Divine Thing took the $100,000 Moni Maker for 3-year-old filly trotters while Odds On Chesapeake bagged the companion $100,000 Nadia Lobell for pacers as part of a stakes-filled program on Saturday at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
The trotters were up first in the Moni Maker, and favorite Mocha Hill (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) pressed on two-wide to take the lead away from Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) past the 28 4/5 quarter. Mocha Hill would then go on to the half in 57 1/5 as Country Victory (Trevor Smith) went first-up from third, which gave cover to Divine Thing (Brett Miller).
Country Victory and Mocha Hill battled to three-quarters in 1:25 3/5 and continued to match strides on the final bend while Miller fanned Divine Thing three-wide. In the lane Divine Thing went by the dueling leaders and kicked clear to prevail by a length and a quarter in 1:54 1/5 while Country Victory held on gamely to get second. Rose Run Allison (Chris Page) fanned out after an inside trip in fifth and closed well for third.
This year's Moni Maker was raced in honor of the late Hunter Myers, who won the 2024 edition of the event with eventual Dan Patch Award recipient Allegiant.
"Last year, I had one of the favorites in there, and I was on the lead. At the three-quarter pole I looked over, and Hunter came first-over and he went right by me," Miller recalled. "He was a very special guy."
Steve Carter trains Divine Thing, a daughter of Greenshoe bred by Crawford Farms, for owners Jay Mossbarger, Brent Hopper and Kyle Gray. Divine Thing now has six wins, six seconds and three thirds from 22 tries, has earned $339,887 and paid $8.40 to win.
"My filly felt very good. Steve Carter told me before the race that he felt like she was going to be good tonight," Miller added. "The trip worked out, and she was very, very good."
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In the Nadia Lobell Odds On Chesapeake (Page) led at the 27 second quarter-mile marker and then yielded to sit behind fellow Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee and favorite Odds On Hialeah (Tim Tetrick), who was two-wide the entire first turn. Odds On Hialeah then chopped out the half in 55 1/5 while Sammy Jo Hanover (Dan Noble) stepped out first-up from third.
Odds On Hialeah would get to three-quarters first in 1:22 2/5, but Sammy Jo Hanover got level with her on the final bend while Page had room to tip Odds On Chesapeake into a three-wide position. Sammy Jo Hanover, a 27-1 shot, forged her way by Odds On Hialeah and was game to the wire, but Odds On Chesapeake had just a bit better kick on the outside and got up for the victory by a neck in 1:50. Fansville (Joe Bongiorno) finished third in the passing lane.
"Odds On Chesapeake got the better trip tonight. Odds On Hialeah got used really hard. They're both phenomenal fillies," Morgan Jr. said. "I've said all along I can't really you who's better. They both train great and last year they finished first and second by like a head or a nose in the (Ohio Sires Stakes) final, and that pretty showed they're very equal depending on the trip.
"She's eligible for the Jugette and so is Odds On Hialeah. I'll talk it over with Dana (Parham) and see what he wants to do. They've got the Breeders Championship at Delaware and they both are eligible for the Jugette. We'll see how they come out of this and go from there."
Parham's Odds On Nourrir bred and his Odds On Racing co-owns Odds On Chesapeake, a daughter of Downbytheseaside, with Operation Horsepower. She has a summary of 11-3-0 from 19 starts, has put away $392,700 and returned $6.40 to win.