Dale Sweet has been a Standardbred owner for more than four decades, with a penchant for the trotting gait. The 70-year-old Toledo, Ohio resident was in the Scioto Downs winner’s circle on July 15 to celebrate his Ohio Sires Stakes third-leg winner Overdressed, who bested nine rivals in 1:56.3.

Three $40,000 OHSS contests for sophomore trotting colts were featured on a mild and pleasant Friday evening at the five-eighths mile, central Ohio oval.

The win was the Full Count gelding’s second in OHSS competition this season. Conditioned by Miles Wollam for Sweet and co-owners G&B Racing of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, Overdressed had won the first leg of this series on June 4 at Northfield Park in 1:57.3 with Kurt Sugg in the bike.

Dale, who retired from the furniture upholstery manufacturing industry at age 50, has spent 20 years utilizing the talents of Ohio’s trotting magician Marty Wollam, and for the past several years has also had horses in training with Miles, Marty’s son.

“I try to keep things in the family,” Sweet laughed, before turning serious. “Miles certainly comes from good stock and is a terrific horseman in his own right. The Wollams run a strong, organized operation and their horses come first. They’re easy on their babies and always have the horse’s best interests at heart.”

Sugg was back in the bike behind the gigantic trotter Friday for Overdressed’s fourth victory of 2016 in seven starts. The brown gelding upped his seasonal earnings to $68,762 and his career earnings to $120,579 en route to his fifth lifetime triumph.

“Miles put ear plugs in [the horse] tonight,” Sugg revealed. “The other horse [The Next Triumph] had a pretty surmountable lead at one point, but my horse really dug in to catch him.”

Sugg wasn’t joking.

The Next Triumph (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) had moved first up via urging from his driver near the :57 half and quickly took the lead from Laser Leo (Kayne Kauffman). The Triumphant Caviar colt then drew away from his rivals by four lengths and appeared poised for his sixth victory of the year at the 1:25.2 three-quarter marker. Overdressed, the 2-1 favourite, then exploded out of the turn to overtake his rival and prevail by a length at the wire. Chips So Fast (Chris Page) and SR Rader (Ryan Stahl) finished in a dead-heat for third-place honours.

Marvin Raber of Baltic, Ohio bred Overdressed, who is a full brother to OHSS winner Dark Roast.

MJB Got Faith, the even-money favourite, did not disappoint his backers as he won the first OHSS division easily in 1:55.3 for driver Kayne Kauffman.

“This colt is very versatile -- he can leave or you can sit with him and he pretty much does anything you ask him to do,” Kauffman noted.

The son of Trainforthefuture was under wraps as he trotted confidently through panels of :28, :57.2 and 1:26.3 to score his fourth win of 2016 and the ninth of his career. Emerald Chip (Josh Sutton) was second-best, while Andis Unreal (Chris Page) picked up show honours.

Owned by Breana Carsey of Connersville, Indiana, and bred by Gbw Breeding Farms of Ohio, MJB Got Faith has $239,600 in his career coffers.

The final OHSS test saw Kayne Kauffman back in the winner’s circle, this time with 5-1 upsetter Wegoferdaprize, a son of And Away We Go who is conditioned by Jessica Millner for the Curran Racing Stable of Red Hook, New York.

“The only instructions I got was to win the race,” Kauffman laughed. “This was the first time I had sat behind this colt, so I really didn’t know him, but I was impressed that he was able to trot as fast and as well as he did.”

Kanthanka (Aaron Merriman), the 4-5 favourite, had led the field of 10 through splits of :27.4, :57.4 and 1:25.3 and looked like a sure winner before Wegoferdaprize used a :29.3 final brush to prevail over his rival by a whisker. Another Breath (Sandy Beatty) finished third.

Bill Troyer of Ohio bred Wegoferdaprize, who upped his seasonal earnings to $38,420 and his career purse account to $49,525. He was a $6,500 yearling purchase at the August 2014 Blooded Horse Sale.

(With files from OSDF)