Columbus, OH — Dan Noble took the very first Jim Ewart Memorial in 2013, and in 2021 he took a different ‘rock’ to the winner’s circle, this time with Ocean Rock in 1:49.1 on Saturday (Sept. 11) at Eldorado Scioto Downs.

Dan Noble took the Jim Ewart Memorial with Ocean Rock in 1:49.1. Conrad photo.

There was a lot of early action in the $135,000 Ewart, with This Is The Plan (Chris Page) taking the lead going into the first turn but Gold Digger King (Brett Miller) pressed on to take the lead at the :25.2 opening quarter.

Workin Ona Mystery (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) followed Gold Digger King’s cover but was left first up at the :52.3 half. By the 1:20.1 three-quarters, Little Rocket Man (John DeLong) pulled three-wide and Nicholas Beach (Joe Bongiorno) came four-wide; Ocean Rock followed the four-wide cover from seventh going into the last turn.

Ocean Rock went off at 18-1 and paid $39.60 to win. He posted a :28.3 last quarter to win by a neck over Nicholas Beach; Sectionline Bigry (Tyler Smith) was third. This Is The Plan and Catch The Fire (Mike Wilder) finished fourth and fifth to complete the Super Hi-5, which paid $6,382.72.

“I was hoping I could fit right in the middle of the pack off the gate and it worked out,” said Noble. “Things just got pretty crazy there you know, a lot of early speed. And it worked out really well there towards the end.”

Ocean Rock, a 4-year-old gelding by Rockin Amadeus out of the On The Attack mare Ocean Pearl is owned and bred by Sandra Burnett. He now has 16 wins in 32 lifetime starts with $726,622 in lifetime earnings.

“It’s taken this horse a long time to grow up and mature and learn to be a racehorse,” said Noble, who won the inaugural Ewart Memorial in 2013 with Pet Rock in 1:47.2.

As a 2-year-old, Ocean Rock won five of nine starts and took a mark of 1:51.1 at Northfield Park. Last year, at three, he won six of 10 and lowered his mark to 1:48.4 at Scioto.

Racing continues at Scioto Downs on Tuesday (Sept. 14) at 6:15 p.m.