Ohio Sires Stakes highlight July 4th Weekend

From July 1 through July 5, Ohio-bred harness racing 2 and 3-year-old trotters and pacers of both genders will compete in Ohio Sires Stakes (OSS) events at Northfield Park and Scioto Downs.

Beginning Saturday night, July 1, four $40,000 OSS divisions of 3-year-old pacing colts will line up behind the Northfield Park starting gate to vie in the third leg of the series. On Monday evening, July 3, five $40,000 OSS divisions of freshman trotting fillies will be in the spotlight at the Cleveland half-miler in leg one action. Post time both evenings is 6 pm, ET.

On July 4, eight $40,000 OSS divisions (Leg One) of 2-year-old pacing colts will battle at Scioto Downs in a special matinee program with a 2 pm, ET post. Six OSS divisions for 2-year-old pacing fillies go postward Wednesday evening (6:30 pm post) at Scioto, with each round one OSS division sporting a $40,000 purse.

Twenty-nine sophomore pacers passed the Northfield entry box in the 3-year-old pacing colt category for Saturday, July 1, with these OSS-eligibles battling in races one, three, five and eight. Youngsters represented by Ohio stallions include Big Bad John with nine; McArdle (8); Art's Chip, Art Official, Foreclosure N, The Panderosa and Woodstock (2 each); and lastly, World of Rocknroll and Charley Barley (1 each).

Trainer Jim Pollock, Jr., sends out Drunk On Your Love (Race 1), the only sophomore in this class who has won both legs of the series, as the son of Foreclosure N did so on May 2 at Miami Valley in 1:54 and on June 10 at Scioto Downs in 1:51.2. In both of those starts he moved from the back of the pack at the three-quarter marker and stormed home in commanding fashion. Owned by Mark Ford and Jason Settlemoir, Drunk On Your Love has $123,500 in career earnings. He was bred by Harold Lee and Harold L. Bauder.

Trainer Brian Brown sends out five male pacers, including OSS Leg One winners McRaven (Race 1) and Lightning Onmyfeet (Race 5) and Leg Two winners McThriller (Race 3) and Barnabas (Race 8), along with White Jet (race 8), who finished second and sixth in the first two legs.

Monday night (July 3) at Northfield, harness fans will get their first look at an exciting group of 2-year-old trotting fillies as five divisions of these femme fatales take center stage. Ohio-based stallions represented by these first timers include Manofmanymissions (8), Dejarmbro (6), My MVP (5), and Stormin Normand (4). Break The Bank K, Dontyouforgetit and Cash Hall each have three of their progeny competing, while Triumphant Caviar and Winning Fireworks each have two fillies vying. Amigo Hall, Clocked At Eighty, Full Count and Trainforthefuture each have one foal going postward in this class.

A few of the notables in here include Carl Atley and Richard Lombardo's Flower Hour, a Jim Dailey trainee who won a pair of back-to-back Scioto qualifiers on June 12 and 19, in 2:01.4 and 2:01.2 respectively. Look for her to be a powerful filly (Race 1) despite having the seven-hole.

Charlene Freppel's Oh My My My won her June 27 pari-mutuel debut at Hoosier Park in 2:01.4 for trainer-driver Joe Essig, Jr. The daughter of My MVP is the only filly in the second division (Race 3) to have money on her card ($3,750) and starts from post eight.

Looking For Zelda is a hard-trying Break The Bank K lass who leaves from post one (Race 3) for owner/breeder Robert Key and trainer Norm Parker. In her June 22 qualifier at The Meadows, she was timed in a triumphant 2:00.4 for driver Tony Hall, who'll be in the bike for her Northfield debut.

Non Smoker, a grey daughter by My MVP scored a seven-length triumph in 2:00.1 in her June 26 Scioto qualifier for trainer Dan Noble and owner Stephen Sexton. She vies from post eight (Race 5) with her trainer at the lines.

Red Storm scored consecutive winning qualifiers-the first at Delaware on June 15 and the second at Northfield on June 22-in sweet, wire-to-wire style for trainer Chris Beaver and driver Aaron Merriman. The chestnut daughter of Stormin Normand was bred by owner Sandra Burnett of Wilmington, OH and will leave from post five (Race 5).

Cindi Hall is another Beaver trainee who's qualified impressively prior to her OSS debut Monday night, with a 2:04.2 victory at Delaware on June 15 and a 2:00.2 score at Northfield on June 22. The bay daughter of Cash Hall gets the rail spot (Race 5) with Peter Wrenn driving.

Tickle My Fancy is a My MVP lass who bears watching (Race 12) from post four. Josh Sutton drives the 2:01.1 Scioto Downs qualifying-winner for trainer Bob Phillips and Illinois owners John and Mary Krasnican.

A total of 72 OSS freshman pacers battle on July 4 at Scioto Downs, with a special matinee post of 2 pm, ET. Ohio stallions represented in this first leg action include 20 youngsters sired by Pet Rock; 12 by the ill-fated Dragon Again; nine each by McArdle and Big Bad John; four each by We Will See and Woodstock and three by Art Official. Art's Chip, Charley Barley, Feelin Friskie, I'm Gorgeous, Mr Apples, No Pan Intended, Shark Gesture, The Panderosa, World Of Rocknroll and Yankee Cruiser all have one foal each competing Tuesday afternoon.

Trainer Jeff Smith's Letsallrock (Race 1, #4) turned in an impressive, 1:56.1 Scioto Downs qualifier on June 26 for driver Tyler Smith as did the Jim Dailey-conditioned Rockathon (Race 1, $6) on June 12 at Scioto, when he paced to a winning 1:56 for owners Carl and Melanie Atley of Xenia, OH. Both of these appropriately-named youngsters are by Ohio sire Pet Rock.

Kenneth Kohut's MT Adams twice paced to winning Northfield qualfiers, besting his rivals by a combined 24½ lengths. The son of McArcle first triumphed with a 1:56.4 score on June 15 and then a 1:55.1 victory one week later for trainer Kent Sherman. MT Adams drew the eight hole (Race 5) for driver Ryan Stahl Tuesday afternoon.

Trainer/owner/breeder Brenda Teague's Delaware Chrome, a son of Mr Apples, appears to be the real deal by virtue of his 1:55.2 winning qualifier scored on June 27 at Harrah's Philadephia. The bay colt was in rein to Montrell Teague who guided the youngster to a four-length victory with ease. He'll start from post four (Race 7).

Trainer Ronnie Burke will harness Seeing Eye Single for his pari-mutuel debut from post four (Race 10). This unaltered son of Dragon Again scored back-to-back winning qualifiers at The Meadows on June 8 and 15, with triumphant times of 1:59 and 1:54.4.

Born To Be Bad made his June 27 debut a winning one, pacing gate to wire in 1:54.3 with Josh Sutton at the lines. Trained by Ron Steck for owners George Green and Marie Trombetta, the son of Big Bad John will try for career victory number two from post nine (Race 11).

Jo Jo's Pet Rock is a Virgil Morgan, Jr., trainee with a trio of qualifiers under his belt–the last two at Scioto on June 19 and 26 as winning ones. The son of Pet Rock first won in 1:58.2 and followed that seven days later with a 1:56.3 score. Jo Jo's Pet Rock has been assigned the eight-hole (Race 13) in the field of nine.

Fifty-seven freshman filly pacers passed the Scioto Downs entry box for Wednesday (July 5) as OSS action continues for first round combatants.

Again, the stallion Pet Rock has the top number of starters in these freshman ranks, with 11 of his fillies going postward Wednesday. Dragon Again is represented by eight fillies; Big Bad John (7); McArdle (6); Art Official and The Panderosa (4 each). The stallions Believeinbruiser, Feelin Friskie, I'm Gorgeous, Shark Gesture, We Will See and Woodstock each have two fillies competing, while Allamerican Native, Art's Chip, Manhardt, World of Rocknroll and Yankee Cruiser are all represented by one progeny in these events.

Fillies who look poised for fine efforts include trainer Kent Sherman's Lucille Amarone (Race 3, #3)-owned by driver Ryan Stahl and Nichole Stahl of Republic, OH. This chestnut daughter by The Panderosa recorded a 1:58.1 clocking on June 15 at Northfield and returned a week later to score a 1:58.4 triumph by 3¾ lengths with her owner at the controls.

Poppe Lane Farm's JP Silver (Race 5, #2) scored a winning 2:03.2 effort on June 20 at the Ottawa Fair, then paced to a triumphant 1:57.1 clocking on June 28 at Hoosier Park. Jeff Nisonger is slated to drive for trainer Chris Hope.

Fred Huff, Jr.'s Barb And Tena cruised to a 2:04.3 victory at the Circleville Fair for driver Dan Noble, then notched a 7¾ length, 1:57 victory in a June 26 Scioto Downs qualifier. The Feelin Friskie lass hails from the seven hole (Race 7) for this same driver.

Believe In Waco (Race 7, #8), a bay Believeinbruiser filly, has a trio of victories to her credit already in her young career. She first won at Norwalk on June 7 in 2:05; then at Paulding on June 12 in 2:00.1; and lastly, at Scioto on June 20 in 1:56.4. Thus, she's one of the few fillies on the program to have banked money ($6,527) for her owner/breeder, Gerald Mijal of Westland, MI.

Another distaff with money on her card ($7,500) early in her career is the Steve Carter-trained Filou Fly Fast (Race 10, #5) who has four wins in four starts. Three came at the county fairs and she last paced to a 1:56.4 victory by nearly 20 lengths in a June 26 Scioto qualifier.

As well, the Ron Burke conditioned Thrill Seeker (Race 10, #8) scored back-to-back winning qualifiers at The Meadows. The daughter of McArdle scored in 1:59.4 on June 8 and on June 22 paced to a 1:57 triumph for driver Mike Wilder.

In this same event (Race 10, #10), Jetstream Mystic won a pair of Hoosier Park qualifiers (on June 10 & 21), in 2:00.2 and lastly in 1:56.4. Kayne Kauffman drives the daughter by Big Bad John for trainer Joe Essig and owner James Wampler of London, OH.

Kimberly Rinker

OSDF Administrator