Ocean’s Opens captured by Ahle

BERLIN, Md. — Ocean Downs’ leading harness racing driver, Johnathan Ahle, swept both $12,000 Open events on the Wednesday (July 10) program at the Eastern Shore half-miler, taking the Open 1 Handicap Trot with College Tuition and then giving Got The Gold her second win in a row in the Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace.

The Open 1 Handicap Trot saw Ahle team up with Eric Foster’s homebred College Tuition (Donato Hanover) for a 1:56.1 score. Sent at 5-2, the 6-year-old gelding set splits of :27.2, :57.1 and 1:26.1 before parrying a late challenge from Northern Express to win by a length. Coventry Hall was third from the pocket as the 3-2 favorite. College Tuition, in winning for the 16th time in his career, paid $7.00.

Got The Gold (Bettor’s Delight), who dead-heated for a 1:53.3 win in last week’s Open, was the sole champion this time as the even-money favorite. Ahle settled the 5-year-old mare in sixth early as Sharkine N controlled a :57.2 first half, and the pair then began their long first-over ascent with a lap to go. Got The Gold worked into second past the 1:26 three-quarters, then ground forward to down Sharkine by a half a length in 1:54.4. Oakwood Coral IR saved third from her pocket ride.

Michael Hall trains 22-time winner Got The Gold, who paid $4.20 to win and who now has won four of her last six races, for Let It Ride Stables and Odds On Racing.

Prior to the pari-mutuel card, a pair of $7,500 first-round divisions of the Tom Cooke Memorial Series, for 2-year-old trotters, were contested. Watch Me Goo This (International Moni) defeated Casino Magic by 28-3/4 lengths in 2:02.3 in the first division for Ahle and owner-trainer Richard Hans; Archie Buford steered Prince Of Royals (Cantab Hall) to a neck victory over Chex Check in 2:06.2 for owner Audra Fetcher and trainer Oscar Johnson Jr.

Racing returns to Ocean Downs on Thursday (July 11); the 12-race card features four first-round divisions of the Diane “Mum” Stevenson Memorial, for $7,500 claiming pacers. First post is 7:05 p.m.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From Ocean Downs