Piketon, OH – Southern Valley Colt Circuit racing wrapped up its two-day meet at Pike County Fair on Saturday (July 27) with a 12-race card that had some pretty quick and closely fought miles.

Jerry Welch’s Jurassic Johnny, with Jonas Hershberger behind the Big Bad John gelding, took a tab of 1:59.2 in his fourth start as the Eric Nesselroad trainee kicked in a last frame of :28.1 to hold off Rock Smart (Scott Cisco) and Nob Hill Flash (Alex Hawk) by a neck in their $4,800 SVCC 2-year-old pace division.

The ultra-consistent Heythere Lisamarie, trainer Steve Carter and Richard Paltini’s Pet Rock 3-year-old $100,000 plus winning filly chalked up up her 10th win in 16 starts this year when driver Ryan Holton won by a well-measured neck in 1:58.4 over Bad Girls Don’t Cry (Derek Watiker).  Dawnna Marie (Scott Cisco) took the show spot in the $4,693 SVCC first division.

The 2nd SVCC filly division saw Head Gun Racing Stable & Ron Glover’s Bad Leading Lady win by seven lengths when the Bret Schwartz-trained daughter of Big Bad John bested Best Place To Rock (Derek Watiker) and Ryan Holton on Cookies Empire in 2:00.2.

SVCC 3-year-old trotting fillies produced some nicely-contested miles when Jacob and Eli Miller’s Uncle Peter filly Peter’s Dream, with Scott Cisco in the seat, stepped off a mile in 2:01.4 over Gayla Kay (Derek Watiker) and Swing Twister driven by David Myers.

Joyce Mc Cleland’s Aunt Marilyn (by Uncle Peter) and Derek Watiker trotted off by seven to take the seconnd $3,304 SVCC division in a matching time of 2:01.4 as Victory Bells (Jeff Kirkbride) and Kacey Burns aboard Touch Of Bling rounded out the top three.

Uncle Peter sent out yet another winner when Ryan & Richard Householder’s Peties Dream (Jonas Hershberger) grabbed the 3rd SVCC filly division in 2:06.4 over Meadowbranch Bibi (Brendan Johnson) and B Wishoria with Sandy Beatty.

It was the two Free For Alls that produced the fastest miles of the day as Jazmin Arnold hopped behind Cas Art Apparel, Mack McCrillis’ 8-year-old $250,000-plus winning mare by Wearable Art, and cut her own mile in 1:58.2 defeating Ufpfortydevensgirl (Matt Amann) and TM Top Gun with Brady Clemens.

Brendon Johnson pilots Nice Trip to the wire in 1:58.2 in Piketon’s 2019 finale and paid $50.80 to win, the meet’s highest win payout. Thom Pye Photo.

In the 2019 program’s finale, it was Nice Trip, Alexis Schwartz & David Johns’ 7-year-old mare driven by Brendan Johnson, motored home in :28.4 to grab the FFA 2nd division in 1:58.2 as the daughter of Jereme’s Jet opened up two lengths over Gun Show (Matt Amann) and Why Don’t U Stay (Larry Finn) and won going away.

Nice Trip was a nice ticket too as she paid $50.80 to win while the uncovered exacta ALL- 4 paid a mere $4.10.