Three going for Ohio triple crown in OSS Championships

Grove City, OH – Two Ohio colts and one filly will look to write their names in the record book as Triple Crown winners with victories in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championships on Saturday night (Oct. 12) at MGM Northfield Park.

The colts, two-year-old pacer Rick Wink (Bit Of A Legend N) and two-year-old trotter Battle Hill (Marseille), along with three-year-old filly trotter Sugar Instead (Volstead) each won the Ohio State Fair Stakes in August and the Ohio Breeders Championship in September to earn their shot at the Ohio Triple Crown.

Rick Wink will look to continue a perfect season with the Ohio Triple Crown title. He proved his dominance in the Breeders Championship at the Delaware County Fair winning by six lengths and lowering the stakes record to a blazing 1:50.2.

Battle Hill has hit the board in each of his eight lifetime starts, winning four including the fourth leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes in September. The Marseille gelding has earned $126,250.

Undefeated Sugar Instead will try to keep her 11-race win streak alive. The 2023 Ohio Freshman Trotter of the Year won all four legs of the Sires Stakes in which she was entered. The title eluded Sugar Instead last year when she finished second in the Ohio State Fair.

The eight Scarlet Championships carry a total purse of $2.4 million.

TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT

Mocha Hill (What The Hill) is the 2-1 favorite for freshmen filly trotters. The filly has earned $184,742 after winning six of eight this season, including four Sires Stakes legs. Chris Page will drive Mocha Hill from the sixth post position for Ron Burke.

Another Burke trainee, Rose Run Allison (Long Tom) sits as the 5-2 second choice. With two OSS victories on her resume, Rose Run Allison has bankrolled $156,917. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. will guide the filly.

Miles Wollam’s Dream Something (Uncle Peter) is the 9-2 third choice. She was an upset winner in the stake’s second leg and has yet to slow down since. The filly has scored five wins and earned $150,383. Tyler Smith will leave from the seventh post position with Dream Something.

TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE        

Two Virgil Morgan Jr. trainees headline the division for two-year-old pacing fillies.

Odds On Hialeah (Lather Up) will leave the second post position as the 3-2 favorite. She has scored six victories including four OSS legs. She has banked $174,750 in seven starts. Dexter Dunn gets the call.

Stablemate Odds on Chesapeake (Downbytheseaside) is the 7-2 second choice. Although Odds On Chesapeake has won only one Sires Stake leg, she has earned $82,700 this season and taken a mark in 1:51.4. David Miller will drive the filly.

At 4-1, The Word Is Out (Well Said) is third choice on the morning line. The filly has hit the board seven times this season, including five victories to earn $254,016. Page teams back up with Burke to drive The Word Is Out.

TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT

Hilltop Sonar (What The Hill) is the 3-1 favorite in the two-year-old trotting colt division. The Burke trainee has three wins in seven starts and earnings of $96,300. Hilltop Sonar boasts the fastest lifetime mark of the field in 1:55.1. Page is slated to drive the gelding.

Lt Loverboy (Long Tom) is the 5-2 second choice. The gelding has been undeniable this season after winning four of five Ohio Sires Stakes legs. With $154,855 in the bank, Lt Loverboy has not missed the board in nine lifetime starts. Brett Miller will guide for Daren Harvey.

Battle Hill (Marseille) is the 9-2 third choice in the morning line and is trained by Matthew Burkholder. He will leave from the fifth post position with Chris Lems behind the lines.

TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE

Burke conditions the top three morning line choices in the freshman colt pace division.

Rick Wink enters as the 9-5 favorite. The colt has earned $239,750 in eight starts. Page will leave from the third post position with Rick Wink.

Swingtown (Downbytheseaside) is the 5-2 second choice but drew the far outside ninth post position. Winner of the $150,000 Next Generation in July, Swingtown has hit the board in six of seven tries, earning $264,682. Wrenn will handle the lines of the colt.

World Champion Sippinonsearoc (Downbytheseaside) is the 7-2 third choice. He set the 1:48.2 world record for two-year-olds at The Red Mile in August. With five wins in eight starts, Sippinonsearoc has bankrolled $258,500. Yannick Gingras will leave from the seventh post position with Sippinonsearoc.

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT

Sugar Instead is the 9-5 favorite in the sophomore filly trot division. She has earned $342,089 this year and $716,014 lifetime. B. Miller will drive for Morgan.

Jurassic Hattie (Volstead) and Legacy Affair (Long Tom) are the 3-1 co-second choices.

Jurassic Hattie will leave from the rail. The Eric Nesselroad trainee has scored five victories and four second-place finishes this season. She has taken a lifetime mark in 1:52.3 and earned $239,30. Smith will drive the filly.

Legacy Affair drew the far outside eighth post position. She has hit the board in 14 of 18 seasonal starts and earned $152,586. Wrenn will guide Legacy Affair for Duke Sugg.

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE

Seaside Diva (Downbytheseaside) has stayed perfect in the Ohio Sires Stakes this year. She will leave from the fifth post position as the 9-5 favorite. The filly has earned $371,800 in ten wins. Page will drive the Burke trainee.

Bath Bomb (Lather Up) is the 7-2 second choice. This season Bath Bomb has bankrolled $107,860 and lowered her lifetime mark to 1:50.2. Per Engblom trains the filly. Gingras will get the call.

The 4-1 third choice is Wasted On You (Downbytheseaside). In 11 seasonal starts, she has notched four wins and put $102,900 in the bank. B. Miller will be back in the sulky for Morgan.

THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT

Tennessee Tom (Long Tom) has been the cream of the crop again this year in the Buckeye State.  The 2023 two-year-old trotter of the year in Ohio, has hit the board in nine of ten starts this year, winning six.  Three of those wins were legs of the Sires Stakes. Page has been in the sulky for each of Tennessee Tom’s career starts and will again have the lines for the Burke trainee.  He is the second choice on the morning line at 2-1 behind Spaaaanzano.

Spaaaanzano (Coraggioso), the 9-5 favorite, beat Tennessee Tom in their last match-up. He went gate-to-wire to win the Ohio Breeders Championship at the Delaware County Fair, beating Tennessee Tom by three lengths.  Chris Beaver trains Spaaaanzano.  Aaron Merriman will drive.

In four head-to-head meetings, Tennessee Tom has won three times.

Hung Over (Creatine) is the third choice at 4-1.  Dan Noble will drive the colt for Bob Stewart.  Hung Over has hit the board in all but one of his 12 starts, winning two.

THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE

The morning line favorite among sophomore colt pacers did not win a leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes.  Janelle Granny (Fear The Dragon) enters the championship as the 6-5 favorite along the rail.  The colt hit the board only once during the five legs but has earned $136,420 this year. Dunn will drive for Morgan.

At 3-1 Paris’s Dragon (Fear The Dragon) comes into the finals on a roll, having won five of the last seven.  The gelding won the last two legs of the Sires Stakes and finished second in the Ohio Breeders Championship.  Noble will drive for Christi Noble.

Rock The Hill (Racing Hill) and Hundred Dollar Man (Lather Up) are the co-third choices at 6-1.

Clever Cody (The Panderosa), the winner of four legs of the Sires Stakes is 10-1 on the morning line.  Aaron Merriman will be in the bike for Dr. Ian Moore.

The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association (OHHA) will livestream the Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championship from MGM Northfield Park as part of Saturday Night at the Races. Saturday Night at the Races is presented by The Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center and sponsored by Dublin Valley Farms and the North American Standardbred Sales. Coverage of the eight finals will begin at 6:10 PM on the OHHA Facebook page, YouTube channel, and HarnessRacingOhio.com.

First race post time at Northfield Park is 6:00 PM.

For complete race entries, click here: US Trotting results.

by Frank Fraas, for the OHHA