Columbus, OH – The first opens of the 2025 season were held Friday (May 9) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Prince Of Honor took the Open Trot in 1:53, while Hey Hey Mama was first across the wire in the Filly & Mare Open Pace.
The wins were both horses’ 15th lifetime victory.
Chris Page took Prince Of Honor from post four and challenged Kildare King who led by a head at the 27:3 quarter in his $25,000 event. Prince Of Honor went to the front to lead through :57.2 and 1:25.4 fractions and came home in :27.1 to win by three and a quarter lengths for trainer Ron Burke.
Kildare King (Tyler Smith) held on for second, with 4-year-old Sugar Instead (Brett Miller) finishing third.
Prince Of Honor, by Walner, is owned by Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi; the 5-year-old gelding now has $443,629 in lifetime earnings.
Hey Hey Mama got off the gate to settle in third during the opening quarters of :26.4 and :55.1. Midway down the backstretch, Dan Noble pulled her first up and made the front before the 1:23 third quarter.
Coming home in :27, Hey Hey Mama tripped the beam in 1:50 to win by three-quarters of a length in fighting off a tough bid by favorite Naked On A Hill (Page), who came three-wide around the last turn. Hungry Lizzo (Jeremy Smith) finished third.
Hey Hey Mama is owned by trainer Virgil Morgan Jr and Odds On Racing. The Downbytheseaside mare now has $307,425 in in lifetime earnings.
Series action also continued on Friday with three divisions of the Kevin Greenfield Trot, for Ohio sired non-winners of one trotting colts.
RC Enterprise (by What The Hill) took the first, and fastest, division in 1:57 for trainer Chris Beaver and Noble. Other winners were Bold Bastogne (Marseille) for trainer Jeff Smith and driver Trevor Smith in 1:58.3 and Jet Wings (What The Hill) for Morgan, Jr. and Miller.
Three divisions of the Steve McCoy Pace, for Ohio sired non-winners of one pacing fillies went to Rose Run Aimee (Racing Hill) for trainer James Ehrsam and Noble in 1:51.3, Tameudown (Fear The Dragon) trained by Steve Carter and driven by Austin Hanners in 1:53.2, and Judge Me Again (Western Vintage) for Beaver and Aaron Merriman in 1:54.
In the sole division of the Final Breath Trot, for 3-year-old Ohio sired colts who are non-winners of $70,000 lifetime, Vekna reigned supreme for driver/trainer Kayne Kauffman when the pair crossed the line in 1:54. The Enterprise colt is owned by Kauffman’s wife Natalie and has now earned $58,622 in eight lifetime starts, with seven wins. What A Buckeye (Noble) was second with Nelli Up (Jason Beattie) rounding out the trifecta.
Racing continues with a 16-race card on Saturday (May 10). Included on the card is the $26,000 Open Pace featuring Bythemissal as the 5-2 morning line favorite. Two more series events will also be held, including the Carol’s Comet for Ohio sired 3-year-old pacing colts who are non-winners of $70,000 and the K F Pro Sam for 3- and 4-year-old pacing colts who are winners of $70,000 but 4-year-olds who are winners over $150,000 are not eligible.
The 90-day 2025 Eldorado Scioto Downs race meet runs through Saturday, Sept. 13. Races will be held Tuesday-Saturday, with special holiday cards on Memorial Day and Labor Day. First post is at 5:45 p.m. each day except for Memorial Day, May 26 (4 p.m.), June 19 (4 p.m.), Thursday, July 4 (3:15 p.m.) and Friday, Sept. 12, which will have a 6:45 p.m. post to help accommodate horsemen attending the Ohio Selected Yearling Sale.
More information about racing at Scioto can be found on the Eldorado Scioto Downs website.