by Jim Whittemore, publicity director, Ocean Downs

Berlin, MD — The Maryland Standardbred Race Fund Stakes Series come to Ocean Downs on Wednesday and Thursday, August 22 and 23.

The state’s top 3-year-old fillies, colts and geldings will compete in eight rich paces and trots on Wednesday, with each race offering purses of $10,000 and above.

In the first race on August 22, the Badlands Hanover filly Double Flip seeks her eighth win in nine starts this year. John Wagner will be in the bike for trainer Manley Brown, Jr. Double Flip has a career-best 1:52.4 mile pace this year while earning nearly $140,000 of her lifetime $247,858.

John Wagner and Manley Brown, Jr. also team with 3-year-old trotting filly Ms Virginia in the 11th of 12 races on Wednesday at the Ocean Oval. The CR Commando filly has five wins this year in eight starts at Harrington and Rosecroft, and has earned purses of $62,699 in 2007 after bringing in $99,800 in her maiden year.

Another 3-year-old CR Commando trotting filly having a big year is Devilish Miss, trained and driven on Wednesday by Les Givens. Devilish Miss has five wins in 11 starts and 2007 earnings of nearly $124,000 after a freshman year with winnings of $76,162. The filly has a career-best winning time of 1:58.4 established at Rosecroft.

In addition to the eight Maryland Standardbred Race Fund races on Wednesday, Ocean Downs hosts the fourth and final leg of the Hal Belote Memorial Late Closer Stakes Series. The 6-year-old mare Whitesville Tara won the first and second legs of this series, but then skipped the third leg to compete in the 2007 Chesapeake Bay Racing Series on August 15, which offered a purse of $33,350. The Gary White owned and trained filly threw a shoe on the first turn of that race, broke stride and finished out of the money while seeking her eighth straight win this summer.

The 7-year-old stallion Doggone Yankee, driven by Mark Gray for trainer William Long, won the Belote Memorial third leg race.

RT Phoebes Giant and Contessa’s Victory will seek their second wins in the series. Eight horses battle for the final leg purse of $7,650.

Racing on Thursday at Ocean Downs features the Maryland Standardbred Race Fund series for the state’s top 2-year-old pacers and trotters. In addition, the fourth and final leg of the Alan Myer Memorial Late Closer Series will be held with 3-year-old filly Super Snappy going for her third win in the series.

The 59th annual live racing meet at Ocean Downs concludes on Saturday night, August 25, with fireworks and an umbrella giveaway. Race fans will be treated to a fireworks display after the final race of the evening. There will be at least ten races on the closing night card with a first-race post time of 7:35 p.m. Admission and parking are free at the Ocean Oval.

A sturdy Ocean Downs golf umbrella will be given away to the first 1,500 fans who purchase an Ocean Downs racing program. They will be given a coupon, which may be redeemed for the umbrella after the night’s eighth race.

2007 summer meet driving honors go to 29-year-old Frank Milby, who had 61 wins after the 38th night of racing. With only three nights remaining, Ray Robinson, Jr. had 51 wins, his best summer on his home track.

“Shorty,” the three-time driving champion from 1999 through 2001, had his previous best meet in 2001 with 47 wins.

Milby, who also races at Rosecroft Raceway, where he is also the leading driver, enjoyed his friendly competition with Robinson.

“When you have friends out there like me and “Shorty,” neck and neck; that’s the way it should be,” Milby said.

A horse owned and driven by Frank Milby, and trained by his father Don at their home in Cordova, Maryland, won the Horse of the Meet honors. The 7-year-old mare Twin B Scamper won her eighth race of the summer on August 19, pacing the mile in 1:54.2, her best time at Ocean Downs, a half-mile layout.

“I really didn’t think she’d go that fast here, but when you put her into a position to win, she wants to go,” Milby said.

Whitesville Tara, a 6-year-old mare, owned and trained by Gary White and driven by W. David Hill III, also had an outstanding meet. The trotter, who earned Horse of the Meet honors last year, won seven straight races from June 24 through August 8.

The leading trainer this summer was Shawn Armour, who had 25 winners through August 19. Joseph Eisenhower, Sr. also had a productive meet with 17 training winners through the 19th.

Attendance during the 2007 meet continued to be among the highest at harness tracks, averaging nearly 1,900 nightly.

Closing night concludes a very successful meet at Ocean Downs.