from the Ocean Downs Race Office

Berlin, MD — Going into the final night of racing for the 2012 meet at Ocean Downs, John Wagner was at the top of the list in both the driver and trainer standings.

Already solidifying leading trainer with 30 wins (ending with 32 total), it was on to conquer leading driver. Wagner would have a little competition from Ocean’s 2011 leading driver Jonathan Roberts. Roberts brought 59 winning miles to the table while Wagner held 65 driving victories.

In the second race, with his first drive of the night, Wagner checked in with a win in both the trainer and driver column with wife Pam’s 3-year-old Valley Victor gelding Just Got To Get There in 2:02.2.

Jonathan Roberts saw and raised that win, adding some excitement by going for a consecutive triple, winning the third race with the Joe Eisenhower, Sr. trained Tags To Riches, the fourth race with What A Boomer for Richard Malone, Jr. and rounding it out in the fifth with Big Black Mack for trainer Shawn Murray.

Wagner rallied back in the sixth with Dream Our Way for conditioner John Wilkerson, tripping the timer in 1:56.3.

The winner’s circle truly was home plate for Wagner after that as he found it again by tallying another win in the trainer/driver categories in the seventh race with hard closing Salazar from his own stable, hitting the wire in 1:57.1.

Wagner then went on to make it a grand slam and fittingly ended the meet on a winning note in the last race with C J Striker in 1:57.3 for trainer Peter Snyder III.

In the end it was Wagner with 69 wins and Roberts with 62, a great effort by both gentlemen.