Scotch Mcewan romped to victory in Tuesday’s third leg of Ohio Sires Stakes action for driver Josh Sutton and trainer Bill Dailey, pacing in 1:53.2, just slightly slower than the 1:52.3 track record he had set on July 28.

A total of nine $40,000 Ohio Sire Stakes divisions for two-year-old trotting and pacing colts were contested at the five-eighth’s mile oval on a rainy and steamy Tuesday afternoon.

The bay gelding’s 1:52.3 clocking and this latest sizzler didn’t come as a surprise to breeders Brad Wallace or Kevin Greenfield, who own and operate Hickory Lane Farm in Findlay, Ohio, where the colt was born and raised.

“Rebecca Ewing, who bred Scotch Mcewan is the wife of Leonard Buckner, who owns Hickory Lane in partnership with us,” Kevin explained. “We’re not surprised at this colt as he just doesn’t seem to know how fast he is yet. In his last start he was parked out the entire mile and staved off three challenges. Josh (driver Sutton) said the colt wasn’t really even paying attention at the end of the mile, either, or he might have gone faster.”

Brad agreed.

“When this colt was in the yearling sale, a lot of trainers passed him up, and didn’t seem to like him for whatever reason,” Brad admitted. “Kevin and I were both kind of surprised because we really felt he was something special from day one.”

Scotch Mcewan brought a final bid of $30,000 at the 2015 Ohio Select Yearling Sale.

“We raised and raced his dam, Forever Ivy,” Brad noted. “She was a gutsy, tough race mare who took a mark of 1:50.3 as a five-year-old and earned $355,291. So we’re not really surprised that this youngster would be fast as well.”

Scotch Mcewan is the first foal out of Forever Ivy and is from the first Ohio crop by Mcardle, who stands at Hickory Lane Farm. Forever Ivy is by Stand Forever and is out of the Ruffstuff Baker broodmare Shes A Ruff One p, 4, 1:53f ($137,549).

Interestingly enough, Forever Ivy is also a half-sister the two-year-old pacing filly Lorennas Ruffian (also by Mcardle), who captured a Leg 1 Ohio Sires Stakes on July 3 at Northfield Park in 1:56.2.

Scotch Mcewan now has $60,800 in his career bankroll from three wins and one third in five starts. He had captured Leg 1 of this series on July 4 at Scioto Downs in 1:55.2 by nearly five lengths, then finished third in Leg 2 at Northfield Park on July 11, timed in 1:54.1, before winning that Ohio Fair Stake at Scioto on July 28.

The two-year-old trotting colt Buckeye Boss and the freshman pacing youngster Drunk On Your Love both continued their sweep of the series by winning their third OSS legs Tuesday at Scioto.

Buckeye Boss, a Chris Beaver trainee, romped to a 1:58.2 victory for Aaron Merriman. The son of Triumphant Caviar had prevailed in Leg 1 on July 4 at Scioto in 1:59 and on July 12 in Leg 2 at Northfield in 1:57 by nearly seven lengths. He then won an Ohio Fair Stake at Scioto on July 28 in 1:56.2. The winner of $82,750 is owned by Beaver along with Ohio-based breeder Marion Beachy and Synerco Ventures of Ontario.

Drunk On Your Love is a Foreclosure N colt who notched career win three in 1:55. Trained by Bill Dailey for Richard Lombardo, Carl & Melanie Atley and Josh Green, Drunk On Your Love won OSS Leg 1 at Scioto on July 4 in 1:54.3 and Leg 2 at Northfield on July 11 in 1:56.1. All of this youngster’s triumphs have come in front-stepping fashion.

Ohio Sires Stakes return to Scioto Downs on Friday night, August 19, featuring three-year-old filly trotters vying in Leg 4 of this series.

(OSDF)