Lebanon, OH – Pass The Vape (Dan Noble) survived a first-over journey in the Monday (March 21) $30,000 Open Handicap Trot at Miami Valley to post a 1:53 victory.

After tucking in fourth through the opening :27.3 panel, Noble pulled the 7-year-old son of Dejarmbro prior to the :56.4 halfway point. By the 1:24.2 three quarters station, Pass The Vape was lapped on the frontrunner Pick Me Upper (Tony Hall), who had left the gate with abandon from the outside post position.

Pass The Vape equaled the fastest trot of the year winning Miami Valley’s Open in 1:53. Conrad photo.

The winner showed the most determination in the homestretch, holding off closers Pure Chance (Sam Widger) and Burrow (Kayne Kauffman) with a :28.2 closing kick of his own. Stablemates Pick Me Upper and I Know My Chip (Tyler Smith) from the Walter Haynes Jr. barn couldn’t be separated by the photo finish camera and thus dead-heated for fourth.

Lionel Watiker entrusts Andre Nared with Pass The Vape’s conditioning. On the current campaign, the 31-time career winner has notched a 10-3-3-1 scorecard good for $67,500 in seasonal earnings.

The first leg of the Robert J. Brown Memorial Series for non-winners of two pari-mutuel races or $20,000 also went postward on Monday in two divisions.

Forceful Power (Hugh Beatty) pulled a mile upset ($18.40) in the first $12,000 split with a 1:55.3 triumph over Shamrocks (Jeremy Smith) and Spent (Brett Miller). Stephen Sexton owns the 4-year-old daughter of Triumphant Caviar who won $18,825 as a two-year-old, but missed her entire sophomore season.

Second division winner Heart Stopping (Kurt Sugg) is also a late bloomer. The 4-year-old well bred son of Muscle Hill never made a start until this season, but has now captured five of his first six races. The heavy favorite ($2.60) held Motto (Chris Page) and Doo Wop Kid (LeWayne Miller) at bay in the 1:54.1 mile Heart Stopping is owned by Serenity Racing Stable and trained by Sugg’s right hand man Edward Miller.

Racing at Miami Valley continues on Tuesday (March 22), Wednesday (March 23) and Thursday (March 24) afternoons this week with a 4:05 p.m. post time each day.