When Pace Car captured his $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes division Monday night (July 11) at Northfield Park, it gave Joe McLead a reason to smile.

McLead, who operates Sugar Valley Farm, had foaled and raised the son of Foreclosure N at his Delaware, Ohio breeding facility.

“Pace Car looks a whole lot like his daddy,” McLead confirmed. “Foreclosure N was small but might and was one of the most muscular horses I’ve ever seen.”

When Foreclosure N tore a suspensory ligament, trainer Ronnie Burke sent the stallion to Sugar Valley Farm for a little rest and relaxation.

“Rather than keeping him in a stall in New Jersey, Ronnie thought it would do the horse good to come to Ohio where I could stand him and get him healed up,” McLead explained. “He also sent along two of their top broodmares for me to breed to the horse.”

One of those broodmares was Pace Car’s dam, the Western Hero mare Breakheart Pass.

“I really liked this mare,” Joe noted. “The babies from her and the other mare were both born and raised at Sugar Valley until they went to Florida with the Burkes last fall.”

Pace Car is owned and was bred by the Pennsylvania-based partnership of Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.

“Pace Car was smart and easy to handle from the get-go,” Joe recalled. “He looks a lot like Foreclosure N.”

Pace Car finished second to McThriller in Leg 1 of the OHSS series on July 4 at Scioto Downs, timed in 1:55.2. He now has $30,000 in career earnings. Foreclosure N now stands stud in Ireland.

Ohio Sires Stakes action Monday night saw two sons of Foreclosure N greet the Northfield Park winner’s circle, while four McArdle youngsters were winners and one son each from Big Bad John and The Panderosa scored a second-leg victory. Eight $40,000 OHSS divisions for two-year-old pacing colts were contested at ‘the home of the flying turns.’

In the first division (Race 1) it was a front-stepping Rons Pro and driver Chris Page who scored in 1:54.4. The Panderosa colt paced easily and unchallenged through fractions of :27.2, :57 and 1:26.1 and brushed home under the wire a full length in front of Norm At Work (driven by Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) and Gotta Go BB (Josh Sutton), who grabbed show honors.

Rons Pro is trained by Ronnie Burke for Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and breeder Knox Services. The youngster picked up his first career paycheque with his OHSS victory, which placed $20,000 in his coffers.

Dancin Rebel won his OHSS division in 1:53.3 — just a tick off the track record. Melanie Wrenn trains the son of Big Bad John for Gene Oldford, Wrenn Racing and Kales Co., LLC. Peter Wrenn was in the sulky behind the two-year-old, who was bred by Elizabeth Yontz of Kentucky. Dancin Rebl, who now has $30,000 in career earnings, had finished second on July 4 at Scioto Downs in 1:55.2 to Ohio Larry.

McRaven and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. posted a front-stepping 1:54.4 triumph in their OHSS division for trainer Brian Brown. This was the second straight OHSS win for the son of McArdle, who pushed his career earnings to $40,000 for Country Club Acres and L&H Management Services. Bred by Parent Racing Stable, McRaven won Leg 1 of the series on July 4 at Scioto Downs in 1:53.3.

Richard Lomabardo, Carl and Melanie Atley and Josh Green’s Drunk On Your Love scored his second OHSS victory, as well. The son of Foreclosure N romped to a 1:56.2 clocking at Northfield after having recorded a Leg 1 victory on July 4 at Scioto Downs in 1:54.3. Both efforts came with wire-to-wire performances with Danny Noble at the controls. Bill Dailey conditions Drunk On Your Love, who now has career earnings of $40,000.

Barnabas used the rail to his advantage, as he won his second OHSS test in the process in 1:54.1. The Brian Brown trainee had won his first OHSS event on July 4 at Scioto Downs in 1:56. Bred by Kevin Greenfield, the McArdle gelding is owned by Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco and Richard Lombardo and William Robinson. Chris Page was in the sulky.

Jin McRhody, who was given a perfect steer by Skip DeMull, captured his OHSS division in a wire-to-wire 1:54.3. The son of McArdle was bred and is owned and trained by Phillip Peaveyhouse, and was a strong second to Scotch McEwan in Leg 1 of the series on July 4 at Scioto Downs, when he was clocked in 1:56.2. On Monday it was Ohio Larry that finished second to Jim McRhody, who now has $30,000 in career earnings.

Owner Scott Cox harnessed 14-1 McSpidey to his first OHSS victory, as the gelded son of McArdle romped to a 1:55.2 win with Greg Grismore in the sulky. The McArdle youngster was third in his previous OHSS test at Scioto Downs one week prior and pushed his career earnings to $30,528. Bred by Kathy McCall, McSpidey “drives like a five-year-old,” according to Grismore.

(OSDF)