Fancy Creek Elusiv cops Dayton Open

DAYTON, OH. – Splitting rivals in the final 100 yards of the race, Fancy Creek Elusiv and harness racing driver Chris Page captured the $10,500 Open Pace at Hollywood Dayton Raceway on Saturday (December 19) in a quick 1:51 despite sub-freezing temperatures. 

Content to sit third and save ground skimming the pylons through the first seven-eighths of the race, Page found a seam just wide enough to squeeze Fancy Creek Elusiv through halfway through the stretch and exploded for a narrow upset victory over pacesetter Thisjetsabookin (Josh Sutton) and first-up Jammin Joshua (Tyler Smith), who finished second and third. 

Sent off at 9-2 odds, the winner won for the ninth time this year and increased his earnings to $114,394 in 2015. 

The 1:51 clocking was within three-fifths of a second of the Sportsmaster gelding's best, a 1:50.2 effort at Scioto Downs in the summer. 

Billy Farmer trains Fancy Creek Elusiv for owner Todd Rosenberg.

Gregg Keidel