Granite wins Open, $20,000 claiming finalists determined

Lebanon, OH — A star-studded full field of ten went postward in Saturday’s (Jan. 26) $25,000 Open Handicap Pace at Miami Valley.  When the dust settled, Granite won his second feature race of the meet and fourth in his last six tries in the region.  In the process, the 6-year-old son of Real Desire equaled the quickest mile of the three-week-old winter meet by stopping the teletimer in 1:50 flat for driver Brett Miller. 

Granite scored an impressive victory in 1:50 at Miami Valley with Brett Miller in the sulky. Conrad Photo.

Granite and Miller got away fifth in the talented field but did not see the pylons for much of the mile.  The pair followed Nuclear Dragon (Dan Noble) in the outer flow during the initial :26.2 panel, they were forced to face the elements first-up when that adversary cleared to the front prior to the :54.1 midway point.  Lapped on to the pacesetter passing the 1:21.2 three-quarters station, Granite dug deep in the stretch to hold off hard-charging My Buddy Ninkster (Todd Warren) and Nuclear Dragon at the finish.  Every horse in the field was a recent impressive winner and thus Granite was dispatched at 7-1 odds.  He is trained by Ken Rucker for The Panhellenic Stable Corporation and is rapidly approached the $400,000 earnings plateau.

Three divisions of the second leg of Claim To Fame action were also contested among $20,000 claimers racing for $26,000 tags, a 30% price enhancement following leg one two weeks ago.  Winners, despite missing a week of racing due to a weather cancellation at Miami Valley last Saturday, were Artsmah (Josh Sutton, 1:52.4, $18.80 to win), Fan Of Terror (Trace Tetrick, 1:52, $2.80) and Denslow Hanover (Chris Page, 1:51.4, $9.80).  All three advanced to next week’s $32,500 championship final where they will be joined by fellow finalists Always A Fighter, Latest Desire, Vintage Grand, Gypsy Leather, Valiant Ivy and Whiskey Friskie. 

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