Columbus, OH – Trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and owner Odds On Racing captured two divisions of the Buckeye Stallion Series for 2-year-old male pacers on Friday (Aug. 22) at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
The fastest split went to Odds On Ray (Chris Page) in 1:51.4. Captain’s Dance (Sam Widger) rolled to the :26.2 opening quarter while Odds On Ray stalked from the pocket. As the field headed from the :54.1 half and towards the 1:22 third-quarter, Odds On Ray was full of pace but locked in. At the top of the stretch Odds On Ray dove into the passing lane and won by a neck over a fast-closing Thunder Nation (Kurt Sugg); Captain’s Dance was third.
Odds On Ray now has two wins in five lifetime starts. Bred by Rose Run Farm, the Downbytheseaside colt was a $140,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase.
Morgan’s other winner was Odds On Phil, a near gate-to-wire winner, in 1:53.2. Initially getting away second from the rail, Page had Odds On Phil out and moving before the :27.4 opening quarter to take the lead. Early leader Heerz Corinthian (Cam McCown) took the pocket trip as Odds On Phil took the field to the :57.2 half and 1:26.1 third-quarters. Posting a :27.1 last quarter, Odds On Phil won by a length over Heerz Corinthian; Ain’t No Fire (Widger) was third.
Odds On Phil now has three wins in five lifetime starts and $36,000 in earnings. The colt by Lather Up, bred by Larry Miller, was a $15,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase.
Hunka Hunka and Brett Miller took the first $20,000 division in 1:52.3. The duo got away second while Catch My Dragon (Trevor Smith) took the field towards the :27.4 opening quarter. Odds On RPJ (Dan Noble) came first-up to pressure the leader by the :56 half, but stalled heading down the backstretch. After the 1:24 third-quarter, Miller pulled Hunka Hunka out of the pocket and mid-way down the stretch had cleared to the lead. Hunka Hunka won by a length over fast-closing Heerz Ledger (McCown) with Catch My Dragon finishing third.
Hunka Hunka, by Catch The Fire, was bred by LMN Bred Stables and is out of Betterluvnexttime. A $12,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase, Hunka Hunka has now earned $37,761 in six starts with four wins for owners Wayne Mast Jr., Eden Acres Farmstead, Steven Miller and trainer Daren Harvey.
The Ebony Dragon and Luke Hanners took their division in 1:53. Stoke The Fire (Chris Lems) took the field towards the :27.1 opening quarter. Odds On Sugar (Noble) was flushed out from third just at the :56.4 half. By the 1:24.2 third-quarter, Stoke The Fire had put away Odds On Sugar but could not hold off pocket-sitter The Ebony Dragon, who came up the inside to win by a half-length. Stoke The Fire was second with Larry Legend (Miller) getting up for third.
Tyler Bates trains The Ebony Dragon for Suzanne Bates and Cedar Point Beach Racing. The Fear The Dragon colt was a $12,000 Buckeye Classic Yearling Sale purchase from Emerald Highlands Farm. The Ebony Dragon now has eight wins in 11 starts and $38,006 in earnings.
Solid Rock (Miller) took the last division in 1:54. After leaving smartly from the gate, Solid Rock originally let Barcelona Legend (Darren Dowler) take the lead by the :28 quarter, but the fired-up colt quickly took back over and led through the :57.1 half. Pressured by Odds On Mase (Tony Hall) mid-way down the backside, Miller popped the plugs and put away the contender by the 1:25.3 third-quarter. Pocket-sitter Barcelona Legend was second with Nico (Tyler Smith) getting up the passing lane for third.
Solid Rock, by Pet Rock, is a homebred for Marjorie Polhamus. The Dan O’Mara-trained colt broke his maiden with the victory and now has $17,678 earned in eight lifetime starts.
Racing continues Saturday (Aug. 23) at Scioto with an action packet 16-race card. Featured races include a quartet of Grade 3 $100,000 races – the Moni Maker (early closer for 3-year-old trotting fillies), the Nadia Lobell (early closer for 3-year-old pacing fillies), the #SendItIn Invitational and the Cleopatra Invitational for filly and mare pacers. Also on the card are 11 splits of Ohio Sires Stakes for 2-year-olds. All-in-all, the Saturday card boasts purses of $1 million.
The 90-day 2025 Eldorado Scioto Downs race meet runs through Saturday, Sept. 13. Races will be held Tuesday-Saturday the week of Aug. 25. There will be a special Labor Day card on Monday, Sept. 1, with racing continuing Thursday-Saturday that week. Closing week, Scioto will host races Wednesday-Saturday. First post for all scheduled race days is 5:45 p.m. with an exception on Friday, Sept. 12. A special late first post of 6:45 p.m. will help accommodate horsemen attending the Ohio Selected Yearling Sale.
More information about racing at Scioto can be found on the Eldorado Scioto Downs website.