Just a month after changing owners, Criquette Hall is paying big dividends. The Cash Hall filly made it look easy in the $75,000 second leg of the Ohio Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Friday, June 17.
Criquette Hall, with Chris Page, raced to the lead covering the first quarter in :28.2. The Ron Burke trainee yielded the lead briefly to longshot Sandis Commando L, who lead at the half in :56.
Heading down the backstretch, 1-9 favourite Criquette Hall retook control of the race, grabbing the lead as the field hit the three-quarter pole in 1:25.
Around the final, turn Criquette Hall stretched the lead and won easily by 2-3/4 lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:54.3. Favorite Aunt with Brett Miller went three-wide off the final turn and rallied down the stretch for second with Abbey D and Dan Noble finishing third.
Criquette Hall has won five of nine starts this year and raised her lifetime earnings to $91,092. She is currently owned Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Beasty LLC and Lawrence Karr.
First leg winner Gabbys C Note was scratched sick.
The second leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes continues Saturday, June 25 at Eldorado Scioto Downs as the three-year-old colt trotters take to the track.
Open winners take advantage of post five sweet spot
Statistically, more winners leave from post five than any other position at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Friday’s card proved no different with seven wins in a row boasting the number five saddle pad.
Penpaperpaige (Tyler Smith) took advantage of that post five sweet spot, upsetting the featured $30,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace in 1:52.
The five-year-old mare by Pet Rock was overlooked at 9-1 odds. Seemingly trapped for most of the mile, Penpaperpaige was fifth on the rail at the top of the stretch. With a final surge through the Lightning Lane, the mare scored her first 2022 victory by a neck. Snobbytown finished second while Delitfulcatherin N completed the trifecta.
Although her first win of the season, Penpaperpaige is no stranger to the winner’s circle. In 45 lifetime starts, she has won 17 of those and hit the board an additional 21 times. Trained by Jeff Smith and owned by Shirley LeVin, Penpaperpaige is approaching a half million in career earnings with $477,201 in the bank.
Refined (Mitch Cushing) took the $30,000 Open Trot in 1:53.3 also from post five. After a tough start last week, the six-year-old Uncle Peter mare reclaimed her Open title in gate-to-wire fashion. Predator And Prey was second and Kings County finished third.
Refined has now won half of her 10 seasonal starts and bankrolled over $89,000 this year. She is conditioned by Virgil Morgan Jr. for Joyce McClelland and Larry Wills.
The sweet spot draw also gave driver Josh Sutton the upper hand on Scioto’s 16-race program. Sutton won four in a row leaving the gate from post five. He ended the night with six wins total. Post time returns Saturday (June 18) at 3:15 p.m. with 16 races scheduled.
(With files from OHHA)