by Jim Whittemore, publicity director, Ocean Downs

Berlin, MD — Three-year-old gelding J D’s Dragon finished first with Charles Perry, Jr. in the bike Thursday night in the third leg of the featured Robert Cotton, Jr. Memorial Late Closer Series and ended a streak of four straight Ocean Downs wins by Ldees Paulie, who finished fourth in the race.

J D’s Dragon had finished second to Ldees Paulie in two straight races, but as driver Chuck Perry said about his horse, “He has a lot of talent. He’s had a little trouble hanging on the right line. He’s tough to steer around the last turn, but as he comes off that right line, he could be the best horse in that series.”

Perry logged a driving double Thursday with a second race win behind Ogs Im Fulla Pride, the four-year-old gelding’s second straight win in two starts at Ocean Downs.

The meet’s leading driver, Ricky Still, also posted a driving double and now has 25 wins this summer. Still won the fourth race with Uncle Bingo and the eighth race behind Classical Fellow.

A heavy rain hit the Berlin, Maryland track four hours before the first race and the track was sloppy for the first race. The maintenance crew though had the track in good shape by the second race and kept it that way despite additional rain throughout all 10 races.

Driver Chuck Perry said the conditions didn’t bother him. “I’ve never had too much trouble in the mud; it’s the guys that wear the prescription glasses who tend to have a little more trouble.”

Ocean Downs has had rain in seven of the last 17 race nights.

In Thursday night’s tenth and final race, driver/trainer Richard Ringler was a winner with Lady’s Legs I See, a five-year-old mare. It was Ringler’s sixth driving win of the meet, but his seventh training win, giving him the lead in the trainer’s title chase by one over Mike Hall, Robert Myers, Jr., Pamela Polk, Jerry Nock and Sam Belote.

Racing continues a Wednesday through Sunday schedule through August 28. First post is 7:25 p.m.