by T.J. Burkett, Hoof Beats Executive Editor

Greenville, OH — Sports Sinner was a wire-to-wire, 1:53.4 winner in the $42,000 Gene Riegle Memorial Open Pace, held Friday night (Aug. 25) at the Great Darke County Fair.

Driven by Jack Dailey, Sports Sinner left from post one and battled Mr I Am early for the lead past the quarter in :28 while 3-5 favorite Dancin Yankee got away fifth. Dancin Yankee was parked at the half in :56 and the three-quarters in 1:25, with My Hero Ron tipping three-wide on the backstretch. The move wasn’t enough, however, as Sports Sinner held on to win by 1-1/4 lengths over My Hero Ron. Lucky Lime was third.

Sports Sinner wins the Gene Riegle Memorial by 1-1/4 lengths at the Great Darke County Fair.

“I thought I had a shot, but I wasn’t sure,” said Dailey, who picked up his second win in six editions of the race.

Trained by Dan Noble for Perkins Racing Stable of Hilliard, Ohio, Sports Sinner is a 6-year-old son of Western Ideal, a son of Riegle trainee Western Hanover.

Sports Sinner’s dam, Ms Christine Fra, is by Artsplace, another Riegle trainee. Sports Sinner’s share of the $42,000 total purse boosted his 2017 earnings to more than $77,000 on the year and more than $245,000 lifetime.

Few horsemen had careers as lengthy and as productive as Riegle. The Greenville-born trainer/driver worked for decades at the top levels of the sport, producing many champion pacers and trotters. He was elected to harness racing’s Living Hall of Fame in 1991 and was inducted into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1987.

Over the years, Riegle trained such stars as the 1973 Kentucky Futurity winner Arnie Almahurst, the 1972 Adios winner Jay Time, the 1990 freshman pacing champion Artsplace, the 1991 and 1992 freshman and sophomore pacing champion Western Hanover, the 1981 and 1982 freshman and sophomore filly pacing champion Three Diamonds and other stars such as Leah Almahurst, Troublemaker and Life Sign.

Riegle died Oct. 17, 2011, at his Greenville home.

“Greenville is Gene Riegle,” said Tim Harless, racing manager at the Darke County Fair. “When Gene passed, it was only natural that we would honor him. We started a race (in 2012) and Brittany Farms (George Segal, who owned horses trained by Riegle; and Art Zubrod, farm manager)—with help from Carl Wade, who worked for Gene for a long time–put some money in and told us to keep working at it and adding to it.

“Here we are six years later and we went for $42,000 tonight. It was kind of like ‘if you build it, they will come.’ We couldn’t be happier.”

Conrad Photo photos

Churita wins the Arnie Alamhurst open trot in 1:57.4.

Swing City was entered into the Riegle Memorial, but didn’t get in due to owner residency preference in the race. Trainer/driver Walter Haynes Jr. entered him instead in the night’s second race, a $1,200 Free For All, which he won in 1:51.4, a new all-age track record.

“We were going good fractions. I tipped him and after I headed (Hunchie, who led through fractions of :27.3, :55.2, and 1:24.1), my horse drove away a little bit,” said Haynes.

A 5-year-old gelding by United Ace co-owned by John McGill and Brian Carsey of Indiana, Swing City now has seven wins and more than $200,000 in earnings in 29 starts this year.

Churita won the $22,000 Arnie Almahurst open trot, the companion race to the Riegle Memorial. Driven by trainer Matt Rheinheimer, Churita came from third at the three-quarters to overtake pacesetter Rehab Mountain by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.4. Allgrooveallthtime, the defending winner and trotting track record holder, was third.

Churita, an Indiana champion, is a 5-year-old mare by Airzoom Lindy owned by Porterprofessionalservice.