Following three victories on Sunday night, trainer Bill Rhoades only needed one victory on Tuesday, Jan. 3 to get his 1,000th career win, and it came in the final race with Buckeye Boy.
Following the race, Rhoades said, “My step-dad would’ve been super proud of me; I don’t even know how to feel right now. It's on to the next thousand.”
Rhoades, who began his training career in 2004, celebrated his birthday on Monday, Jan. 2. The biggest season for Rhoades was in 2022, when he earned just shy of $1.5 million in purses while winning 185 starts and earning a 12th-place finish in the national trainer standings and third in the standings at the Flying Turns.
On a track that had not been speed favouring most of the night, Buckeye Boy was sent to the lead by Aaron Merriman, opening up a 3-1/2 lengths margin at the quarter in a snappy :26.2. His closest pursuer, Vintage Grand (Keith Kash Jr.), was able to make up ground on the leader, but Merriman didn’t let up, hitting the half in :54.3.
The pair moved past three-quarters together in 1:24.3, when Kash Jr. moved Vintage Grand outside to take a shot at the leader, but had nothing left in the tank with Buckeye Boy hitting the wire in 1:56.1, winning by 1-1/2 lengths.
Favourites struggled during the Pick 5 sequence on Tuesday, leading to a $6,284 carryover in Wednesday’s Pick-5 beginning in Race 6.
In partnership with the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program, the wager will feature a $30,000 guaranteed pool and sports a low 14 per cent takeout and a $1 base investment.
Jessica Millner's trainee, Fireworks Flash (Luke Ebersole), created some fireworks, winning the first leg of the sequence at 13-1. Fireworks Flash made up a lot of ground throughout the mile and made a big three-wide move to win in 1:57. The fireworks continued in leg two as The Git Up (Ryan Stahl) made an appearance in the winner’s circle. He made a first-over bid for the lead at the half and pushed past early leader Mickey (Kurt Sugg) to win by a half-length over another closer in Starlitblackdragon (Aaron Merriman) in 1:59. Angus Lake made a big move into the backstretch for the final time in leg three to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:58.1. In the final leg, Caviart Skyler (Luke Ebersole) made a three-wide bid from last at the five-eighths pole and cruised to an easy 1:54.2 victory winning by 12-1/4 lengths.
First post time on Wednesday is 6 p.m.
(With files from Northfield Park)