Dayton, OH — It was a step up to the big time for the Ohio Colt Racing Association’s 2- and 3-year-old colts and fillies as the youngsters got to strut their stuff around Dayton’s lightning-fast oval on Sunday (Sept. 22) and several new records were the result.

The day’s event had two separate programs of 12 races each commencing with a 1 p.m. post time on a warm and sunny but windy afternoon.

John Van Horn’s Mae Be Magic, his Mark Winters Sr.-trained 2-year-old Dragon Again pacing filly, took a new lifetime mark of 1:57.3 with regular chauffeur Jeff Nisonger (the first of his five wins on the day) by a neck over McAir Guitar (Joey Putnam) as Bigrisk Cruiser and Dan Noble finished third.

Giggles In Dreams, a 3-year-old pacing filly by Nob Hill High co-owned by Michael Yeazel with trainer Donald Yeazel, established a new track record for sophomore distaffs when Shawn Barker II piloted the winner of $260,000 to a 16-1/4 length victory in a time of 1:50.3. Dragonfly (Cam McCown) and All About Amy (Beau Brown) were also on the board in her stellar performance.

New lifetime tabs were earned by Handsome Pete, Robert Owings’ 2-year-old trotting colt by Uncle Peter, as Alex Hawk grabbed victory by a head in 2:00.3. Pete Wrenn guided the Melanie Wrenn-trained 3-year-old Uncle Peter trotting filly Petra to a new mark of 1:58.1. The Jeff Smith-conditioned 2-year-old filly Isla, by The Panderosa, with Luke Hanners aboard, garnered a standard of 1:57.3 in the OCRA second pacing division. Dan Noble would post five wins on the day starting with his own trainee Not The Norm as Sandra Burnett’s 2-year-old trotting gelding by Stormin Normand high-stepped to a new high water mark of 1:58.2, last quarter in :29.2, by 5-1/2 lengths.

Chris Page got the second of his four wins on the day when he notched a new tab for the Tyler Bates-trained Valparaiso Hanover in 1:52.3 in the $4,000 OCRA 3-year-old colt pace. Suzanne Bates and Robert McGhee’s altered son of Dragon Again used a :28.4 last panel to hold off Excavator (Beau Brown) and Petacular Rock (Alex Hawk) by two lengths.

Another hard-fought Spring Haven Farm Ladies Driving Series saw Kiara Morgan teaming Tail Gunner Hall to a 1-1/2 length win in 1:57.1 over Mandy Jones and Amasa Al as Mary Birkhold and Light Up The Sky was third.

With a slight pause to allow the technicians to reset the tote machines the action was underway again as Don Tiger’s 3-year-old Bridge Works and Chris Page trotted to victory in 1:56.2 over Colonel Sam (Kyle Ater) and Sandy Beatty on Peter’s Express.

Ken Holliday surprised the fans when he aimed Lisa Snyder’s Big Bad John 3-year-old colt Deena’s Lil John in a new mark of 1:53.2 as the Darrell Hooser student bested Odds On Columbus (Pete Wrenn) and Buckeye Boy (Cam McCown) and paid a hefty $50.40 to win.

Dan Noble took both Signature Series races with wins with John Van Horn’s 4-year-old pacer In Trouble Again in 1:53.1 and Trent Stohler Stable Inc.’s Body Of Work as the 6-year-old trotted a mile in 1:56.3 for career win number 20.

Owner/trainer Philippe Belanger put the lines on Big See, a 3-year-old Big Bad John gelded pacer, in the hands of Chris Page and he responded with a new tab of 1:51.4 over Dashing To Da Wire (Larry Finn) and Dan Noble with Jimmy Ray Lou.

Harry Horowitz’s Ohio champion Lane Of Stone engraved his name into Dayton’s record book when the Mark Winters Sr.-conditioned 3-year-old son of Wishing Stone trotted off by five lengths with a mile in 1:54.1 for driver Jeff Nisonger and added to his $435,602 in career earnings. Homer Hall with Ryan Holton was second as Dont Front Me (Dan Noble) was third.

New tabs were taken by the Le Van Stables Inc. and Rosemary Le Van’s Team L when Hank Le Van won by 9-3/4 lengths in 2:00 with the 2-year-old trotting lass by Team Six. Odds On Athens and Peter Wrenn posted a mark of 1:54.2 when Odd On Racing’s Pet Rock 2-year-old pacing filly beat Mc Kella (Joey Putnam) and Rockin Lexi (Larry Finn) by three.

It was AWS Stables and trainer Mark Winters Sr.’s Laurels Dream, a 2-year-old trotting filly by Wishing Stone, closing out the evening in 2:00.3 over Susie D (Bryan Weaver) as driver Jeff Nisonger won his fifth on the day and capped off another great day of Ohio racing.