The Ebony Dragon and Ultimate Catch each posted their second Buckeye Stallion Series wins of the season on Sunday, July 19 as Northfield Park hosted four $28,169 divisions of the fourth leg for sophomore colt pacers.

The Ebony Dragon, driven by Luke Hanners, recorded the fastest mile among the four divisions, winning the second split in 1:52.1. He led gate to wire, posting fractions of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:23.4 before holding off Heerzadiamondstud (Cameron McCown) by three-quarters of a length. Bet The Beach (Trevor Smith) was third.

Also a Buckeye winner in the second leg at Northfield in a lifetime mark of 1:51.4 on June 6, The Ebony Dragon now has 15 victories and $148,386 in 30 lifetime starts. The Fear The Dragon-Glorious Virgin colt is trained by Tyler Bates for owners Suzanne Bates of Gibsonburg, Ohio and Cedar Point Beach Racing of Fremont, Ohio.

Ultimate Catch, a winner in the second leg in 1:55.4, took Sunday's fourth division in a lifetime-best 1:53.1. Driven by Chris Lems, Ultimate Catch prevailed from the pocket over the McCown-driven pacesetter Heerz Corinthian (:27.2, :56.3, 1:24.4) by 2-1/2 lengths, with Legends Rule (Justin Irvine) rounding out the top three.

Ultimate Catch earned his sixth victory in 11 seasonal starts and now has eight career wins and $98,761 in earnings from 21 races overall. Scott Cox trains the Catch The Fire-Ultimate Thrill gelding for owners Wayne Mast Jr. of Dundee, Ohio and Jason Ash of Powell, Ohio.

The other Buckeye divisions were won by Tsunami King (Dan Noble) in 1:52.3 by six lengths for trainer Andre Nared and Solid Rock (Irvine) in 1:54.1 by three-quarters of a length for the Dan O’Mara stable.

The Buckeye Stallion Series continues on Wednesday, July 22 with the second leg for freshman filly trotters as part of a 15-race card at the Crawford County Fair in Bucyrus, Ohio, starting at 6 p.m.

(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association; photo of The Ebony Dragon winning on July 19)