from Miami Valley Raceway

Lebanon, OH — Our Dragon King broke the all-age track record at Miami Valley Raceway on Saturday night (April 16), scorching the five-eighths-mile oval in 1:49.4 — the first sub-1:50 mile in the track’s three years of existence.

Conrad photo

Miami Valley Raceway recorded its first-ever sub-1:50 mile on Saturday night as Our Dragon King coasted to a 1:49.4 score.

Leading driver Josh Sutton very rarely chooses off a Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee, but he must have known something about the current form of Our Dragon King as he opted to drive trainer Tyler George’s outstanding 6-year-old in a $15,000 undercard conditioned event.

Following a first-quarter tussle with Schoolkids (Brady Galliers), Our Dragon King cleared to the front just past the quarter-mile station in :26.1. From there he stopped half and three-quarter timers in :54.1 and 1:21.2 before urging the new track record holder through a :28.2 closing split with a commanding six length lead.

Freedomformysoul (Dan Noble) took full advantage of a break by favored K Ryan Bluechip and captured the $25,000 championship final of the Tom Tharps Memorial Series in 1:52.1.

Noble left aggressively with the 4-year-old son of If I Can Dream, dropped into the two-hole temporarily, then pointed his charge to the front of the field. Valiente Stride (driven by Tom Tharps’ son Randy) got a pocket ride throughout from the rail and finished just three-quarters of a length short at the wire. SOS Justified (Kayne Kauffman) also raced gamely and grabbed the show spot.

Rocco Ruffolo owns Freedomformysoul, who won for the seventh time and upped his earnings to $118,530. He is conditioned by Jim Ellison.

Earlier on the card Rockin Ron (Chris Page) swept to his ninth consecutive victory and second straight at Miami Valley, capturing the $20,000 Open Pace in 1:50.2.