Ohio Sire Stakes action Monday at Northfield

Seven $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions for 2-year-old diagonally-gaited specialists will be contested Monday night, Aug. 6 at Northfield Park. The seven OSS harness racing divisions in Leg 3 of this 4-round series include four races for colts and three for fillies, with a first race post time of 6 pm, ET.

Youngsters eligible to the OSS program must be sired by a stallion registered with the Ohio State Racing Commission (OSRC) during year of conception and must be standing in the state of Ohio that same year. OSS eligibles then garner points based on where they finish in this four-leg series, seeding them into the $275,000 Championship, set for Sept. 8 at Scioto Downs. The $60,000 consolation races will be contested on Oct. 13 at Northfield Park this season.

Points are distributed as follows: 51 points for win, 26 points for second, 13 points for third, 9 points for fourth and 6 points for fifth, and one point for starting.

A total of 15 Ohio-registered Standardbred stallions have progeny racing in these OSS events on Monday night, including Manofmanmissions, with nine foals (six colts and three fillies). Uncle Peter is represented by eight foals (5 colts and three fillies), while Dejarmbro (four colts and two fillies) and Wishing Stone (three colts and three fillies) each have six.

Stallions represented by four OSS contestants include Broadway Hall and Triumphant Caviar-both with one colt and three fillies each. Break The Bank K and My MVP each send three youngsters postward, while Cash Hall, Dontyouforgetit and Full Count have two freshmen each competing. The stallions Cayenne Turbo, Ilooklikemymom, Southwind Spirit and Winbak Yankee all have one foal going postward in these OSS contest at Northfield Park.

The four colt divisions have been carded as races 1, 3, 4, 5 in which 28 male trotters will vie, while 24 fillies will line up behind the Northfield gate in races 6, 7, 9.

Nine colts who have won either the first or second leg of this series previously are returning for action, including Oh So Pine in the first division (Race 1) for the Canadian-based team of trainer Jason McGinnis and driver Anthony MacDonald. Bred by Gbw Breeding Farms, Inc., this Uncle Peter gelding won his OSS leg one on July 2 at Northfield, clocked in 2:01.3, then was a smart second to Never Say Uncle on July 20 at Scioto Downs, timed in 1:58.4.

More recently, he captured a $35,400 Ohio State Fair Stake on July 28 at Scioto in 1:57.3 and appears primed to capture this third OSS leg for Thestable Oh So Pine Group of Guelph, ON. Oh So Pine owns a bankroll of $53,450.

Trainer Kimberly Dailey will harness Yankees Image for owner-breeder Benlee Troyer of Millersburg, OH in the second OSS colt division (Race 3). This unaltered Winbak Yankee colt broke stride in leg one but rebounded to capture leg two in decisive fashion for driver Danny Noble, timed in 1:57.4 at Scioto on July 20. Noble drives again from the rail.

McGinnis and McDonald will start leg two winner Yes from post seven in this same race. Owned by Thestable Yes Group of Guelph, ON, the gelded son by Manofmanymissions was third in leg one to Homer Hall and then prevailed by two lengths over his rivals in a 1:59.2 effort in leg two. From four career starts, he has amassed $34,075 in earnings.

A trio of single leg winners square off in the third OSS division (Race 4), including Never Say Uncle, who was fifth in the first leg before winning leg two in 1:58.4 on July 20 at Scioto Downs. Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., will steer the Uncle Peter gelding again from post three. Chris Beaver trains the winner of $26,368 lifetime for the ownership quartet of himself, Joanna Beaver, Michael Carter and Mike McLoughlin.

Scott Cox will tighten the girth on Bosley, a Manofmanymissions gelding who captured his leg one in 1:59.2 for the partnership of Parent Racing Stable and G. Peters. A winner of $25,125 to date, Bosley was bred by Darwin and Ann Shaver and will be steered from post four by regular pilot Ryan Stahl.

Kimberly Dailey sends out 1:58.1 leg two winner Ilooklikeanallstar from post five, with Danny Noble in the bike. The bay gelded son by Ilooklikemymom was impressive in that victory after finishing sixth in leg one. A winner of $29,275 to date, Ilooklikeanallstar was second by a neck in 1:57.1 to Cumberland Gap in a $37,100 Ohio Fair Stake at Scioto Downs on July 28.

The fourth OSS division (Race 5) for colt trotters also features three previous leg winners, including Lane Of Stone, a Mark Winters, Sr., trainee who captured the previous two legs impressively. On July 2, the brown son of Wishing Stone used come-from-behind tactics to win in 1:59.3 with Jeff Nisonger in the sulky.

He followed that up with a 2:07.4 score in a Western Ohio Colt Race (WOCRA) at Bellefontaine on July 11, before taking leg two in an impressive, near wire-to-wire effort on July 20 at Scioto Downs, clocked in 1:58.2.

On July 31, he posted another gate-to-wire victory, at Wapakoneta in a $5,438 WOCRA stake, drawing off by just over four lengths in 2:10.3. This homebred youngster is now five-for-five lifetime, with $46,143 earned in his career for owner Harry Horowitz of Brooklyn, NY. Nisonger will be at the helm once again, from post three.

Homer Hall, a winner of $46,949 lifetime won leg one of this series for trainer Steve Carter, who owns the gelded Broadway Hall son along with Ohioan Jay Mossbarger and C. P. Gallagher of Michigan. This bay gelding was timed in 1:59.3 in that victory and was clocked in 1:58.3 in his third-place finish in leg two. Bred by Midland Acres, Homer Hall also won an Ohio Fair Stake on July 28 at Scioto Downs in 1:58.3. Ryan Stahl is in the bike once again, this time from post one.

TC's Best starts from post six in this same event for trainer Chris Beaver and driver Aaron Merriman. The Triumphant Caviar colt won leg one in wire-to-wire fashion in 1:59 and was fifth on July 20 at Scioto in leg two, after making a break at the start. Owned by Beaver, along with J. Gallagher, Moger-Delia Racing and Steve Zeehandelar, TC's Best has $23,855 in earnings. He was bred by Barbara Murdock and Murdock Racing Stable.

The top ten point earners thus far (from the first two legs) in this OSS division for 2-year-old trotting colts are as follows: Lane Of Stone (102); Oh So Pine (77); Bosley (64); Homer Hall (64); Yes (64); TC's Best (57); Never Say Uncle (57); Ilooklikeanallstar (52); Yankees Image (52); and Just A Passenger (39).

In the first (Race 6) of the three filly divisions, Feel Invincible AS starts from the rail for trainer Anette Lorentzon and driver Chris Page. This Broadway Hall filly won leg two handily in 1:58.1. The homebred did not start in the first leg of this series for owner Aci Stuteri Ab and Kjell Johansson, sporting a bankroll of $32,792.

Pure Chance is another Chris Beaver trainee owned in partnership with Steve Zeehandelar. Aaron Merriman will drive the daughter of Triumphant Caviar from post two in this same third leg. Pure Chance was a smart third in leg one before winning leg two in 1:59.2. Bred by Jonas Schlabach, this brown filly has $28,328 in earnings.

The second OSS filly division (Race 7) is loaded with talent, as five previous OSS leg winners are set to wage war.

Chris Beaver harnesses Stone In Love from the rail with Chris Page driving for the trainer, along with owners Jim Burnett and Tim Homan of Ohio. Bred by Mark Ford and Ed Mullinax, this Wishing Stone lass won leg one impressively in 1:59.2 on July 3 at Northfield Park and was second by a neck in 1:59.2 at Scioto Downs on July 20 to stablemate Pure Chance. From three starts, with a win and two seconds, Stone In Love has career earnings of $40,850.

Stablemate Aunt Rose is another Beaver trainee owned by her trainer, Zeehandelar, Carter and the affable Joe Sbrocco. This Uncle Peter filly is looking for a clean sweep of this series, having won leg one in 1:59.1 and leg two in 1:59. Bred by Spring Haven Farm and Doug Millard, Aunt Rose has $42,170 in her bankroll, and starts form post two with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., at the controls.

Trainer Kent Sherman sends out 1:58 leg one winner Spirit Bell from post three, with Ryan Stahl up. The daughter by Southwind Spirit was third in leg two at Scioto Downs on July 20, timed in 1:59.2 for owners Melissa Patterson and Daryl Sherman. Bred by Dublin Valley Farm, she's earned $46,850 thus far in her brief career.

Robert McIntosh and Dave Boyle's Only Take Cash has done just that in this series, winning leg two in 1:57.1 and finishing second by a neck in leg one to Vivi D in 1:59.2. This Cash Hall homebred has earned $57,370 to date from three wins and a second in four career starts. Aaron Merriman is slated to drive from the four-hole for the Canadian-based conditioner McIntosh.

See Me Sparkle won leg one of this series in a confident 2:00.3 at Northfield Park on July 3 but jumped it off in leg two. Trained by J. L. Adams, the Broadway Hall filly is owned by the Pennsylvania-based trio of M. A. Valentic; J. R. Bednarksi; and K. L. Adams. See Me Sparkle was bred by Midland Acres and has amassed $31,025 lifetime.

The aforementioned winner Vivi D will have to contend with post eight in the final OSS division (Race 9) for fillies. Kyle Ater pilots the Broadway Hall filly for his father, trainer Dan Ater, who owns her along with Kirk Nichols of London, OH. A winner of $51,700, Vivi D won leg one in a hasty 1:59.2, and was a close second in leg two, timed in 1:57.1. On July 27 she won a $43,400 Ohio State Fair Stake in 1:58.1 for these same connections. Vivi D was bred by D & M Robinson and R. Mondillo of Ohio.

The top ten point earners thus far (from the first two legs) in this OSS division for 2-year-old trotting fillies are as follows: Aunt Rose (102); Only Take Cash (77); Vivi D (77); Stone In Love (77); Spirit Bell (64); Pure Chance (64); See Me Sparkle (52); One Last Howl (52); Feel Invincible As (51); and Bella's Rose Power (35).

by Kimberly Rinker, OSDF Administrator