Racing started off hot Saturday night at Eldorado Scioto Downs when the first race went in 1:49 1/5. Bythemissal did not disappoint seven races later, winning the $26,000 Open Pace in dominating fashion, under wraps, in 1:48 3/5.
Chris Page took the Ron Burke trainee straight to the front from post five and cleared just as they hit the quarter in 26 seconds. After comfortably leading through fractions of 54 4/5 and 1:21 3/5, Bythemissal stretched his legs down the stretch to win by 4 1/4 lengths. Carbine (Austin Hanners) came up the inside to get up for second, while Artatac A (Dan Noble) was third.
Bythemissal, a 6-year-old Downbytheseaside gelding, is owned by Burke Racing, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo and Weaver Bruscemi. The victory Saturday was in just his second seasonal start, after finishing third in the Pacey Mindlin Memorial invitational at Miami Valley last week. Bythemissal, the 2022 Little Brown Jug winner, now has $2.352 million in earnings with 28 lifetime wins.
The win with Bythemissal was the fifth straight on the evening for Page, four of which were for Burke. The first win on the evening for the duo was in the Carol's Comet pace for Ohio-sired 3-year-olds who were non-winners of $70,000 life. Fear The Hate left from post seven and was three-wide around the first turn before taking the lead and hitting every other quarter first. The Fear The Dragon colt won by a length and three-quarters in 1:51 4/5.
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Four races later the Page/Burke combination hit again in the K F Pro Sam series for Ohio-sired 3- and 4-year-olds who are winners over $70,000 lifetime but 4-year-olds who are not over $150,000 life. Leaving A Legend came from behind after settling in last from post nine. Coming three-wide around the last turn, Leaving A Legend, by Bit Of A Legend N, won by a length and a half in 1:50 1/5.
Through the first three cards of the season, Scioto's longtime leading trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. has six wins in 27 starts. 2024 leading driver Dan Noble has the early lead with 12 wins in 44 starts.
Racing at Scioto takes a break until Tuesday evening, with another 16-race card going post ward at 5:45 p.m. New for the 2025 season is the $7,500 guaranteed mid-card Pick 4 each weekday, starting in race seven. Saturday's late Pick 5 was not hit, so there will be a $1,189 carryover into the early Pick 5 starting in race one Tuesday.
The 90-day 2025 Eldorado Scioto Downs race meet runs through Saturday, September 13. Races will be held Tuesday-Saturday, with special holiday cards on Memorial Day and Labor Day. First post is at 5:45 p.m. each day except for Memorial Day (4 p.m.), June 19th (4 p.m.), Thursday, July 4th (3:15 p.m.) and Friday, September 12 which will have a 6:45 p.m. post to help accommodate horsemen attending the Ohio Selected Yearling Sale.
--press release (Scioto)--