The ‘Look Sharp’ series for conditioned pacers

LEBANON, OH. – Foreign Officer (Tyler Smith) and Fantaddy (Kyle Ater) were sharpest in first leg action of the "Look Sharp" series for harness racing conditioned pacers at Miami Valley Raceway on Sunday. Foreign Officer scored a 1:54.4 triumph over Rucker Place (Josh Sutton) and Mr I Am (Jeremy Smith) in the first $7000 division of the series named after the successful southwest Ohio stallion Look Sharp, who stood many years at nearby Hagemeyer Farms. Jim Pollock Jr. trains Foreign Officer while racing in Ohio for owner Mark Ford.

Fantaddy won the other split with a 1:5x tally over Onemorelastchance (Dan Noble) and Toledo Bend Gator (Chris Page) and seven other rivals. It was just the second win in two seasons for the seven-year-old son of Bettor's Delight, but increased his career bounty to $236,364. Dan Ater conditions the winner for owner Kirk Nichols. Second leg action in the Look Sharp series will take place on Sunday, February 15 with a $14,000 championship slated for February 22.

The weekly $16,500 Open Trot was also presented on the Sunday matinee card. For the third time in his last four tries, Rehab Mountain (Brad Hanners) was victorious, this time in 1:56.1. The win pushed the eight-year-old gelding's earnings over $250,000 lifetime, including $23,750 in just four 2015 starts at Miami Valley. The B6 Racing Stable owns Rehab Mountain, who bested Becky's Law (Kyle Ater) and War Cry Hall (Josh Sutton) in gate-to-wire fashion.

Gregg Keidel