitchell Cushing driving, trailed the leader A Fancy Face by two lengths around the final turn but kicked it into another gear and reeled in the winner at the wire. Twentyfour K Magic finished third.

Refined is owned by Joyce McClelland and Larry Wills and trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. The 6-year-old mare won for the eighth time this year in 19 starts and pushed her career earnings to $583,140.

Morgan says the daughter of Uncle Peter is a gritty competitor. "She was a grinder when she was younger, but now she has matured. She can win any way, on the front-end or off-the-pace," Morgan Jr. remarked.

In the final championship of the night, Charlie May and Brett Miller went to the lead at the half-mile mark and held on down the stretch, staving off Gold Digger King to win the event for horse and gelding pacers. Elver Hanover finished third.

Charlie May tripped the wire in 1:50 1/5 and won for the fifth time in 12 starts this year. The 4-year-old son of McArdle has now earned $1,434,735 in his career.

Owner Don Tiger said he was a little concerned with the sloppy track. "Brett said Charlie was super and he had to let him roll. He just felt that good, even though the front was soft and horses were tiring," Tiger said.

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Bythemissal tops Ohio Sires Stakes for 3YO Colt and Gelding Pacers

Bythemissal didn't disappoint his backers as the 1-9 favorite in the second $55,000 OSS division for sophomore colt and gelding pacers that accompanied the Veteran Championships on Saturday's program. Driven by Chris Page, the Downbytheseaside gelding got fourth along the rail. After sitting patiently, the Adios champion made his move to the top on the backside and marched across the wire in 1:50 1/5. With lengths to spare, Bythemissal bested Odds On Capitalism (Brett Miller) in second, while Tre Cruz (Trevor Smith) finished third.

Last year as a 2-year-old, Bythemissal only won $3,000 in a single seasonal start. Now at three, the Ron Burke trainee is not only taking Ohio by storm, but the entire nation. With an ever-growing resume, Bythemissal has bankrolled $534,750 in eight victories for Burke Racing Stable, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing, and Weaver Bruscemi.

Rose Run Xiled took the first flight in wire-to-wire fashion. Despite winning the Ohio State Fair Stakes just two starts ago at Scioto, Rose Run Xiled went off at 6-1. Driver Dan Noble left from post seven with the gelded son of McArdle and went straight to top. The sophomore held off his challengers, setting fractions of 27 2/5, 57 1/5 and 1:24 4/5 before stopping the clock in 1:52 1/5. The 3-2 favorite Sling Shock (Miller) finished second, with Dragononthebeach (Tyler Smith) completing the trifecta.

The victory pushed Rose Run Xiled over the $100,000 mark in both seasonal and lifetime earnings. As a $15,000 purchase out of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, the gelding has now bankrolled upwards of $122,000 in lifetime earnings for owner Norman Rae Racing. In 13 seasonal starts, Rose Run Xiled has won three in-a-row under trainer Christi Noble.

--press releases (OHHA)--