Following a surprise victory in last Saturday’s (Oct. 4) $75,000 Buckeye Stallion Series Championship, Our Honor Defend will look to pull off another upset in the Grade 3 $125,000 USD Courageous Lady on Saturday, Oct. 11 at MGM Northfield Park.

When Our Honor Defend went to the gate last week, the betting public may have dismissed her chances, but her co-owner, Keith Gisser, never lost faith.

“We were tenth in points, but we were pretty sure we’d get into the race,” said Gisser. “We had a lot of confidence in her, the trip just needed to work in her favour.”

Driver Case Bateson executed the trip to perfection. After settling third early, Bateson bided his time with Our Honor Defend. Down the backstretch, Our Honor Defend was briefly locked in, but at the three-quarters in 1:24.2, she found room to move. Swinging three-wide around the final turn, she surged through the stretch to nose out her stablemate, Anna Loves Bananas, in 1:54.2.

Racing in Saturday’s Courageous Lady began as a lighthearted comment, but quickly turned into reality.

“I joked with Dave Bianconi, Northfield’s Director of Racing, on Saturday and asked if he needed a horse for the Courageous Lady,” Gisser recalled. “When the draw came out, we were listed as also eligible, but I never actually thought we’d make the race.”
His skepticism changed Thursday morning (Oct. 9) when Pilar Hanover scratched from post eight, giving Our Honor Defend a spot on the starting gate.

While the outside post presents a challenge, Gisser and his team are focused on enjoying the journey.

“Post eight is tough on a half-mile track, I’ll be shocked if we get away better than ninth,” Gisser admitted. “We know we’re facing a different class of fillies on Saturday, but her late kick makes me think she can still get a piece of it.”

Gisser credits patience and teamwork for the daughter of Lost In Time on making steady progress.

“Driver Case Bateson and trainer Scott Betts have been incredibly patient with her,” he said. “She hasn’t been easy to manage, but they’ve done an amazing job.”

$125,000 USD Courageous Lady (Grade 3)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. Sammy Jo Hanover - Dan Noble - Scott Di Domenico - 10-1
2. Odds On Chesapeake - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Virgil Morgan Jr. - 7-2
3. Time Of The Season - Aaron Merriman - Tim Twaddle - 4-1
4. Prolific Fire - Austin Hanners - Todd Luther - 6-1
5. Rodeo Drive Deo - David Miller - Ron Burke - 2-1
6. Fansville - Jack Pelling - Joe Bongiorno - 8-1
7. Worklifebalance - Aaron Merriman - Noel Daley - 15-1
8. Our Honor Defend - Case Bateson - Scott Betts - 20-1
9. Papi Grad - Dan Noble - Steve Carter - 12-1

The Grade 3 $125,000 USD Courageous Lady is one of nine stakes races on the power-packed 15-race program. The evening also features eight $50,000 USD Ohio Fair Championships and a pair of paces with all-female drivers.

From a wagering standpoint, guests will be treated to a pair of estimated $20,000 estimated Pick 4 pools in race eight and race 11. Both wagers feature a $1 minimum and a low 14 per cent takeout.

Post time on Saturday is 6:00 p.m.

(MGM Northfield Park)