from DRF.com

Columbus, OH — The inaugural $200,000 Charlie Hill Memorial at Scioto Downs was stacked with top older trotters, but the end result was a runaway victory by second choice Modern Family in an all age-equaling track record clocking.

Conrad photo

Modern Family was a 1:52.2 winner for driver Dave Palone.

Modern Family was fast off the gate and took charge from Creatine at the opening quarter in :27. The order remained intact by a very soft half time in :56.4. At that point Arch Madness began to turn up the heat and gave the winner all he had to offer for a short spell. He was followed on the rim by DW’s NY Yank and the favored Market Share.

Driver Dave Palone asked Modern Family to trot in the third quarter and he responded with a :27.3 turn of speed to get some separation. And that was that. The Daryl Bier trainee scooted away and won easily in 1:52.2 over longshot Archangel and Creatine. Market Share finished a disappointing sixth.

“I was able to get a nice breather and he took over from there,” said Palone about his tactics. “I was just lucky enough to get a call; me and Daryl have been friends for 25 years.”

Modern Family paid $5.80 to win for owners Daryl Bier, Charles Dombeck and Richard Poillucci. The 5-year-old pushed his yearly earnings to $241,150 with the win.

Sires Stakes highlights undercard

Lady Julie posted an upset victory in the first division of the Ohio Sires Stakes at Scioto Downs. Lady Julie is a 3-year-old pacing filly by Feelin Friskie. She was driven by Josh Sutton for trainer Jim Dailey.

Sutton gave Lady Julie a perfect pocket trip behind heavy favorite Paydaze On The Way, who set the fractions. Sutton waited to the top of the stretch to show his mount some racetrack. The filly responded in a big way. She crossed the wire in a career best 1:54.1 by three-quarters of a length.

The trotting fillies were up next and the heavy favorite, In The Grippers, didn’t disappoint. She was driven by regular driver Chris Page for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr.

Page and In The Grippers left hard from post seven and were parked to the quarter in :28.2. The filly got a nice second quarter breather and cruised to an easy victory in 1:59.

In race five, the pacing fillies returned with a field of seven for the $40,000 purse. It was Chris Page again with heavy favorite Crown Time Keeper for trainer Steve Carter.

Crown Time Keeper endured a first up trip to earn her second win in the Ohio Sires Stakes. This mile came in a career best of 1:54.1 and Crown Time Keeper won by five lengths.

The final Ohio Sires Stakes race came in race 11 as the trotting fillies returned with a full field of nine. Anniesbluejeanbaby went wire-to-wire in a career best 1:58.1.

There was never an anxious moment for this 3-year-old filly by Full Count. She was driven to victory by Greg Grismore for trainer Scott Cox.

Live racing will resume on Tuesday (June 10).

— Scioto Downs media relations contributed to this report