Fillies sparkle in Ohio Sires Stakes contests

Ohio harness racing fans got their first glimpse of Ohio Sires Stakes (OSS) youngsters on Friday night, July 3 at Northfield Park, as 11, $40,000 divisions for freshman trotting and pacing fillies went postward at the half-mile oval.

 

The first three divisions featured 2-year-old diagonally-gaited distaffs, which could have been renamed the Aaron Merriman-Chris Beaver show, as this pair dominated all three races.

 

In the first group of seven fillies Merriman steered favorite Kerfuffle Cookie to victory in 2:00.1 in her first career start, for the Synerco Ventures, Inc., of Toronto, ON, winning by just over 21 lengths. The daughter of Chip Chip Hooray took the lead at the start and never looked back, while Haley Chip (Chris Page) notched second and Transit Authority (Jeremy Smith) got up for third.

 

"This filly was super tonight," Merriman stressed. "She has a very soft mouth and Chris (trainer Beaver) had her ready to go."

 

The second race, second OSS division saw Merriman use similar tactics to guide Evanora to victory in a career best 2:01 by 6¼ lengths. The chestnut daughter of Pilgrims Taj is owned by Sandra Burnett of Wilmington, OH, and this was her second straight triumph, pushing her career earnings to $21,550. Oneeyedmomma (Marty Wollam) finished second with Count On Anna (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) third.

 

Merriman and Beaver were in the winner's circle once more for Race 3, the third division of trotting fillies. This time Kestrel reeled through the double-turns, notching a 1:59 performance for Merriman in a top mark of 1:59, drawing off by five lengths. It was the filly's first career win for owners Beaver and Wilbur Lang of Jamestown, OH. Hoorah Hoorah (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) was second while A TC Queenie (Ken Holiday) grabbed third-place honors.

 

Merriman then scored in the fourth OSS trotting division (Race 5), guiding the Dirk Simpson trained Shut Up And Dance to win in a new track record clocking of 1:58. The daughter of Triumphant Caviar is owned by James Bafia of Minooka, IL and earned her first paycheck in the one mile test, which she won by four lengths.

 

"We bought her at the Ohio Select Sale for $28,000," Bafia said. "I thought she had a great pedigree and she showed a lot of potential early but had an OCD that we removed. She was able to train down well in spite of that surgery, and has gotten up to speed very quickly."

 

Count On Kami (Kurt Sugg) was second to Shut Up And Dance, while favorited Soft Power (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) notched third.

 

The final OSS division for filly trotters (Race 14) saw Still Sizzling heat up the racetrack by going gate to wire for trainer-driver Dale Decker, winning by 2¼ lengths in 1:59.4. The Trainforthefuture lass pushed her career earnings to $21,516 for owners Decker and Douglas Vandergrift of Michigan. She Drives Me Wild (Aaron Merriman) finished second with Rose Run Rachel (Kurt Sugg) nabbing show honors.

 

Filly pacers took to the track beginning with the fourth race on the evening's 15-race program. Big Bad Ashley and driver Dan Noble left nothing to chance as they paced to a winning 1:56 effort in the first $40,000 OSS division. The daughter of Big Bad John is conditioned by Jim Arledge, Jr. for the Winchester Baye Acres, Inc. of Powell, OH and was three-quarters of a length in front of Hooray For Hazel (Chris Page) at the wire, while NPR Nine (Aaron Merriman) finished third.

 

Kayne Kauffman piloted Awakening to victory in the second OSS division (Race 6), clocked in 1:57 for the one mile test. Mike Polhamus harnessed the daughter of Feelin Friskie for owner Marjorie Polhamus of Fletcher, Oh. It was the filly's third career start and pushed her earnings to $23,076. Kacy's Coop (Aaron Merriman) was second, nearly two lengths behind the winner, while Feelin Lilly (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) was third.

 

John's Sunny Girl, a daughter of Big Bad John, captured the third OSS division (Race 7) for driver Greg Grismore in new lifetime clocking of 1:55.4. Doug Hinklin conditions the bay filly, who upped her career earnings to $24,400 for the Parent Racing Stable LLC of Holland, OH.

 

"She's done everything we've asked of her to date and for the rest of the season it's just a matter of her staying healthy," Grismore acknowledged. Doug (trainer Hinklin) has done a great job of giving this filly the right education. I was just a passenger tonight."

 

Bred by Midland Acres, John's Sunny Girl bested rival Beauteous Girl (Kurt Sugg) by eight lengths, while Miss Me Yet (Montrell Teague) who had made a break early, recovered well to be third.

 

Owner-trainer-driver Tye Loy, of Columbia Station, OH, stole the show in the fourth OSS division (Race 9) as he guided his My Tweed Heart to a 1:59.1 triumph. This daughter of Manhardt finished 1¼ lengths in front of It's Your Fantasy (Dan Noble) and Big Bad Body (Josh Sutton) in her career debut.

 

Queen Ann M and driver Chris Page took the fifth OSS division in 1:56.4 by 2½ lengths for owner Alan Keith of Pataskala, OH. The Big Bad John lass used come-from-behind tactics to score her career debut over Northfield's flying turns, with Ufpfortydevensgirl (Aaron Merriman) finishing in the bridesmaid role and Friskie Zena (Tye Loy) nabbing third place money.

 

The sixth and final division (Race 15) of freshman pacing fillies saw Big Bad Bretta, another daughter of Big Bad John, finish under the wire first in 1:57 for driver Chris Page by nearly three lengths. Steve Carter conditions the filly for CE Grubbs, RB Reid, SR Hummel and JM Beard of Ohio. Big Bad Chickie (Dan Noble) grabbed place honors while Save My Tootsie (Aaron Merriman) was third.

 

Daylon Magician captured the $170,000 Cleveland Trotting Classic (Race 11) for trainer-driver Jack Moiseyev in a track-record-tying time of 1:53.2. The rugged, 7-year-old son of Kadabra pushed his career earnings up over the $2 million mark with this victory, the 31st of his career in 71 starts for the Daylon Farms LTD of Komoka, ON.

 

"He felt like a 3-year-old in here tonight," Moiseyev said. "He just felt great, and this is the first time I've been back to Northfield since 1991."

Moiseyev had driven Precious Bunny to victory at Northfield that season in the Cleveland Classic.

 

Obrigado (Mark McDonald) was second by a whisker, while DW's NY Yank (Chris Page) got up for third and Rompaway Galaxy (Mike Micallef) was fourth.

 

Also, the gutsy mare Victory Is Coming, chugged out a rough, first-over journey to prevail at the wire in 1:53.2 for a new, all-age, track record in Northfield's $20,000 Open Trot (Race 10). The daughter of Victory Sam, who is conditioned by Ammon Hershberger for Betty and John Red Shaw of Mount Vernon, OH, pushed her career earnings to $609,935 with the win, the 55th of her career in 130 starts. Picture This (Don Irvine, Jr.) was second with Julians Caesar (Chris Page) third.