Columbus, OH — Breeders Crown winner Grace Hill took Eldorado Scioto Downs’ $31,000 fillies and mares open pace on Friday (May 12), while Ohio Aged Trotter of the Year Smoking Jet took the first edition of the $30,000 open trot. Persistent rain starting mid-way through the card downgraded the track from fast to good to sloppy throughout the night.

Smoking Jet, a 6-year-old gelded son of Triumphant Caviar, won nearly gate to wire from his assigned outside post to win by a neck in 1:54.1 for driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke. This was Smoking Jet’s fourth win in six starts in 2023 for owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, and Chris Page. Kildare King (Trevor Smith/Chris Beaver) finished second, with Adamsville Road (Sam Widger/John Ryan Melsheimer) just a half-length back in third. Smoking Jet went off at 4/1 and paid $10.60 to win.

Breeders Crown champion Grace Hill rolled in the $31,000 feature at Scioto Downs on Friday. Conrad Photo.

Race favorite Grace Hill (Tony Hall/Virgil Morgan, Jr.) won by one and a half lengths over She’sonebadmomma (Page/Burke) in the fillies and mares open pace in 1:53. Friday’s victory was her first start back since her win in the TVG final at the Meadowlands back in November. Since, she has had three qualifiers in preparation for her win for owner Tom Hill of Lancashire, United Kingdom. The 5-year-old daughter of Always B Miki now has over $ 1.18 million in lifetime earnings.

Scioto’s 2022 leading driver Brett Miller had three wins on the card, as did last year’s runner-up driver, Chris Page and Tony Hall; Scioto’s 28-time trainer of the year, Virgil Morgan, Jr., went 3-for-3.

Free program pages are available daily on the Scioto Downs website for qualifiers and live racing. Race replays are also available on this page of the website.

The 90-day Scioto Downs live racing season goes through Saturday, September 16. The typical race schedule will be Tuesdays-Saturdays with first post of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 5:50 p.m. first post for Thursdays-Saturdays.