On a perfect summer night for racing that saw Aaron Merriman win eight races, the 2017 U.S. Driver of the Year guided 4-1 Northmedo Mission to victory in the first of two $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

Trained by Mike Medors for the Northmedo Stable of Painesville, Ohio, the Manofmanymissions gelding was timed in 1:55 for the one mile contest. The homebred gelding had sat patiently through fractions of :27.3, :57 and 1:25.4 behind the pace-setting Pass The Vape before bursting from the pack of trotters to prevail with a :29 late brush.

Northmedo Mission finished confidently 2-1/2 lengths ahead of 3-5 Pass The Vape (Derek Watiker) with 25-1 longshot Dontforgetmaster (Danny Noble) third, four lengths back.

Northmedo Mission pushed his seasonal earnings to $62,800 and his career earnings to $74,028, and now has eight wins, two seconds and a pair of thirds in 21 lifetime starts.

Merriman’s other winners were Rompaway Galaxy (1:54.4 – Race 1), Dashpedia (1:54.1 – Race 2), Major Nemesis (1:52.2 – Race 4), Khan Blue Chip (1:52.4 – Race 6), K Rock (1:50.4 – Race 8), Sass (1:55.1 – Race 9) and Can Tcutthatchip (1:55.4 – Race 12).

The second OSS division saw 2-1 Get The Cash and driver Greg Grismore score in 1:54.4 by a 5-1/2 length margin over 9-2 rival Uncle Buck (Aaron Merriman), after 1-2 favourite Mission Accepted make an uncharacteristic break behind the Northfield starting gate.

Trained and co-owned by Kelly O’Donnell for Mark Maynard of Fairview Park, OH and Joe Palatas of Hudson, OH, the son of Cash Hall grabbed the lead away from Uncle Buck after a :28.3 first panel, trotting through fractions of :58 and 1:26 before unleashing a :28.2 late kick to notch his fifth victory of 2018 in seven starts. Longshot (40-1) Dance Withsomebody and driver Robin Miller finished third.

Get The Cash upped his seasonal earnings to $62,100 and career earnings to $98,340. Lifetime, he’s amassed seven wins in 15 career starts. Bred by Walnut Hall, Get The Cash is the fifth of seven foals out of the unraced Tom Ridge mare Chatterly Hall.

(OSDF)