Lewys Vaporizer Takes Steel Valley Sprint

V-Leaf Stables and Richard Ravin's Lewys Vaporizer grabbed the early lead and never looked back en route to a comfortable victory in the $200,000 Steel Valley Sprint at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course Nov. 23.

The inaugural Steel Valley Sprint, for 3-year-olds at six furlongs, is the second-richest Thoroughbred stakes in Ohio behind the $500,000 Ohio Derby at ThistleDown Racino. It's part of the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Larry Rivelli, Lewys Vaporizer set fractions of :22.92 for the opening quarter-mile and :45.79 for the half-mile with Tanner's Popsicle and Bayerd in second and third, respectively. Bayerd made his bid in the stretch but couldn't catch the leader, who won by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:12.05 for six furlongs on a fast track.

Lewys Vaporizer paid $6 to win as the favorite in a field of eight.

Bayerd had 5 1/4 lengths on Hebbronville, who rallied mildly for third. The top three in the Steel Valley Sprint had finished in reverse order in the Oct. 31 Perryville Stakes at Keeneland.

"My game plan was to go to the lead," Ortiz said. "He broke sharp and really liked the track and was never challenged. I hit him a few times in the stretch to keep him focused but it really was a pretty easy win."

Lewys Vaporizer earned $117,600 for the win, his fifth from nine starts this year and first in a stakes. The gelding by Lewis Michael   out of the Western Borders mare Western Windy was bred in Illinois by Jean White and trainer Rivelli.