Sophomores ready for OSS action

Four $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies and 3-year-old trotting colts are set for Saturday, June 5 at Northfield Park in round 2 action of the four-leg series for the Buckeye State’s finest-bred harness racing youngsters. Post time is 6 pm at the Cleveland-area half-miler.

Winning Ticket will be the prohibitive favorite in the second OSS division (Race 4) for trotting colts. This son of Triumphant Caviar

took his OSS leg 1 division on May 3 at Miami Valley in 1:55.3 with Aaron Merriman driving for trainer Chris Beaver. He now has five wins in as many tries this year, with seasonal earnings of $77,500 and career earnings of $172,547. Bred by James Bender, Winning Ticket is owned by Beaver, Steve Zeehandelar, Tim Homan and Jim Burnett. Winning Ticket will start from post six with Merriman in the sulky, and this bay gelding typically uses front-end tactics to score his triumphs. He is the second foal out of his dam, the hardy Credit Winner race mare Lotto Winner, 7, 1:56.1H ($166,461).

Another Beaver trainee, Panzano, heads up the first OSS division (Race 2) with Merriman driving from post three. This son of Coraggioso-Grace N Charlie-SJ’s Caviar is owned by Spaaaartners, of Ballston Spa, NY and has lifetime earnings of $114,724. He is the first foal out of his dam, who herself earned $225,830 and took an 8-year-old record of 1:55.4f. Panzano finished fourth to the winning Spyder The Striker in his OSS leg 1 before winning a Scioto overnight on May 21 in 1:55.1. To date he has three wins, three seconds and two thirds in 12 career starts.

Among the pacing fillies, Summer Touch (Race 6) and Lady Arthur (Race 9) are the clear standouts in their divisions, as both won their OSS Leg 1 events on May 2 at Miami Valley.

Summer Touch stopped the timer in 1:53.1 in that first OSS contest for driver Chris Page, who will be in the sulky from post three Saturday. This gregarious filly by Well Said-Real Touch-Real Desire captured last year’s $300,000 Championship on Super Night, and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Slaughter Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and trained by Ronnie Burke. The homebred lass has $328,800 in her coffers to date from eight wins and two seconds in ten starts. Summer Touch is the fourth of six foals from her dam Real Touch p,3,1:51.1 ($150,251), and is a half-sister to Real Fine (by Bettor’s Delight) p, 3, 1:52.1f ($145,118); Tru Lou (by Sweet Lou) p, 3, 1:49.1f ($140,131); and Touch Of The West (Western Ideal) p, 4, 1:52.1f ($82,432).

Lady Arthur captured her OSS event at Miami Valley in 1:53.3 with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. at the lines for trainer Dr. Ian Moore, who co-owns the filly in partnership with the RG McGroup and Serge Savard. The winner of $111,031 lifetime has four wins, one second and a third in 13 career outings. Lady Arthur is by Arthur Blue Chip and is the eighth foal out of the Mach Three mare April Three p, 3, 1:53.1s ($100,262). She has half siblings in Apollo Seelster (by Camluck) p, 5, 1:50.4f ($187,729) and Azalea Seelster (by Big Jim) p, 5, 1:54.3f ($27,929), among others.

by Kimberly Rinker, for the Ohio Standardbred Development Fund