by Dean A. Hoffman, for Scioto Downs

Columbus, OH — ML Cupcake was dead game in wearing down pacesetting Fire In The Cell to win the $53,100 Pride Of Ohio Trot for sophomore trotting fillies on Friday night (August 5) at Scioto Downs.

Dean A. Hoffman photo

ML Cupcake (#2) edges Fire In The Cell in 1:57.4.

Ohio Hall of Famer Chip Noble drove the daughter of Master Lavec to a new lifetime record of 1:57.4 in the victory as Scioto kicked off three nights of Ohio State Fair stakes. Scott Mogan trains the winner for William Johnson and Douglas Millard.

Ray Paver sent Fire In The Cell to the front at the start of the race while Noble had ML Cupcake idling in fourth place. Noble moved his filly out during a slow second quarter in :31 seconds. She launched an uncovered challenge against Fire In The Cell who was not willing to surrender.

The two fillies battled the length of the homestretch with ML Cupcake getting up to win by a neck. Count Your Credit finished third.

“Fire In The Cell is a very good filly, but my filly was just very game tonight,” said Noble after the race.

It was the fourth win in six starts this season for ML Cupcake, who has been improved by the addition of trotting hobbles.

Earlier in the evening, Special Lady D cruised in an easy win in the $51,500 State Fair Manager’s Pace for driver Ryan Stahl. The daughter of Stand Forever cruised to victory in 1:57.4.

Special Lady D sat in second for the first half-mile in 1:00.2, but that was long enough for Stahl and he stepped on the gas. The robust filly drew off from the field and won with disdain. Haley Louise was second and Friskie Beauty was third.

“She’s got a big burst of speed when you need to use it,” said Stahl.

It was the fourth win in five starts for Special Lady D, who is trained by Brian Brown for Country Club Acres, Daniel Wozniak and William J. Robinson. She pushed her earnings past the $50,000 mark with the victory.

Ten freshman trotting fillies lined up behind the gate for the $55,000 Ohio Fairs Trot and Rose Run Natassia led all the way to pick up a $27,500 paycheck for Greg Buckey, Joyce McClelland and Thomas York.

“Being in front was the place to be in this race,” said driver Kayne Kauffman.

Seven of the 10 fillies broke stride during the race, but Lady At Bat, driven by Don McKirgan, recovered from an early break to make a bold challenge with a quarter-mile remaining. Rose Run Natassia was doing her best to repulse the challenge, but Kauffman wasn’t confident as Lady At Bat edged past Rose Run Natassia.

“With 2-year-old trotting fillies, you just never know,” said Kauffman.

TT’s Taterchip joined the fray in the stretch and the three fillies hit the wire within a length with Rose Run Natassia prevailing in 2:02.4. TT’s Taterchip edged Lady At Bat for second.

Rose Run Natassia is a daughter of Trainforthefuture. It was the first career win in just her second start for trainer Jim Arledge, Jr. Rose Run Natassia paid $34.40 to win while TT’s Taterchip paid $23.80 to place.

In other action at Scioto on Friday night, Moira’s Bliss demonstrated her dominance of the tracks’s best pacing mares by pulling away to a two length win for Ryan Stahl and trainer Gregory Straub in 1:54. Stahl owns the 5-year-old daughter of Blissfull Hall in partnership with Nichole Gagnon. It was her fifth win in her last six starts. TT’s Little Lass was second and Shell I Attack third.

Too Good Too Pass won the Open Trot in 1:57 as he wore down the leader Farmer Jones for driver Dan Noble. His margin at the wire was a half-length with Jailhouse Funk a length back in third. Virgil Morgan, Jr. trains the winner and owns him in partnership with Yvette Prudenzano, Basil Kellis and Ron Broadstone. It was his fourth win in 10 starts this season.