Hall, Merriman score three wins each in Buckeye Series

Grove City, OH – The second leg in the Buckeye Stallion Series for freshman colt pacers and filly trotters headed to the Champaign County Fair in Urbana, Tuesday night, August 9.  Harness racing reinsmen Tony Hall and Aaron Merriman topped all drivers with three wins each, while Anette Lorentzon was the only trainer to win two races.

In the first of the $17,500 divisions for two-year-old colt pacers, the Black Python (McCardle) and Merriman turned for home second and roared down the stretch catching the leader, winning in 1:58.4.  The win was the second in the row for the Brian Brown trainee and set a new lifetime mark and he has now hit the board in all five starts.

In the second division for the colt pacers, Flyin Fitz (Racing Hill) and Brady Galliers got away last but worked their way through the field, going three-wide around the final turn and getting up to win by a neck in 1:58.1 for trainer John Fitzgerald.  The win was the second of the season in six starts for the gelding.

Merriman picked up his third win of the night in the third division of colt pacers with He’s Half Naked (Western Vintage).  Merriman rallied He’s Half Naked down the stretch to win for the second time in three starts.  The Mike Polhamus trainee covered the mile in a new lifetime mark of 1:59.1.

In the fourth division, Tony Hall picked up his third win of the night as he took Special Dragon (Fear The Dragon) gate-to-wire to win 2:01.4.  The gelding was racing in Ohio for the first time and is trained by Anette Lorentzon.  Special Dragon has won six of seven starts this year.

In the final division of colt pacers, Cantbeathebeach (Downbytheseaside) was making his career debut and did not disappoint.  Dan Noble took the gelding to the lead and held on at the wire to win by a neck in 1:59.  Cantbeathebeach is trained by Christi Noble.

In the first division of two-year-old filly trotters, Merriman took the pocket trip with Bella Time (What The Hill) before grabbing the lead at the three-quarter pole and pulling away to win by seven-lengths in 2:01.3.  Chris Beaver trains the filly who won for the first time in three starts.

In the second division, Tony Hall won the first of his three with Crysta’s Legacy (Long Tom).  Hall rallied the filly down the lane to win by three lengths in 2:01.4 for trainer Marion Chupp.  It was the first win for Crysta’s Legacy, who also has a third place BSS finish on her card.

Hall went back-to-back with the filly trotters in the third division as Lose My Mind AS (Long Tom) went gate-to-wire to win by a length in 2:04.1.  It was Lorentzon’s second training win of the night.  Lose My Mind AS has hit the board in all seven starts, winning two.

In the final division for the freshman filly trotters, Frantastic L (Team Six) and Hank LeVan made it look easy, winning by five lengths in 2:02.1.  Frantastic L went to the lead off the gate and never looked back, winning for the sixth time in nine starts.

Buckeye Stallion Series action continues Friday, August 12 when sophomore colt trotters take the track at Eldorado Scioto Downs for the third leg.  First race post time is 3:15

For complete race results, click here.

by Frank Fraas, for the OHHA