by Jim Whittemore, publicity director, Ocean Downs

Berlin, MD — Two heavy rainstorms created a “sloppy” track and contributed to a huge trifecta in the second race at Ocean Downs Harness Racetrack on Sunday night. The track crew did an outstanding job just getting the track in good enough condition to allow the races to be run.

Game Jason, driven by Chad Hall finished first as a 22-1 longshot, paying $46.80 and creating a 5-8-2 triple of $8,850, the largest payout of the summer at Ocean Downs.

In the sixth race Sunday, Davids Feisty Lady, with Raymond Robinson, Jr. in the bike, won her third straight at the Ocean Oval and fourth in a row overall. The five-year-old mare began the streak with a July 1 win at Harrington Raceway.

D B Broady, a five-year-old gelding, was a seventh race winner for driver/trainer Les Givens. It was D B Broady’s seventh win in 2004 and second straight at Ocean Downs.

In the evening’s fifth race, Say Excuse Me, with leading driver Ricky Still in the sulky, came from the eight hole to win his second straight at Ocean Downs and make it six wins in eight starts this year.

Driver Cliff Green logged a driving double on Sunday, winning the eighth and ninth races. In the eighth, Green took Weathers Wet to a $28.40 win, the three-year-old’s second win this year, thus ending a two race win streak for seven-year-old Macart. Green won the eighth with Talented Sakra, the six-year-old gelding’s second straight Ocean Oval victory.

It’s interesting to note that Weathers Wet and Talented Sakra are half-brothers, each with Over The Clouds as mother. Three years apart in birth and 20 minutes apart in wins Sunday at Ocean Downs.

Halfway home in live meet at Ocean Downs

The 56th annual live harness racing meet at Ocean Downs passed the halfway mark with Sunday night’s 10 races.

19 days of the 40 day meet remain and driver Ricky Still leads in the chase for the meet’s driving title. Still, who finished third last year with 30 wins in 173 starts, has 23 wins in his 94 starts thus far during this summer’s meet at the Ocean Oval.

Ray Robinson, Jr. was the driving champion at Ocean Downs for three straight years (1999, 2000 and 2001). After 21 racing days this year, “Shorty” is second with 18 first place finishes. Robinson notched 36 wins in 276 starts last summer at the Berlin track. After a nine month layoff from harness driving following the 2003 meet, Robinson started slowly this summer with only four wins in his first 41 races, but then chalked up 12 wins in his next 49 starts.

Victor Kirby’s tenth race win Sunday night gives him 11 for the meet, tying him with Sam Belote for third place while Corey Braden, last year’s driving champion has nine wins this summer.

Trainers Pam Polk, Richard Ringler and Robert Myers, Jr. each have six winners and are tied for the lead in the trainer’s title chase after 21 days.

Racing resumes its Wednesday through Sunday format until August 28 with 10 races nightly, 7:25 first post.