Repeat winners in Maryland Sire Stakes

BERLIN, Md. — After her 4-1/2-length score last week, Ragtime Red (Getitoffyourchest-Red High Heels) delivered a similarly dominant performance in the second Maryland Sire Stakes preliminary round for 2-year-old harness racing fillies, held Wednesday (Aug. 28) at Ocean Downs, pacing a lifetime-best 1:55.2 mile in her $10,000 division. Pacer Lu’s Darling and trotter K J The Thirteenth also repeated in their respective divisions.

Ragtime Red Sat the pocket behind 19-1 pacesetter Post Jolene through a :58 half before Trae Porter moved her off the pegs and brushed to the lead in a :28.1 third split. One activated, the filly sped four lengths clear of her six rivals, and she maintained that margin at the winning post over Toys Little Tinker, who rallied for second. Post Jolene faded to third.

Michael Hall trains Ragtime Red, a three-time winner who competes as a homebred for David Banks. She paid $2.10 to win.

The other pacing split saw Lu’s Darling (Rusty’s For Real-Southern Lulu) and driver Eric Davis turn aside a backstretch challenge from Charlotteslove before evading pocket foe Mygirlmia by 2-1/4 lengths and winning in a career best-equaling 1:59.2. Jerry Nock owns, trains and bred the four-time winner. She paid $3.00 to win.

In the lone trotting division, K J The Thirteenth (Il Mago-My Kid Sister) and trainer-driver John Wagner strolled through the first three-quarters in 1:33 before withstanding a late charge from Yall Just Love Me by a diminishing neck in 2:02.3. The filly, who has won four times for owners Kelsey Wagner and Scott Woogen. She paid $2.40 to win.

The sub-featured $9,500 Daryl Glazer Memorial, for preferred trotters, went to Muscledover (Dover Dan), who reeled off a second consecutive top-level win in authoritative fashion. Now an 11-time winner, the 5-year-old gelding pushed to the early lead and kept the late-rallying Judge Bob 4-1/4 lengths at bay for a 1:56.1 score. Russell Foster was at the lines for trainer Edwin Gannon Jr. and the partnership of Zippett Racing Stable and Amos Lengacher. He paid $3.20 to win.

Davis, Foster and Johnathan Ahle all scored driving doubles on the 11-race card.

Live racing returns to Ocean Downs on Thursday (Aug. 29); first post is 7:05 p.m.

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

From Ocean Downs