Columbus, OH — She’safirewoman and Seaside Shuffle both won impressively in $65,000 Ohio Sires Stakes action for 2-year-old filly pacers Friday (July 25) at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
Luke Hanners guided She’safirewoman to win the faster division in 1:51.4. Leaving from post seven, the pair initially got away third but kept right on rolling towards the front by the :27.2 quarter. Leading through the :56.4 and 1:24.3 middle splits, Hanners popped the plugs at the top of the stretch and She’safirewoman smartly held off a late closing kick from Shacarri (Chris Page); Vanna By The River (Austin Hanners) was third.
She’safirewoman is a homebred for Harry Horowitz and now has four wins in five starts and $79,189 in earnings. Mark Winters trains the striking roan filly by Catch The Fire out of the McArdle mare Shesasmokinlady.
Page took the other division with Seaside Shuffle in 1:52.3. Also, initially getting off the gate third from post three, Seaside Shuffle moved early to make the top by the :27.4 quarter. The pair then sat in the two-hole as Deep Satin (Mike Micallef) set the :56.3 and 1:24.4 fractions. Popping the pocket before the top of the stretch, Seaside Shuffle drew clear to win by two lengths. Deep Satin finished second with She’s Lit (Tyler Smith) third.
Seaside Shuffle was a $115,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase. Bred by William Walters and Joe McLead, the Downbytheseaside filly out of the Santanna Blue Chip mare Hula Shuffle is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and R A S Racing. Seaside Shuffle is now a perfect three-for-three with $69,300 in earnings.
Also on the Friday night card were six divisions of the second leg of $20,000 Buckeye Stallion Series for 2-year-old colt pacers. Page also took the first division with odds on favorite Odds On Sugar 1:52.1 for owner-trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and co-owners Odds On Racing, Sugar Valley Farm and Operation Horsepower. After getting away in the two-hole from post nine heading to the :27 opening quarter, the Downbytheseaside colt took over and led through fractions of :56.1 and 1:24 before coasting home to win by two lengths.
The Ebony Dragon (Luke Hanners) was a gate-to-wire winner for his division in 1:52.3. After leaving from post six and leading through the :27, :56.3 and 1:24.4 quarters, The Ebony Dragon won comfortably by 1-3/4 lengths. Ty Bates trains the Fear The Dragon colt, who was a $12,000 Buckeye Yearling Sale purchase and is owned by Suzanne Bates and Cedar Point Beach Racing.
The husband-and-wife driver-trainer combination of Cam and Jessica McCown won the third division in 1:53.2 with Heerz Corinthian. Also a gate-to-wire winner, Heerz Corinthian went through quarters of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:25 before posting a :28.2 last quarter to win by 2-1/2 lengths. The Downbytheseaside gelding is owned by Heerzthestock, Tripoli Stable and Susan Sullivan and now has two wins in three starts.
Odds On Phil took the fourth division in 1:53 with Sam Widger at the lines. Getting away third from the rail, Odds On Phil sat through the :27.1 quarter and shortly after the :55.4 half moved first-up. Parked the rest of the mile, through the 1:24 third quarter, the pair won handily by 1-3/4 lengths over Tsunami Seas (Austin Hanners); Summa Luck (Chris Presley) was third. The Lather Up colt is owned by Odds On Racing and was a $15,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase from breeder Larry Miller. Odds On Phil now has two wins in three starts.
In a blanket finish for the top three, Wagon Day (Kayne Kauffman) won the fifth division in 1:53.3 by a nose. Heerz Ledger (McCown) set the fractions of :27.4 and :57 while Wagon Day was sitting seventh after starting from post eight. On the way to the 1:24.2 third quarter, Wagon Day started making his move and weaved through traffic down the stretch to win by a nose. Prince Of Fire (Austin Hanners) came up the passing lane to be second with Odds On RPJ (Noble) third. Wagon Day, who went off at 81-1 and paid $164 to win, is a homebred for Julie Farley. Mike Polhamus trains the Summa Cum Laude gelding.
And in the closest of margins, Stoke The Fire got out on top to win the last division in 1:53.1. Leaving off the gate from post seven, Chris Lems got Stoke The Fire away third but quickly moved towards the front after the :27.2 opening quarter. Setting the tempo towards the 56.1 half and 1:24.2 third quarter, Stoke The Fire held off a fast bid down the lane from pocket sitter Captain’s Dance (Irvine) to win; Aint’ No Fire (Widger) was third. Stoke The Fire, by Catch The Fire, was bred by Black Magic Racing and is leased by Terri Mt. Pleasant.
Racing at Scioto Downs continues Saturday (July 26) with a first post time of 5:52 p.m. Saturday’s races include stakes races for colt pacers, including three divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes for 2-year-olds and a single division of 10 3-year-olds going for $100,000.
There will be a $40,000 guaranteed Pick-5 that starts in race one, boosted with a $12,316 carryover from Friday’s card.
The 90-day 2025 Eldorado Scioto Downs race meet runs through Saturday, Sept. 13. Races are held Tuesday-Saturday with a 5:45 p.m. first post. A special late first post of 6:45 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, will help accommodate horsepeople attending the Ohio Selected Yearling Sale. More information about racing at Scioto can be found on the Eldorado Scioto Downs website.