Trainer Brian Brown harnessed four of five Ohio Sires Stakes winners for two-year-old pacing colts and fillies on a balmy and rainy Friday night, Aug. 10, at Scioto Downs.
Brown harnessed the winners of all three $40,000 OHSS divisions for freshmen pacing colts, beginning with Dislocator, who took a front-stepping journey to score his maiden victory in 1:53.3 with Chris Page at the lines.
The son of Big Bad John, who was making just his fourth lifetime start, finished half a length in front of stablemate Smackitwithahammer (Ryan Stahl), a 19-1 longshot, while 3-1 Easeondowntheroad (Dan Noble) notched third-place honours.
Bred by Midland Acres, Dislocator, who left the gait at odds of 5-1, now has $36,640 in earnings for owners Joelyn Ridder, Scott Davis, Sharron Soponyl and VIP Stable.
High On Paydaze continued his winning ways for Brown and company, with a near perfect, wire-to-wire route to win the second OHSS colt division in a torrential downpour in 1:54.1 at odds of 2-1.
Page steered this son of Nob Hill High to his fourth career victory in as many starts, holding off his hard-trying, 6-5 stablemate Rock Candy (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) by half a length, with another Brown trainee, the 8-1 Tony Too Tall (Ryan Stahl), getting up for third.
High On Paydaze has now swept the first three OHSS legs for owners Scott Hagemeyer, Robert Mondillo and Donald Robinson, amassing $78,400 thus far for his connections.
Brown then bridled up 9-5 Final Offer and 2-1 Carmen Ohio in the first $50,000 OHSS division for fillies. The former prevailed by three-quarters of a length over the latter with Sugar And Spite (Tyler Smith) third at 7-1.
The daughter of Rockin Amadeus followed the leading Carmen Ohio throughout most of the mile before besting her stablemate in the final yards in 1:55.2. It was the first career win for Final Offer, who is owned by Country Club Acres, Aws Stable and Joe Sbrocco.
Bred by Michael Dixon and Harold & Harold Lee Bauder, Final Offer now has $31,300 in her coffers.
Finally, Brown and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. teamed up to capture the second $50,000 OHSS filly division with High Reward, a Yankee Cruiser lass owned by Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco and L&H Management Services.
High Reward, the 7-1 choice, also enjoyed a front-end trip in her maiden victory, clocked in 1:53.1, after previously finishing second and fourth, respectively, in legs one and two. She finished nearly two lengths in front of 8-5 favourite Rylee Roo (Aaron Merriman), with Rose Run Uptowngal (Chris Page) third, some two and one-quarter lengths back.
Bred by Steve Jones, High Reward upped her career earnings to $50,075. That triumph also gave driver Wrenn Jr. his fifth consecutive win on the program.
The final OHSS contest for pacing colts saw 6-1 Doo Wop West score in 1:53.2 in his first OHSS venture.
The Western Vintage gelding, who is trained by Dirk Simpson for Lawrence Crawford, was given a careful steer by Aaron Merriman to finish two and one-half lengths in front of 23-1 Van Diesel (Trevor Smith) at the wire, with 2-5 favourite Rose Run Ulysses (Danny Noble) finishing third.
Bred by White Birch Farm, Doo Wop West now has two wins in three career starts and $23,400 in earnings.
Ohio Sires Stakes continue Saturday night, Aug. 11 at Northfield Park, with three $40,000 divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies. The $400,000 Milstein Memorial is also on the evening’s program, featuring North America Cup and Ohio Sires Stakes winner Lather Up.
(With files from OSDF)