Veteran mare finds room up the pylons

LEBANON, OH. – Rev Me Up, at age eight the oldest harness racing mare in the field, found room up the pylons just in time to zoom by pacesetter Shine N Shimmer and capture the $17,050 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap pace at Miami Valley on Friday (March 27).

Driver Randy Tharps left alertly with the winning daughter of Park Place before turning Shine N Shimmer (Chris Page) loose and accepting the pocket just prior to the first quarter beam, tripped in :27.1.

The field raced single file through a pedestrian :29.4 second panel until Beat The Beat (Kyle Ater) pulled from fifth and launched an outside attack just past the :57 midway clocking.

With Arties Last Party (Jeff Nisonger) and Multiple Sources (Greg Grismore) in tow in the outer flow the classy mares cut through a 25 mile per hour wind and freezing temperatures to the 1:26.2 three quarters station.

Double tiered around the final turn and well bunched and fanned four wide at the head of the stretch the field tried valiantly to gain ground through the final sixteenth of a mile, but only Rev Me Up could get by Shine N Shimmer for the 1:55.2 score. Beat The Beat never faltered and held for the show spot.

Merl P'pool leases Rev Me Up who notched her sixth win in a dozen 2015 starts for trainer Kathy Millman. Her $41,421 in seasonal earnings brings her lifetime bounty to $575,497. Off at 9-2 odds, Rev Me Up paid $11.80 to her faithful.

MIAMI VALLEY & OHHA TO HOST HORSEMENS GOLF OUTING

Miami Valley Raceway and the Ohio Harness Horsemens Association have announced plans to host a golf outing on Monday, April 27 at Majestic Springs Golf Club in Wilmington, Ohio.  The free outing, open to all harness horsepersons with current Ohio Racing Commission licenses, will include 18 holes of golf with power carts and dinner afterwards.  All owners, trainers, drivers, caretakers, veterinarians, licensed suppliers and track racing department employees are invited to form four-person teams for the ‘Scramble’ format round of golf or to sign up individually.   The golf will begin at 12:30 p.m. with a ‘shotgun’ start.  Those that cannot golf are welcome to sign up and join the group for the dinner at approximately 5 p.m.

Interested parties should make a reservation for the free event by contacting OHHA track rep Brett Merkle (614-354-1601)before Sunday, April 19.  Eighteen (18) hole sponsorships are also available at the nominal cost of $50.  The sponsorship money will be used to provide golf skill prizes as well as door prizes.

Majestic Springs is located just minutes off I-71 at exit 45 (S.R. 73).

Gregg Keidel