Artful Dancer scored a lane-scortching victory in the lone $60,000 Ohio Sires Stakes contest for 3-year-old pacing fillies on a steamy Saturday afternoon, July 4, at Scioto Downs.
The daughter of Yankee Cruiser, driven by Dan Noble and trained by Steve Carter, sat patiently through fractions of :27.2; :54.3; and 1:22.3 before unleashing a powerful late kick to draw off by 4¼ lenghts in 1:52. Getting up for second was a determined 11-1 Penpaperpage (Tyler Smith), with super longshot (81-1) Real Rockin Ravi (Josh Sutton) grabbing third-place money.
Bred by Midland Acres and D & CC Drake, Artful Dancer is owned by Tammy Carter, Jay Mossbarger, Richard Lombardo and Josh Green and pushed her career earnings to $171,284. Her seasonal earnings now stand at $49,810 from this first victory of 2020 in five tries. She is the first foal out of the Sportswriter mare Dancin Caroll p, 2, Q1:55.1F ($81,646).
by Kimberly Rinker, Ohio Standardbred Development Administrator