Sammy Jo Hanover pulled off a 31-1 upset as she won the Grade 3 $176,056 Courageous Lady Stakes at MGM Northfield Park for sophomore pacing fillies in gate-to-wire fashion on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Leaving from the rail, Sammy Jo Hanover was put into play early by driver Dan Noble. Odds On Chesapeake (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) also left alertly and was steered into the two-hole entering the first turn as Sammy Jo Hanover led her invitational rivals past the opening quarter in :27.1. Entering the far turn for the first time, favourite Rodeo Drive Deo (David Miller) flushed out Time Of The Season (Aaron Merriman), who headed the outer flow in a second-quarter advance to the half in :56.
Time Of The Season continued her attack on Sammy Jo Hanover up the backstretch, but the leader held her three-quarters of a length adrift through three-quarters in 1:23.1. Entering the final turn, Sammy Jo Hanover put away Time Of The Season, but she got fresh competition from Odds On Chesapeake on the inside and Rodeo Drive Deo, who began a three-wide bid for the lead. Rodeo Drive Deo went wide on the last turn, allowing Sammy Jo Hanover to pull away. She then cruised to a 2-1/4-length victory and completed the mile in 1:51.3. Odds On Chesapeake finished second over Rodeo Drive Deo.
“I learned a few things about her after the first time I drove her,” said Noble. “I wanted to be on the lead, but I was willing to give up the front end if I had to. She’s just been in some tough spots this year.”
Sammy Jo Hanover, a Captaintreacherous-Sammys Magic Girl filly, is now three-for-13 this season. She is owned by Oompa’s Farm Inc. and Joseph Barbera. Scott Di Domenico has trained her to five wins in 24 attempts and $342,625 in earnings. The win payout was $65.20.
The victory was the headliner of a five-win evening for Noble, who combined with trainer Cory Kreiser for three victories. The pair won with Rising Fire ($2.60), Saulsbrook Mabel ($3.20), and She Comes And Goes ($5.60). Noble's fifth win came with Pink Jammies ($9.60) from the Rosy Weaver barn. Noble has been red-hot this year, winning at a 23.4 per cent rate with 550 wins from 2,348 starts. Kreiser extended his lead in the Northfield trainers' standings to 45 over second-placed Sam Schillaci. The conditioner has amassed 187 wins in 889 starts this campaign for a 21 per cent strike rate.
Cally L Scores Upset Win to Highlight Ohio Fairs Championships
The Buckeye State’s county fair season came to a close on Saturday with eight $70,423 Ohio Fairs Championships at MGM Northfield Park. Cally L highlighted the four divisions of trotters, scoring an upset win as a 20-1 longshot.
In the sophomore filly trot division, Strike A Pose (Luke Hanners) was in front of the field at the first two calls in :27.3 and :58.3 as Cally L (Aaron Merriman) sat third back along the rail behind second-place Stars In My Crown (Dan Noble). Stars In My Crown went off stride going to the three-quarter pole as Strike A Pose continued to lead in 1:28. Down the stretch to the wire, Cally L dove to the inside and edged Strike A Pose by a neck at the line as a hard-charging Countonluna (Daren Harvey) rallied from sixth place at the three-quarter mark to finish third as all three tripped the wire in 1:58. That mile time marked a lifetime best for Cally L, who scored her third win of 2025. Trained by Hank LeVan for owners LeVan Stables, Megan LeVan, Max Perry, and Edward Perry, the What The Hill filly has four lifetime wins with $98,798 in earnings.
Supreme Dance (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) won a photo finish over Hangtighthoney L (Hank LeVan) to claim the freshman filly trot championship. The Rosy Weaver trainee took the pocket trip as Hangtighthoney L led the field at the first three calls in :29, 1:00.3, and 1:29.3. Supreme Dance moved to the outside of the leader down the final stretch, and the two raced side-by-side to the finish line. Supreme Dance edged Hangtighthoney L by a head as they tripped the wire in a lifetime best 1:59.1 with Toms Queen (David Miller) finishing third.
Supreme Dance is a Full Count filly owned by Weaver and Scott Davis. She has hit the board in 17 of 19 starts this season with 11 victories and $94,061 in earnings. Despite winning nine consecutive starts earlier this season, Supreme Dance was not on Weaver’s radar as a likely winner on Saturday.
“We talked in the barn for a few days about the horses we had in tonight. I had three fillies in this race and nine in the final tonight. I don’t think anybody in the barn once mentioned Supreme Dance’s name,” Weaver said. “You can put her up against anybody, and she’s going to try her best. I knew she would give it all she had tonight, but, truthfully, I didn’t think it would be enough. But Ronnie drove her great and got a two-hole trip. I knew she would dig and try for all she was worth if she had the opportunity. I’m overjoyed with this little filly because nobody in the barn deserves it more. We have better horses, but I don’t any of them try any harder than her.”
In the freshman colt trot division, Smoking Anson won the championship in a lifetime-best 1:57.3 with owner and trainer Edward Miller in the sulky. Buckeye Baron (Justin Irvine) took the lead off the gate and was in front past the quarter pole in :28.4. After moving first over, Dublins Sidney (Noble) went in front and led the field at the next two calls in :59 and 1:28. Smoking Anson trailed the leader by nearly four lengths at the halfway mark but continued closing the gap. The Mister Anson gelding moved outside of Dublins Sidney down the stretch and used a strong closing surge to win by a length. Eckert Hill Brady (Wrenn Jr.) rallied for third place after breaking stride off the gate. Smoking Anson has hit the board in nine of 12 seasonal starts with seven wins and has $60,078 in earnings.
Full Moon Howl (Jason Beattie) took the sophomore colt trot title in 1:57.1. Silverton (Emanuel Miller), a 34-1 longshot, was out front at the first two calls in :27.2 and :57.4 before being passed on the outside by Hydroplann Henry (Wrenn Jr.) going to the 1:27.2 three-quarters. Hydroplann Henry led the field into the stretch with Full Moon Howl challenging on the outside. Full Moon Howl surpassed Hydroplann Henry and won by a length. Letsgotoparis (Kurt Sugg) was third. It was the 13th win of the season for the Full Count gelding, giving him 19 lifetime victories and $181,540 in earnings. He is trained by Jessica Smith, who co-owns the horse with Madisyn Smith.
Leaving from the far outside post position in the eight-horse field, Racing Artist and Aaron Merriman won the freshman filly pace championship in a lifetime-best 1:55.2. Shes So Fast (Dan Noble) led the field past the first two calls in :26.4 and :56 as Racing Artist moved first over and worked her way up from fifth place at the quarter pole to take the lead at the three-quarter mark in 1:24.3. Racing Artist held off a late-charging Ill Be Home First (Justin Irvine) to win by half a length. Shes So Fast was third. Trained by Bill Webb, who co-owns the horse with Denny Miller, Racing Artist has hit the board in all 13 seasonal starts with eight victories. The Racing Hill filly increased her earnings to $$79,787.
“I think she’s going to be happy for a break, especially after that drive,” Merriman said of Racing Artist following the win. “I really raced her hard, but this is probably her last start of the year. We had a horse coming at me in the stretch that had a lot of pace, but she held on.”
Merriman was also the winning driver in the sophomore colt pace championship, guiding Downbytheparade to victory in a lifetime-best 1:55.4.
After leaving from the rail, the Downbytheseaside gelding sat in third place as Catch The Express (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) led the field at the first two calls in :28.2 and :57.3. Believe In Tom (Marc St. Louis Jr.) took the lead going to the 1:26.1 three-quarters, and Downbytheparade moved into second place on the outside entering the final stretch. With Eddie Nine Toes (Hank LeVan) challenging on the inside, Downbytheparade remained on the outside and edged Believe In Tom by half a length at the line as all three horses crossed the line in 1:55.4. Downbytheparade picked up his sixth win of the season.
“I drove him a couple time as a two-year-old and have had some success with him,” Merriman said. “The horse has always been really nice for me.”
Trained by Herman Hagerman for owner David Beachy, Downbytheparade has 23 lifetime wins with earnings of $238,793.
The freshman colt pace championship went to Zumma World (Wrenn Jr.), who used a late surge to win in a lifetime-best 1:55.3 after sitting in sixth place at the quarter pole. Worknupalather (Nick Clegg) took the lead off the gate and was in front past the first three calls in :27.3, :57.3, and 1:26.3. Zumma World was second over past the halfway mark and made it three wide at the front of the field going to the three-quarter pole. The Summa Cum Laude gelding was in front by three lengths entering the final stretch en route to winning by 1-1/4 lengths over Theetown Mailman (Merriman) with Tsunami King (Austin Hanners) in third.
Trained by Jeff Nisonger for owners Kathy Gorby, Nisonger Stable, Benson Roth, and Myron Koester, Zumma World has hit the board in 14 of 16 seasonal starts with 12 wins and $93,124 in earnings.
“I spoke to Jeff (Nisonger) earlier today, and he said the horse had one really good move, so I was able to save the horse as long as I could, and he responded well,” Wrenn Jr. said after the win.
Pink Jammies (Noble) won the sophomore filly pace championship in wire-to-wire fashion, edging Maddies Delite (Wrenn Jr.) by a neck at the line in a lifetime-best 1:55. The Fear The Dragon filly posted fractions of :27.3, :56.3, and 1:25.2 and entered the homestretch with a one-length lead en route to the victory. Trailing by over five lengths at the three-quarter pole, Maddies Delite showed late speed to rally from eighth place to take second with Kyleekash (Josiah Miller), a 121-1 longshot, in third. The win was the eighth of the season for Pink Jammies, who has 17 career victories with earnings of $222,256. She is trained by Rosy Weaver, who co-owns the horse with Heartland Acres.
(Northfield Park / Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association)