Trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. swept the exacta in the $136,986 Ohio Sires Stakes fourth-leg event for three-year-old filly pacers on Sunday, Aug. 10 at MGM Northfield Park. His trainees finished 1-2 as Odds On Hialeah scored the victory and Odds On Chesapeake dug in for the runner-up position.

The race was completely turned on its head in the first sixteenth of a mile as Skywalker Sea (Austin Hanners) and Seaside Wishes (Kayne Kauffman) both made breaks while entering the first turn. Favourites Rose Run Aimee (Dan Noble) and Odds On Hialeah (Brett Miller) were both rough-gaited into the first turn as well.

The early miscues enabled longshot My Hare Legend (Aaron Merriman) to gain control entering the backstretch. Rose Run Aimee, collected herself and made her way to the front during a :27 first quarter.

Pacing by the half in a dazzling :54.4, Rose Run Aimee looked comfortable on the lead, but pressure was coming in the form of Odds On Chesapeake (Luke Hanners), who began to roll first-over.

Racing into the backstretch for the final time, Odds On Hialeah was flushed out by stablemate Odds On Chesapeake. The two tough fillies continued to battle through the final quarter of a mile, after flying by the three-quarters in a demanding 1:23.

Turning for home, Odds On Hialeah had plenty left in the tank and drew off to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:52.1. Odds On Chesapeake dug in gamely to be second and The Word Is Out (Chris Page) rallied to be third.

Odds On Hialeah is owned by Let It Ride Stables and Odds On Racing of Boca Raton, Florida, along with Operation Horsepower of Edmonton, Kentucky. The Lather Up-Laughandbehappy filly, who boasts a near-perfect 11-for-13 career record with two second-place finishes, has won three Ohio Sires Stakes this year. 

The Ohio Sires Stakes freshman filly trotters made their way to Northfield Park on Sunday as well for a pair of $89,041 third-leg divisions. 

In the first division, Rose Run Brooke (Luke Hanners) got up in the shadow of the wire to defeat Lucky Lady Volo (Dan Noble).

While A Long Breeze (Chris Lems) left alertly and defended pylon position into the first turn, it was clear Lucky Lady Volo wanted the lead as she powered her way to the front. Lucky Lady Volo opened up a two-length lead by the opening quarter of :27.4.

Lucky Lady Volo got a breather to the half in :59, but pressure quickly came from Sarahs Mission (Chris Page) and Rose Run Brooke when they were entering the backstretch for the final time. Sarahs Mission was evenly matched with Lucky Lady Volo trotting by the three-quarters in 1:28.2 and both fillies were giving everything they had.

Turning for home, Rose Run Brooke flipped off cover three-wide and stormed home. She marched past her rivals to win by a neck in 1:58.1. Lucky Lady Volo settled for second and Sarahs Mission was third.

Rose Run Brooke is owned by First Up Racing Stable of Beach City, Ohio. Trained by Vernon Beachy, the In Range-Count On Kami filly broke her maiden in her fifth start.

In Range’s first-crop fillies continued to be victorious as Demonic Niko (dam Cant Stop Marie) earned the fifth victory of her career, taking the other division for trainer Erv Miller.

Several horses vied for position, but Demonic Niko (Dan Noble) gained control of the lead entering the backstretch for the first time. Capturethephoto (Aaron Merriman) sat on her back in the pocket. Demonic Niko put up a swift :28.3 first quarter and, with the field in straight alignment, was able to rate middle splits of :57.3 and 1:26.3. She opened up a secure lead through the stretch and won by four lengths in 1:56.2. Divvy It Up (Brett Miller) came on for second with Capturethephoto hanging on for third.

Demonic Niko, whose only loss in six career starts was a Next Generation runner-up effort, is owned Ervin Miller Stable of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, Anthony Lombardi of Morris, Illinois and Douglas Overhiser of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. 

Following an uncharacteristic break in the Ohio State Fair Stakes at Scioto Downs, Ready Russell rebounded and decisively won his $68,493 division of Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters, taking the evening’s fastest of the three third-leg divisions.

Sent off as the heavy 1-9 favourite, Ready Russell (Dan Noble) took up pocket position behind Max The Mighty (Aaron Merriman), who hustled off the gate entering the first turn. After making the front, Max The Mighty jumped off stride allowing Ready Russell to easily inherit the lead as the field entered the backstretch.

Ready Russell trotted to the quarter in :29.2 and to the half in :59.3. He started to roll past the three-quarters in 1:27.4 and won confidently by 10-3/4 lengths in 1:56.2. Grape Crush (Chris Lems) edged out Where Theres Smoke in the race for place.

Ready Russell is owned by Jeff Fought Racing of East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Brian Carsey, of Cambridge City, Indiana and David Fought of Nicholasville, Kentucky. The Ready For Moni-Fortheloveoflindy gelding is trained by Deborah Swartz and has four victories in his first five lifetime starts, with three in Ohio Sires Stakes action.

Special Moni blew by rivals late in the stretch to win his own division convincingly.

Soulful Saul (Carson Conrad) and Pump Action (Justin Irvine) were both sent to the lead off the gate entering the first turn. Pump Action wanted the lead and made an aggressive move to gain his desired position before the :28.3 first quarter.

Entering the far turn, Ur Ride Is Here (Chris Lems), who had been sitting third early, sprinted to the front. He continued to lead the way through the half in :57.4, while Soulful Saul applied pressure first-over. The pair dueled into the backstretch until finally Soulful Saul cleared before the three-quarters in 1:26.2.

Turning for home, Eleven Bang Bang (Trevor Smith) tipped outside of Soulful Saul but didn’t go by the leader. Special Moni (Tyler Smith) rallied off cover to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:56.4. Soulful Saul held on for second and Eleven Bang Bang was third.

Special Moni, a Ready For Moni-Special Invitation gelding, is owned by trainer Chris Beaver, along with Spaaaartners of Ballston Spa, New York and Tim Homan of Maineville, Ohio. He now has a pair of Ohio Sire Stakes win in his first four starts.

Beaver doubled up in the Sires Stakes action when Bitcoin King made a big mid-race move to win his split, with stablemate Water Slide inheriting the runner-up honours.

Cash Money Hall (Kayne Kauffman), Water Slide (Aaron Merriman) and Super Mind (Anthony MacDonald) all battled for early position and sorted themselves out with Super Mind making his way to the lead before the :29.3 first quarter.

After a leisurely 1:00.1 first half, Super Mind had a contingent of pursuers challenging him for the lead approaching the three-quarters in 1:29 with Water Slide first-up and Bitcoin King (Tyler Smith) charging three-wide.

Turning for home, Super Mind began to give way and Bitcoin King stormed down the centre of the racetrack to win by 3-3/4 lengths in 1:58.2. Cash Money Hall finished second, but was placed to third because of a lapped on break at the wire. Water Slide, who was third, inherited second.

Bitcoin King is owned by Beaver and the Part Time Stable of Napoleon, Michigan. The Uncle Peter-Massive Girl colt broke his maiden in his fourth start.

Northfield Park will host the fourth leg of the Buckeye Stallion Series for sophomore filly trotters on Monday, Aug. 11. Post time is 6 p.m.

(With files from Northfield Park; photo of Odds On Hialeah winning on Aug. 10)