Grove City, OH – The curtain closed on the 2022 Buckeye Stallion Series with the consolation harness racing finals Sunday night (Oct. 23) at MGM Northfield Park. In addition to the eight $25,000 divisional finals, four $10,000 consolation II finals were held.
The night opened with a dominant performance by Mission Valley (Enterprise) in the two-year-old filly trot. The 1-9 favorite with trainer Ronnie Gillespie driving grabbed the lead heading up the back stretch and pulled away to win by 13 lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:56.3. The win was the ninth of the year for the filly who is owned by Susan Sickle. Mission Valley has earned $70,752 this year. Coupe Deville was second with Ilikeitinthedark third.
MISSION VALLEY REPLAY
In the two-year-old filly pace, longshot Santa Fe Kat (Santa Fe Beachboy) came from the back of the pack to break her maiden in 1:55.3. Santa Fe Kat was last in the seven-horse field at the half-mile pole when Mitchell Cushing went three-wide around the final turn and turned on the jets to win by a head. Trained by Jessica McCown, the filly raised her earning to $23,290 for the owners Country Club Acres, Winfield Brothers LLC, and L&H Management Services.
Favorite Miss Maddie P was second with Santastic Cruiser third.
SANTA FE KAT REPLAY
Chris Page took 3-5 favorite Stumpy (What The Hill) to the lead off the gate and never looked back to win the two-year-old colt trot. He held off a hard charging Jogging Full Trot at the wire to win by a head in 1:59.2. Owned and trained by Allen Miller, Stumpy raised his earnings to $75,930.
Eddie L finished third.
STUMPY REPLAY
In the three-year-old filly pace, Ocean Music (Racing Hill) with Hunter Myers took the pocket trip and fired down the passing lane to catch favorite Bittrsweetsymphony and win by a head in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.4. The filly is trained by Christi Noble and owned by Sandra Burnett. Unraced as a two-year-old, it was the fifth win of the year for Ocean Music who has now earned $63,978.
Bet On Loretta was third.
OCEAN MUSIC REPLAY
Wishing Itsme (Wishing Stone) with Don Irvine Jr. went gate-to-wire to win the three-year-old filly pace BSS consolation in 1:56.2. The filly won for the seventh time this season and raised her earnings to $41,873. Rosy Weaver trains and co-owns Wishing Itsme with Heartland Acres.
Queens Future was second and Miss Cowboy Star finished third.
WISHING ITSME REPLAY
Masculine Hill (What the Hill) with Aaron Merriman also went gate-to-wire holding off a late charge from Rose Run Xander to win the three-year-old colt trot. The gelding won by a neck in a new lifetime mark of 1:55.1. With his four win of the year, Masculine Hill raised his season earnings to $53,310 for trainer John Ryan Melsheimer and the Mel Rose Stable.
Rose Run Xtreme finished third.
MASCULINE HILL REPLAY
Page picked up his second Buckeye Stallion Series consolation win of the night as he drove Tan Man (Downbytheseaside) to victory in the two-year-old colt pace. The gelding went gate-to-wire winning by a length as he set a lifetime mark of 1:52.4 winning for the fifth time this year. Tan Man has earned $41,623 for Cory Deyermand who trains and co-owns with William Hartt and Robert Mondillo.
Primary Drive was second with Barely Mischievous finishing third.
TAN MAN REPLAY
In the three-year-old colt pace, the final Buckeye Stallion Series consolation of the night, Ryan Stahl and Universal (Downbytheseaside) were sixth at the three-quarter pole but found some racing room inside and rallied down the passing lane to nip Willydoitagain at the wire in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.3.
The win was the fifth of the year for Universal, who is trained by Steve Carter and owned by Adam Friedland, Cass Gallagher, and Peggy Carter, Universal has earned $47,810 this year.
Rose Run Xplosion finished third.
UNIVERSAL REPLAY
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Four consolation II events were also held on the card. Wicked Character won the two-year-old colt pace, Type A Personality won the three-year-old colt pace, Osceola Hanover won the three-year-old filly pace, and Pappardelle won the three-year-old colt trot.
For complete race results, click here.
by Frank Fraas, for the OHHA