Gallant Bob winner Scaramouche leads Steel Valley Sprint

A field of eleven 3-year-olds are scheduled to break from the gate Monday in the $250,000 Steel Valley Sprint at Mahoning Valley Race Course. Trainer Guadalupe Preciado sends out Grade 2 Gallant Bob winner Scaramouche as the lukewarm 3-1 favorite in the race. The Munnings gelding is sitting on a three race win streak while also looking to prove that he can secure a win away from his home turf. Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call.

Second choice on the morning line at 7-2 is Hoist The Gold entering off a second place effort at Keeneland in the Perryville Stakes on October 22. Trained by Dallas Stewart, the Mineshaft colt is looking for the first stakes win of his career.

Trainer Larry Rivelli will be sending two to the gates in Golden Hornet, who is making his first start in stakes company, and Roger McQueen, a 2-year-old stakes winner. Roger McQueen made an early splash in his career breaking his maiden by 5 lengths before scoring a 1/2-length victory in the Ellis Park Juvenile. The Steel Valley Sprint will be his first start in a little over a year, though he will be entering off a bullet half-mile work in 47.0.

Two last-out allowance winners in Knocker Down and Tejano Twist promise to add some intrigue to the race. Travis Murphy-trained Knocker Down skipped home by six lengths over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs on November 12 last out and will be looking for his first stake win. Tejano Twist, trained by Chris Hartman, enters the race off an allowance win on October 14 at Keeneland in which he beat fellow Steel Valley Sprint competitor Knocker Down by a length. The win marked his first victory since the Lively Shively Stakes in November of 2021.

Illinois bred Fast Jack will be making his first start outside of Illinois for trainer Scott Becker. Never worse than second and a winner in 6 out of 8 starts, Fast Jack will be looking for his first stakes win outside of state-bred company.

Trainer David Wilson, Jr. and owner Willow’s Green Stables, LLC are sending out a pair of 30-1 contenders in Ky Hot Brown and Volbeat. Some may recognize them as the connections behind 2021 Steel Valley Sprint winner Timeless Bounty, who lit up the tote board at odds of 59-1. It remains to be seen if lightning strikes twice, but Wilson is optimistic.

Rounding out the field of competitors in the Steel Valley Sprint is Friar Laurence and Sheltowee’s Bali.

Monday’s racing program will see a total of five stakes races including the inaugural running of the $100,000 Youngstown Oaks for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs. In its first edition, trainer Brad Cox will be looking to take the win by sending out Grade 3 winner Girl With A Dream. The filly will face eight rivals in her first start since competing in the Davona Dale (G2) in March of this year.