Merry Ann, the 8-5 favorite, captured the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for 2-year-old trotting fillies with a front-stepping 1:57 effort for harness racing driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke.
The daughter of Southwind Spirit-Witty Girl-SJ’s Photo held off the late charging 3-1 Celebrate With Me (Kurt Sugg), while 28-1 My Jazz (Anthony MacDonald) was third. Bred by Knox Services, Merry Ann is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services and Weaver Bruscemi. Merry Ann now has $245,200 in career earnings.
Summer Touch, the 1-5 favorite, continued her win streak by taking her fifth straight triumph in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for 2-year-old pacing fillies in 1:52.3. The homebred daughter of Well Said-Real Touch-Real Desire is trained by Ronnie Burke for Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Slaughter Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and was driven by Chris Page. Rainy Day Chic (12-1) was second for Brett Miller with Leave Her Wild (11-1) was third with Mike Wilder driving. The victory uppsed Summer Touch’s lifetime bankroll to $255,000.
Driver Tyler Smith piloted 12-1 Penpaperpaige to an upset victory over 7-5 Artful Dancer (Danny Noble) in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for 3-year-old pacing fillies in a new career mark of 1:52.1. The daughter of Pet Rock-Park Lane Paige-Art Major is owned and was bred by Shirley LeVin of Barrington Hills, IL and is conditioned by Jeff Smith. Rockngo BB (George Brennan) was a strong third at 48-1 odds. The win pushed Penpaperpaige’s career earning to $273,026.
Trainer Chris Beaver harnessed 6-1 Perron (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) to capture the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stake Championship for a 2-year-old colt trotters, as well as the third place finisher 74-1 Tango With Me (Peter Wrenn) and 14-1 fourth-place finisher 14-1 Panzano (Chris Page). Street Gossip was second at 9-1 for driver Brett Miller.
Perron
The winning time of 1:58 was a new career clocking for the brown homebred colt by My MVP-Long Island Tea-Credit Winner and pushed his lifetime earnings to $198,300 for owners Steve Stewart, D. Wright, G. Wilcoxen and K. Doherty.
Even money favorite Guinevere Hall kept her unblemished seasonal record intact by capturing the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for 3-year-old trotting fillies. The daughter of Cash Hall-Garbo Hill-Lindy Lane stopped the clock in 1:53.1—just a tick off the track record for driver Peter Wrenn and trainer Melanie Wrenn. Guinevere Hall—who was bred by Alan Leavitt and is owned by the M T Pockets Stables & David McDuffee—now has $415,081 in her career coffers.
Guinevere Hall
She is seven for seven this year with ten wins in 17 starts lifetime. A Fancy Face was second at 8-5 for Chris Page while 23-1 Robin Banks got up for third with Kurt Sugg driving.
Charlie May (Brett Miller), the 9-5 choice, bested 3-5 rival Heart Of Chewbacca (Danny Noble) in late stretch to prevail in the $300,0000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for 2-year-old pacing colts. His time of 1:50.2 was a new track record and a national season’s record for freshmen pacing geldings on a five-eights mile track. Trained by Steve Carter, the altered brown son of McArdle-Stipple Hanover-Western Hanover notched his fifth win in seven starts for breeder-owner Don Tiger of Cannonsburg, PA. Laughagain Hanover was third for David Miller at 8-1 odds. Charlie May now has $295,181 in lifetime earnings and has five wins in seven career starts.
Brett Miller gave 1-5 Action Uncle a perfect steer to capture the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for 3-year-old colt trotters in 1:53. Trained by Virgil Morgan, Jr., the son of Uncle Peter-Action-broadway-Broadway Hall picked up his seventh win of the year for Carl Howard, Joyce McClelland and Larry Wills. Bred by Kenneth Sommer, Action Uncle upped his career earnings to $545,825, with his tenth lifetime victory in 14 starts. Wading Boots, at 14-1 was second for David Miller while 7-2 It’s Academic got up for third with Chris Page in the bike.
Sandra Burnett’s homebred Ocean Rock, the 1-5 favorite, demolished his rivals in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for 3-year-old colt pacers, stopping the timer in a blistering 1:49.4. Danny Noble was in the sulky behind the gelded son of Rockin Amadeus-Ocean Pearl-On The Attack for trainer Christi Noble as he captured his tenth career start and his fifth seasonal effort.
Ocean Rock
Elver Hanover (5-1) with Chris Page was second and 55-1 Gray Dragon was third for Brett Miller. Ocean Rock now has $495,677 in his career bank account.
Ohio Sires Stakes Veteran Championships for 4-year-olds and up will be held on Friday, Oct. 16 at Dayton Raceway and Ohio Sires Stakes consolations for 2- & 3-year-olds will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Northfield Park.
by Kimberly Rinker, Ohio Standardbred Development Fund Administrator