Six sophomores are undefeated through two legs of the 2025 Ohio Sires Stakes. Three of them — Odds On Chesapeake, Odds On Hialeah, and Aunt Laura — are trained by Virgil Morgan Jr.

Morgan’s trio is among 58 horses across eight divisions who will hit the track at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Saturday, July 5 for the third leg of the OHSS. There will be two divisions of colt trotters and filly pacers with each featuring 13 total starters. The two divisions of filly trotters will have 14 total starters, and there will be 18 starters across two divisions of colt pacers. Each division carries a purse of $65,000 USD.

Odds On Chesapeake is the even-money morning line favourite ahead of 9-2 second choice The Word Is Out in the first division of filly pacers. She will leave from the far outside with Dan Noble in the sulky. The Downbytheseaside filly won her second-leg race at MGM Northfield Park in a lifetime-best 1:50, coming just two-fifths shy of both world and track records for three-year-old filly pacers. She has won all four seasonal starts and eight of 14 lifetime starts. She has $342,122 in lifetime earnings and is owned by Odds On Racing and Operation Horsepower.

Stablemate Odds On Hialeah is the narrow morning line favourite at 3-2 over 8-5 second choice Rose Run Aimee in the second division of filly pacers. Odds On Hialeah has been lightly raced this season, as her two OHSS wins are her lone starts of 2025. Brett Miller will drive the Lather Up filly, who has finished no worse than second in 10 career starts and boasts nine wins and $533,205    in earnings. Her lifetime best of 1:50.3 came in the opening leg of the OHSS at Scioto Downs. She is owned by Let It Ride Stables, Odds On Racing, and Operation Horsepower.

Miller will also drive Aunt Laura, the 2-1 morning line favourite in the first division of filly trotters, as she looks for her third OHSS win. Mega Money is the 5-2 second choice in this division, which also includes first-leg winner Jailhouse Pearl. Aunt Laura has four wins in six starts this season and posted her lifetime best of 1:53.1 at The Meadows on June 26. The Uncle Peter filly has seven wins and $432,422 in earnings in 15 lifetime starts and is owned by Joyce McClelland Stable.

Ron Burke trainees Fear The Hate and Rick Wink are also looking to go three-for-three in the OHSS for three-year-old colt pacers.

Fear The Hate is the even-money morning line co-favourite with Harrisburg Heist and Swingtown in a competitive first division. Dan Noble is pegged to drive Fear The Hate, who has won all six starts this season. Harrisburg Heist has five wins in seven seasonal starts and will be driven by Ronnie Wrenn Jr. Chris Page will drive Swingtown, who has one win in four starts in 2025.

Rick Wink enters as the 6-5 morning line favourite in the second division of colt pacers ahead of 7-2 second choice Sippinonsearoc. Page has driven Rick Wink to a win in all three starts this season and will be back in the sulky on Saturday.

The sixth horse looking to maintain a perfect OHSS record, Battle Hill, enters as the 5-2 second choice in the first division of colt trotters. Scrappys Love is the 9-5 morning line favourite in the division, which also includes first-leg winner Vekna and second-leg winner Lt Loverboy. Chris Lems will drive Battle Hill for trainer Matthew Burkholder. The Marseille gelding has hit the board in all 14 lifetime starts with eight wins.

First-leg winner Dream Something is the 7-2 second choice behind 2-1 morning line favourite In The End in the second division of filly trotters.

There are no prior winners in the second division of colt trotters where Jet Wings is the 3-2 morning line favourite with 3-1 second choice Long Highway.

Saturday’s Ohio Sires Stakes races at Eldorado Scioto Downs are part of a 16-race card on what will be a big night for Ohio-sired horses with a total purses exceeding $1 million USD. In addition to the eight OHSS divisions going for a combined $520,000 USD, there will be three divisions of The Next Generation totaling $450,000 USD and two overnights full of Ohio-sired two-year-olds going for $49,000 USD. First race post time is 5:45 p.m.

The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association (OHHA) will live stream Saturday Night at the Races presented by Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital that night from Eldorado Scioto Downs. OHHA Executive Director Frank Fraas and Doug Ballinger will host coverage of the first 14 races. The live stream can be seen on the OHHA’s Facebook page and YouTube channel as well as at HarnessRacingOhio.com. Saturday Night at the Races is sponsored by Dublin Valley Farms, Hickory Lane Farm, Little Brown Jug, Midland Acres, and North American Standardbred Sale.

(Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association)