from Scioto Downs Racino

Columbus, OH — In The Grippers and Chris Page started the Ohio State Fair races Thursday (Aug. 1) at Scioto Downs Racino when they won the $34,450 opening race for 2-year-old trotting fillies in 1:58.4.

Conrad photo

In The Grippers was a 1:58.4 winner in Ohio State Fair action.

Sitting the perfect pocket trip, Page fanned the daughter of Steven One-Over Baked wide coming out of the last turn and just got up to win over Turbochargedroxie and Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. Owned by Herres Stables LLC, In The Grippers now has three wins in three starts for trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr. and has earned $47,225.

R Spunky Girl took the fastest split for the 2-year-old pacing fillies for trainer Jim Dailey and Scioto’s leading driver, Tony Hall. Winning by just a nose over race favorite Rosy Fire and Dan Noble, the pair sat third for most of the mile in the $30,000 event and got up in the final stride after being parked for the last three-eighths of the mile. The daughter of Feelin Friskie-Little Miss Reagan is owned by Tracey Russell, Rosemary Young and Kimberly Dailey. The win broke the filly’s maiden after finishing third in her last two Sire Stakes outings.

The other two State Fair races for 2-year-olds were won by Rose Run Princess (Chris Page) and Paydaze On The Way (Dan Noble). The trotting filly Rose Run Princess (Trainforthefuture-Cinder Char) won her $33,750 split in 2:00.2 for trainer Devan Miller to now have a three race win streak while the pacer Paydaze On The Way (Look Sharp-Shantytown Girl) won her $30,000 race in 1:57.4 for trainer Diana Riegle.

Contessa Leigh continued her winning streak by crossing the line first over 10 others in the sole $60,000 division for 3-year-old trotting fillies when she and driver Chip Noble won by one length in 1:57. The filly by Full Count, out of the Overcomer mare Howl, is co-owned by her trainer, Marty Wollam, and G And B Racing (Bradley and George Berlin).

Her competition didn’t make it easy for her when she was parked for nearly the first half of the mile by Mitey Pretty Win (Ray Paver) who took the field to the opening quarter of :28.1 and then Trainer Dunn (Tony Hall) before they hit the half in :57. Mitey Pretty Win was second while Miss Lulu Belle (Wrenn) finished third.

Contessa Leigh now has 10 wins in 13 starts and the only time she finished out of the top three in her life is when she was beaten by 1-1/2 lengths in a race at The Meadows earlier this year. The lightly raced filly has earned $172,586, all of which was made in Ohio except for that one race at The Meadows.

State Fair racing continues Friday at Scioto with two divisions of 2-year-old trotting colts going for $35,000 each in races one and two. Races four and nine will be for 3-year-old trotting colts and pacing fillies, respectively, and each race will carry a $60,000 purse with 11 horses in it.

The morning line favorite for 3-year-old trotting colts is Final Breath for trainer/driver Hugh “Sandy” Beatty. The Victory Sam colt has five wins in eight starts so far this year and has won all three of his Sire Stakes races, taking a season’s mark of 1:57.1 back in May at Scioto.

Ohio’s First Lady Pace, for 3-year-old pacing fillies, is headlined by Ron Burke’s Pink Camo. She has been racing most recently in the Opens at Scioto, pacing in 1:53 and change, but also winning her last Sire Stakes race in 1:55. The daughter of Pine Valley last raced on July 19 and will have to face Two Friskie for the first time this year.

Two Friskie will be driven by Kyle Ater for trainer Mark Winters, Sr. The filly has won her last three starts, all at county fairs, but pacing in 1:58.1, 2:02.2 and 2:02.1. Her last start at Scioto saw her finish third in her Sire Stakes division to Igottafeelinfran and Crosswind Colleen; the latter will be racing against her in this Ohio State Fair race. Pink Camo has 3-1 morning line odds coming out of the outside nine post while Two Friskie has the six hole and Crosswind Colleen will leave out of the second tier from post 11.

Post time for Friday’s 12-race card begins at 6:30 p.m.