Northfield Park played host to eight $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-old colts on Wednesday, August 24. Five divisions that featured 37 freshmen pacers and three divisions of 21 trotting youngsters prevailed over the evening’s racing card.
It was the fourth and final leg of the series and was the deciding factor for many youngsters seeking a starting berth in the $250,000 Championships, scheduled for September 3 at Northfield Park.
The Triumphant Caviar colt Fraser Ridge set a new track record clocking of 1:56.4 en route to winning the first OHSS trotting division with Aaron Merriman at the lines. Trained and co-owned by Chris Beaver, Fraser Ridge took command from the gate and never looked back for partners Beaver, Robinson, Mondilo and RBH Ventures.
“He’s got very high speed, but isn’t as handy as some in this age group,” Merriman noted. “He was trotting so strong that he lost both front shoes tonight.”
Bred by Steve Stewart of Kentucky, Fraser Ridge upped his career earnings to $75,050. Stormy Kromer (driven by Peter Wrenn) at odds of 5-1 notched second-place honours three and three-quarter lengths behind the winner, while 35-1 Dejarover (Ryan Stahl) got up for third.
Beaver was back in the winner’s circle after harnessing Buckeye Boss to win the second trotting division and lowering the track record further to 1:56.3. Bred by Marion Beachy, the son of Triumphant Caviar is owned in partnership by Beaver, Beachy and Synerco Ventures.
“He’s a very nice horse and does it easily,” Beaver admitted. “He’s just fantastic and does everything we ask of him and is super versatile.”
Buckeye Boss has now made a clean sweep of all four legs of the OHSS series and has rewarded his partners to the tune of $104,750, with six wins in six lifetime starts. He finished a length in front of 12-1 Magic Vacation (Kayne Kauffman), with 7-1 Rose Run Spanky (Josh Sutton) getting up for third.
Beaver then bridled up Always A Good Time to win the third OHSS division in 2:00. The Triumphant Caviar colt, who Beaver owns in partnership with Gallagher, Schwartz and Zeehandelar, led from start to finish en route to his second career victory in five tries, pushing his earnings to $60,000.
The towering, big-striding youngster was sent off as the 8-5 public’s choice and finished two and a quarter lengths in front of 8-1 Cowboy Blue (Kurt Sugg) and 25-1 Bellhaven (Aaron Merriman).
Barnabas established a new pacing standard by capturing his OHSS division in a front-stepping 1:53.1 with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the sulky. Trainer Brian Brown gave the son of McArdle a shoeing adjustment prior to the race and it made all the difference in the world to the brown gelding.
“He was game in his last race but was just awful gaited,” Brown noted. “He wears a very heavy shoe behind but we had normal plates on him and we were finally able to get a set of the heavy shoes for this start. The half-round, half-swedge shoes that he needs are very hard to find because they’re a much heavier version of a normal shoe. But we found three pairs of them and snapped them up. The heavier shoe really helps his gait since he’s such a big animal. Plus, he’s never been a good gaited horse.”
Brown, who conditions Barnabas for the partnership of Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo and William Robinson, said the youngster was a real challenge from the beginning of his training regime.
“He was just awful in Florida over the winter,” Brian related. “It was March before we were able to start training him and he was always running or was very racky-gaited. So we got tough on him and started jogging him four miles a day and then he just turned around right before we qualified him.”
Barnabas upped his career earnings to $79,200 for his connections after finishing a neck in front of 9-5 Barley Up (Peter Wrenn) and a head in front of 60-1 Starry Nite Teen (Kayne Kauffman).
Longshot (12-1) Big Bad Bruce proved he wasn’t so bad as he lowered the track record for two-year-old pacing colts to 1:53.1 in the second OHSS division. The son of Big Bad John was steered by Chris Page for breeder/owner/trainer David Wornstaff, pushing his lifetime earnings to $29,176.
“He’s a nice colt,” Page noted. “I won with him at the Croton Fair a few weeks ago and knew he could come a very nice last quarter, like he had at the fair (:27.3), so I knew he had a big move in him.”
Big Bad Bruce returned $26.40 to his backers after being parked from the backstretch to the wire, besting rivals 1-5 Scotch McEwan (Josh Sutton) and 14-1 McGold (Mike Wilder) impressively. Big Bad Bruce lowered his lifetime mark by six and one-fifth seconds from his previous record with this triumph.
Rons Pro and driver Chris Page put forth a game effort to best Drunk On Your Love (Dan Noble) in the final strides to win the second pacing division in 1:55.4. It was the third win of the season in five starts for the son of The Panderosa.
“This colt is just big and dumb and is still very immature,” trainer Ron Burke explained. “He’s definitely a horse that will be better next season, although he’s not too bad right now!”
The big-striding Rons Pro was parked out through most of the mile to the front-stepping leader, Drunk On Your Love, who was second by a neck at the wire, while Happy Harvey (Aaron Merriman) got up for third. Ron’s Pro now has $60,000 in his career coffers for owners Burke, Bruscemi and breeders Knox Services.
The fourth OHSS pacing division saw McLucky prevail in 1:54.2 for owners Michael Creps and trainer Jeff Miller. The son of McArdle was sent off at 9-5 and didn’t disappoint his supporters with a wire-to-wire effort, upping his seasonal earnings to $69,398. Corner Con Artist (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.), at 7-1 was second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, while 60-1 McDreamy (Aaron Merriman) notched third.
Officially Creek (6-5) and driver Chris Page captured the fifth and final pacing division in 1:54, using the front end to get the job done for trainer Brian Brown. The Art Official gelding upped his earnings to $29,050 with his second career win in five tries.
“He’s not a bad horse now but he’ll be even better next season,” Brown noted. “He’s another youngster who will get better as he matures.”
Owner Debbie Bird, of Gores Landing, Ont., bred the son of Officially Creek along with Barry Bird. Longshot (50-1) Shooter McGavin (Kayne Kauffman) was second by two and a half lengths, with Drawing Dragons (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) getting up for show honours.
(OSDF)