The richest night in Ohio racing history will take place this coming Saturday (Sept. 8) as eight $275,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championships will head behind the Scioto Downs’ starting gate.

A total of $2.2 million will be on the line for two and three-year-old Ohio-sired, trotting and pacing colts and fillies. First race post time will be at 6:30 p.m. (ET).

The Ohio Sires Stakes spotlights youngsters and aged horses conceived in the Buckeye State by a stallion residing in the state and registered with the Ohio State Racing Commission (OSRC). The resulting foals are made eligible to the sires stakes program via a one-time nomination payment by March 15 of their two or three-year-old season and can then enter the four-leg series. Horses garner points in the series based on their finish in the legs, and the top point earners are thus given a starting berth in the lucrative championship.

The top five money-earning trainers from the four legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes are Brian Brown, Chris Beaver, Ron Burke, Kimberly Dailey and Jason McGinnis.

Brian Brown has conditioned 17 winners, 18 second-place finishers and seven third-place finishers to $644,100 in the sires stakes series, from 89 starters.

The Delaware, Ohio-based Brown conditioned a trio of three-year-old pacing fillies to two wins each in their division: Smiley Dragon (1:52.4, 1:52.3); McPansy (1:51.3, 1:52.3); and Prsntpretynperfect (1:52.4, 1:51.4). These three ladies sit first, third and fifth in the point earnings in their division.

Brown also conditions sires stakes winner Cinnamack (1:50.4)—who sits fifth—and seventh-place point earner Slick Mick, in the three-year-old colt pacing division.

Brown has four of the top nine point earners in the two-year-old pacing filly division, with Carmen Ohio (1:55.2) in second; Final Offer, a two-time sires stakes winner in third (1:55.2, 1:55); High Reward (1:53.1) in fifth and Mi Nina Bronca in the ninth slot.
Brown’s top shot to capture the two-year-old colt pacing Championship is High On Paydaze, a three-time sires stakes winner (1:53.1, 1:54.2, 1:54.1), who is tied for the top spot along with the Kimberly Dailey-trained Rose Run Ulysses. Both youngsters have earned $64,800 in the sires stakes series.

Brown’s other contestants in this same division are third-place point earner Rock Candy (1:53); fourth-place point earner Dislocator (1:53.3); Smackitwithahammer (1:52.3), eighth in points earned; and Tony Too Tall, ninth.

Buckeye trotting guru Chris Beaver’s charges have earned $371,350 in sires stakes competition this season from nine wins, eight seconds and 11 thirds in 52 starts.

Beaver has four of the top point earners in the two-year-old filly trot division, with Aunt Rose (1:59.1, 1:59) third, followed by Stone In Love (1:59.2) fifth; Pure Chance (1:59.2) sixth and Back Splash (1:57.3) eighth. As well, Beaver’s trainee Never Say Uncle, winner of his second sires stakes leg in 1:58.4, is fourth in the point standings in the two-year-old colt trot division.

In the three-year-old filly trot division, Beaver has the fifth, sixth and seventh top point earners in Red Storm (1:55.4); California Love (1:56.2) and Sesame.

Though he’s garnered just three victories in sires stakes contests this season, North America’s leading trainer Ron Burke has amassed $263,500 in sires stakes earnings from his 58 starters who have also notched 11 second-place finishes and eight third-place finishes.

The New Jersey-based conditioner’s Wittyville—who won leg three in 1:56.2—is the sixth-highest point earner in the two-year-old colt trot division, while Rose Run Uptowngal is eighth in the two-year-old filly pace class. Burke’s charges Seeing Eye Single and Rockin Motion (1:51.1) are fourth and eighth, respectively, in points in the three-year-old colt pace division, while Baron Remy (1:52) is fourth in points earned in the three-year-old filly pace class and Impinktoo is fourth in the three-year-old filly trot ranks.

Urbana-based conditioner Kimberly Dailey harnessed 32 starters in Ohio Sires Stakes events this season, with seven wins, two seconds and six thirds, for $204,500 in earnings. Her top charge is the two-year-old colt pacer Rose Run Ulysses, tied for first place in his division with Brown’s High On Paydaze, and a winner of three sires stakes legs in 1:52.2, 1:54.1 and 1:52.

As well, Dailey has second-place point earners Bad Girls Rule (1:54.1) in the three-year-old filly division and two-time sires stakes winner Rockathon (1:51.1, 1:51.4) in the three-year-old colt pace class.

Last, but certainly not least is the Ontario-based conditioner Jason McGinnis, who began his foray into Ohio Sires Stakes competition this season with 20 starters, six winners, four second-place finishers and three third-place finishers earning $179,600.

The McGinnis-trained Yes (1:59, 1:57) is the second highest point earner in the two-year-old colt trot division, while stablemate Oh So Pine (2:01.3) is in the eighth spot. McGinnis’ See You In Tuscany (1:53, 1:57.3) sits sixth in points earned in the two-year-old colt pacing ranks, while Twinsburg (1:54.4) is the seventh highest point earner in the two-year-old filly pacing ranks.

(OSDF)