A total of 18 diagonally-gaited sophomores are set to line up behind the Scioto Downs starting gate on Friday evening (Aug. 24), as a pair of $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes dashes will be contested.

Post time for the card will be at 6:30 p.m. (ET). The sires stakes tilts have been carded as the second and fourth races on the ten-dash program.

Mission Accepted, the richest of the sires stakes-eligible three-year-old trotting colts with $275,224 in career earnings, will start from Post 3 with Ryan Stahl at the helm in the second division (Race 4). The Manofmanymissions colt is conditioned and co-owned by Jeff Conger for breeder/owner Knox Services and owner David Wills.

Mission Accepted swept the first two sires stakes legs, with triumphs timed in 1:53 and 1:52 — the fastest score of any horse in this division — and will be looking for his fifth win of the season in what will be his ninth start. He’s earned $84,424 thus far in 2018. Forty-thousand dollars of those earnings have come from his two sires stakes victories. He has accumulated 103 sires stakes points, which is good enough to tie for first place in the sires stakes standings beside rival Northmedo Mission.

Trained by Mike Medors, Northmedo Mission recorded victories in Leg One (in 1:56.3) and Three (in 1:55) for the Northmedo Stable of Painesville, OH. The gelded homebred son of Manofmanymissions has sires stakes earnings of $45,000, seasonal earnings of $81,550, and lifetime earnings of $92,778. He has won eight of his 24 seasonal starts. Aaron Merriman will perform the driving duties from Post 4.

In the first sires stakes division (Race 2), Get The Cash — who recorded a Leg Three win in 1:54.4 and is riding a three-race win streak — will start from the rail with Greg Grismore driving for trainer Kelly O’Donnell. The Cash Hall gelding was bred by Walnut Hall Limited and is owned by Mark Maynard, Joe Palatas and K O Racing. Get The Cash has $34,600 earned in the sires stakes series. He has banked $65,300 in seasonal earnings and $101,540 lifetime courtesy of eight wins from 16 starts.

Uncle Buck will start just outside of his aforementioned rival Get The Cash in the two-hole. Regular driver Aaron Merriman pilots the altered son of Stormin Normand for owner Wayne Temple. Uncle Buck will be looking for his fifth seasonal win and his second of the series. He won Leg 2 in a snappy 1:54.3 for these same connections and owns $37,300 in sires stakes money. Bred by Orville Rursch, Uncle Buck has $91,744 in his lifetime coffers and $80,495 in his seasonal pocketbook. He has notched five wins from 24 career starts, and has also recorded nine seconds and five thirds.

Rising MVP has been saddled with Post 7 for driver Chris Page and trainer William Daughtery Jr., who conditions the gelded son of My MVP for Susan Daughtery of Mercer, PA. The youngster will head into his fourth sires stakes test fresh off of two consecutive victories (he notched a win in sires stakes Leg 2 in 1:56.2). Bred by Mahlon Miller, Rising MVP has $22,500 in sires stakes earnings and $43,617 in seasonal earnings from four wins after 13 starts. Lifetime, he’s amassed a bankroll of $108,8327 from 13 triumphs, three seconds and two thirds in 26 starts.

The top ten headliners in this sires stakes division, based on points, are as follows: Northmedo Mission (103); Mission Accepted (103); Uncle Buck (90); Get The Cash (77); Sultan Of Cash (64); MVP Luke (61); Rising MVP (57); Pass The Vape (53); Two OB Wonkenobi (53); and Manny L (32).

(OSDF)