Two Ohio colts and one filly will look to write their names in the record book as Triple Crown winners with victories in the $300,000 USD Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championships on Saturday, Oct. 12 at MGM Northfield Park.
The colts, two-year-old pacer Rick Wink and two-year-old trotter Battle Hill, along with three-year-old filly trotter Sugar Instead each won the Ohio State Fair Stakes in August and the Ohio Breeders Championship in September to earn their shot at the Ohio Triple Crown.
Rick Wink will look to continue a perfect season with the Ohio Triple Crown title. He proved his dominance in the Breeders Championship at the Delaware County Fair winning by six lengths and lowering the stakes record to a blazing 1:50.2.
Battle Hill has hit the board in each of his eight lifetime starts, winning four including the fourth leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes in September. The Marseille gelding has earned $172,079.
Undefeated Sugar Instead will try to keep her 11-race win streak alive. The 2023 Ohio Freshman Trotter of the Year won all four legs of the Sires Stakes in which she was entered. The title eluded Sugar Instead last year when she finished second in the Ohio State Fair.
The eight Scarlet Championships carry a total purse of $2.4 million USD.
TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
Mocha Hill is the 2-1 favourite for freshman filly trotters. The daughter of What The Hill has earned $252,009 after winning six of eight this season, including four Sires Stakes legs. Chris Page will drive Mocha Hill from the sixth post position for Ron Burke.
Another Burke trainee, Rose Run Allison sits as the 5-2 second choice. With two OHSS victories on her resume, Rose Run Allison has bankrolled $214,718. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. will guide the daughter of Long Tom.
Miles Wollam’s Dream Something is the 9-2 third choice. She was an upset winner in the stake’s second leg and has yet to slow down since. The Uncle Peter filly has scored five wins and earned $204,958. Tyler Smith will leave from the seventh post position with Dream Something.
TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
Two Virgil Morgan Jr. trainees headline the division for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Odds On Hialeah will leave the second post position as the 3-2 favourite. The daughter of Lather Up has scored six victories including four OSS legs. She has banked $238,066 in seven starts. Dexter Dunn gets the call.
Stablemate Odds on Chesapeake is the 7-2 second choice. Although Odds On Chesapeake has won only one Sires Stake leg, she has earned $112,603 this season and taken a mark in 1:51.4. David Miller will drive the Downbytheseaside filly.
At 4-1, The Word Is Out is third choice on the morning line. The daughter of Well Said has hit the board seven times this season, including five victories to earn $347,349. Page teams back up with Burke to drive The Word Is Out.
TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT
Hilltop Sonar is the 3-1 favourite in the two-year-old trotting colt division. The Burke trainee has three wins in seven starts and earnings of $131,686. Hilltop Sonar boasts the fastest lifetime mark of the field in 1:55.1. Page is slated to drive the What The Hill gelding.
Lt Loverboy is the 5-2 second choice. The gelded son of Long Tom has been undeniable this season after winning four of five Ohio Sires Stakes legs. With $211,035 in the bank, Lt Loverboy has not missed the board in nine lifetime starts. Brett Miller will guide for Daren Harvey.
Battle Hill is the 9-2 third choice in the morning line and is trained by Matthew Burkholder. He will leave from the fifth post position with Chris Lems behind the lines.
TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE
Burke conditions the top three morning line choices in the freshman colt pace division.
Rick Wink enters as the 9-5 favourite. The Bit Of A Legend N colt has earned $327,360 in eight starts. Page will leave from the third post position with Rick Wink.
Swingtown is the 5-2 second choice but drew the far outside ninth post position. Winner of the 2024 Next Generation in July, Swingtown has hit the board in six of seven tries, earning $361,741. Wrenn will handle the lines of the Downbytheseaside colt.
World Champion Sippinonsearoc is the 7-2 third choice. The son of Downbytheseaside set the 1:48.2 world record for two-year-olds at The Red Mile in August. With five wins in eight starts, Sippinonsearoc has bankrolled $352,123. Yannick Gingras will leave from the seventh post position with Sippinonsearoc.
THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
Sugar Instead is the 9-5 favourite in the sophomore filly trot division. The daughter of Volstead has earned $467,903 this year and $841,828 lifetime. B. Miller will drive for Morgan.
Jurassic Hattie and Legacy Affair are the 3-1 co-second choices.
Jurassic Hattie will leave from the rail. The Eric Nesselroad trainee has scored five victories and four second-place finishes this season. She has taken a lifetime mark in 1:52.3 and earned $454,960 in her career. Smith will drive the Volstead filly.
Legacy Affair drew the far outside eighth post position. The daughter of Long Tom has hit the board in 14 of 18 seasonal starts and earned $208,888. Wrenn will guide Legacy Affair for Duke Sugg.
THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
Seaside Diva has stayed perfect in the Ohio Sires Stakes this year. She will leave from the fifth post position as the 9-5 favourite. The daughter of Downbytheseaside has earned $509,725 with a 10-1-1 seasonal summary. Page will drive the Burke trainee.
Bath Bomb is the 7-2 second choice. This season, Bath Bomb has bankrolled $147,635 and lowered her lifetime mark to 1:50.2. Per Engblom trains the Lather Up filly. Gingras will get the call.
The 4-1 third choice is Wasted On You. In 11 seasonal starts, the daughter of Downbytheseaside has notched four wins and put $141,981 in the bank. Brett Miller will be back in the sulky for Morgan.
THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT
Tennessee Tom has been the cream of the crop again this year in the Buckeye State. The 2023 two-year-old trotter of the year in Ohio, has hit the board in nine of 10 starts this year, winning six. Three of those wins were legs of the Sires Stakes. Page has been in the sulky for each of Tennessee Tom’s career starts and will again have the lines for the Burke trainee. He is the second choice on the morning line at 2-1 behind Spaaaanzano.
Spaaaanzano, the 9-5 favourite, beat Tennessee Tom in their last match-up. The son of Coraggioso went gate-to-wire to win the Ohio Breeders Championship at the Delaware County Fair, beating Tennessee Tom by three lengths. Chris Beaver trains Spaaaanzano. Aaron Merriman will drive.
In four head-to-head meetings, Tennessee Tom has won three times.
Hung Over is the third choice at 4-1. Dan Noble will drive the Creatine colt for Bob Stewart. Hung Over has hit the board in all but one of his 12 starts, winning two.
THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE
The morning line favourite among sophomore colt pacers did not win a leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes. Janelle Granny enters the championship as the 6-5 favourite along the rail. The Fear The Dragon colt hit the board only once during the five legs but has earned $186,342 this year. Dunn will drive for Morgan.
At 3-1 Pariss Dragon comes into the finals on a roll, having won five of the last seven. The Fear The Dragon gelding won the last two legs of the Sires Stakes and finished second in the Ohio Breeders Championship. Noble will drive for Christi Noble.
Rock The Hill and Hundred Dollar Man are the co-third choices at 6-1.
Clever Cody, the winner of four legs of the Sires Stakes is 10-1 on the morning line. Aaron Merriman will be in the bike for Dr. Ian Moore.
The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association (OHHA) will livestream the Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championship from MGM Northfield Park as part of Saturday Night at the Races. Saturday Night at the Races is presented by The Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center and sponsored by Dublin Valley Farms and the North American Standardbred Sales. Coverage of the eight finals will begin at 6:10 p.m. on the OHHA Facebook page, YouTube channel, and HarnessRacingOhio.com.
First race post time at Northfield Park is 6:00 p.m.
(Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association)