Columbus, OH – If there was ever a time to break your maiden, winning a $100,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Gray Championship seems to be a good time. Three of the four freshman divisions saw first-time winners take the top spot – Jidoo Bythesea (2CP, 1:54.1), Dancin Miki (2FP, 1:53.2) and Kikionamission (2FT, 1:56.2). The Friday (Sept. 11) card at Eldorado Scioto Downs kicked off Ohio Super Weekend, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ohio Sires Stakes program.
Dancin Miki was the first to break her maiden, winning the 2-year-old filly pace for trainer Ron Burke in 1:53.2. Half the field left to get to the top, but it was Demons Angel (driven by Aaron Merriman) who made the early lead towards the :27.3 opening quarter while driver Chris Page got Dancin Miki settled second along the rail. Rose Run Charlie (Marvin Luna) took over to lead the field through the :57.3 half and got pressure from Dancin Miki as she pulled mid-way down the backside. By the 1:25.2 third quarter, the fillies were neck and neck, but Dancin Miki kept pouring it on, winning by a length and a half over Miki Grad (Brett Miller) who got up for second; Demons Angel was third. Dancin Miki went off at 8-1 and paid $19.80 to win.
“She was huge, I mean going against the one (Miki Grad) I thought it was going to be tough,” said co-owner Carl Howard.
Friday’s win was after a less-than-ideal August which saw Dancin Miki scratched and then finishing last in a world-record mile (1:50) by Tempting Flames. “If you saw her early lines, she was really sharp to start the year off, so we knew she had talent. We still got Delaware, so that will be fun,” Howard continued…