Scioto: Sons of Downbytheseaside sweep in Ohio Sires Stakes

Act Fast lowered the track record for a 2-year-old colt pacer and came up just two-fifths of a second shy of the world record when he won the first of a pair of $55.000 Ohio Sires Stakes splits on Saturday afternoon at Scioto in 1:50 1/5.

Driven by Chris Page, Act Fast brushed from third to first past the 26 1/5 opening quarter, and after posting middle-half fractions of 55 1/5 and 1:22 4/5, he came home in 27 2/5 to defeat a first-over Racing Rampage (Aaron Merriman) by a length and a quarter. Street Fightin Man (Dan Noble) came in third.

Ron Burke trains Act Fast, a Downbytheseaside-Act Like A Diva colt bred by Fred Hertrich III, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Knox Services Inc., Rich Lombardo Racing LLC., and Beasty LLC. A $125,000 purchase at the 2021 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Act Fast won for the second time in five chances, has now banked $115,060, and paid $7.60 to win.

In the other flight Rockmelikeyameanit (Dan Noble) worked his way to the top passing the 27 1/5 opening quarter and would stay on the engine through a 56 4/5 half and a 1:24 3/5 three-quarters. The Real Way (Page) advanced first-up from third to put pressure on Rockmelikeyameanit on the last turn, with Wicked Character (Tony Hall) positioned third-over and Surfside Beach (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) in the third-over slot.

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Rockmelikeyameanit managed to fend off The Real Way and continued to show the way into the lane, but Surfside Beach switched paths and dove inside to the passing lane through the drive, and Surfside Beach rallied past Rockmelikeyameanit in the closing strides to tally by a neck in 1:53 1/5. The Real Way had to settle for third.

Surfside Beach is a Downbytheseaside-Friskie Lil Devil gelding trained by Brian Brown for owners Lombardo Racing & In The Gym, Acadia Farms Inc., Vip Internet Stable LLC., and Joe Sbrocco. Surfside Beach has compiled a record of 2-1-0 from five starts, pushed his earnings to $45,000, and returned $45.80 to win for the upset victory.