Despite the outside post position in a scratch-shortened field of seven, Itzaziam trotted to an impressive 1:57.4 score in a $7,000 conditioned event at Miami Valley Raceway on Friday night. The six-year-old gelded son of Harrys Star Ranger put in two stellar qualifiers at his new home track before notching his first Ohio pari-mutuel win over Cashahallic (Jim Pantaleano) and Mama Made Me Blue (Dan Noble).
Co-owned by James Craparotta and driver Pat Berry, it was the 15th career win for Itzaziam, who is trained in Ohio by Conor Flynn.
Hunchie (Noble) garnered the lion's share of a $6500 purse offered for conditioned claimers who were non-winners of 10 races and carried $15,000 tags. Gerrie Tucker owns the winner who races out of the Virgil Morgan Jr. stable. Hunchie's 1:56 clocking bested Bullwinkle (Jason Brewer) and T M Valley Storm (Tyler Smith).
Racing resumes Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. when the feature will be a full-field $10,000 Open Pace. (Miami Valley)
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