Ohio Sires Stakes champion Baron Remy prevailed against Grand Circuit stock in the $125,000 Courageous Lady at Northfield Park on Saturday, Oct. 13. Her 1:51.3 effort made her the fastest sophomore filly to ever pace a mile on the Flying Turns.
Baron Remy, driven by Chris Page, led her competition gate to wire through fractions of :27.2, :56.4, 1:24.1 and 1:51.3, besting her competition by a full length.
“It says a lot for our Ohio-breds to step-up like this and win against open company,” Page said.
Ron Burke, harness racing’s leading trainer, conditions Baron Remy for owners Burke Racing Stable, Silva, Purnel & Libby, Lawrence Karr and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The victory is Burke’s fifth win of this event in the last six years, scoring with Charisma Hanover in 2013, Fiyonce in 2014, Sassa Hanover in 2015 and Rosemary Rose in 2017.
Completing the field were Cult Icon, Wisdom Tree, Strong Opinion, Bad Girls Rule, Aims Whisper, Kitty Kitty Hawk and Dragon Lady Art.
Baron Remy (Yankee Cruiser-Riley Character-Shady Character) now has eight wins in 24 starts lifetime. Saturday’s victory increased her career bankroll to $465,010. She returned $4.00 to win.
In the preceding event, Foiled Again, harness racing’s richest horse and the only three-time Battle of Lake Erie Champion made his final start over the Flying Turns. He finished second, pushing his career bankroll in excess of $7.6 million.
The final session of the 2018 Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) season wrapped up with eight $60,000 consolation divisions for two- and three-year-old trotters and pacers of both sexes.
Driver Aaron Merriman captured three of the eight OHSS events while Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. won two.
Merriman took the first event with an easy 1:57.2 front-stepping performance aboard 2-5 Bellas Rose Power, a freshman daughter by Triumphant Caviar trained by Chris Beaver, in the two-year-old filly trot. Bellas Rose Power upped her earnings to $80,135 with the victory, her second in nine starts. She is owned in partnership with Beaver along with breeder Marion Beachy, J. Gallagher and Steve Zeehandelar.
The talented reinsman next guided 6-5 Infrontandforgetit to a perfect-trip 1:58 mile for trainer Jim Arledge Jr. in the three-year-old filly trot. The sophomore Dontyouforgetit lass sat behind the pace-setting 6-5 To Russia until the wire when she overpowered rival Bugs MVP by a neck to notch her sixth win career. Lifetime, Infrontandforgetit has $95,726 in her coffers for G. & W. Buckey, M. McLoughlin and Spring Mill Ventures.
Merriman returned to the Northfield winner’s circle with 1-5 favourite Yankee Boots, a Steve Carter trainee in the two-year-old colt and gelding pace. The son of Yankee Cruiser used wire-to-wire tactics to win in 1:53.2, his tenth start in 15 tries, for the partnership of Carter, Grubbs, Carter & Whitacre. He finished a neck ahead of 7-2 Seattle Hanover. Yankee Boots now has $123,010 in earnings from this latest victory.
Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.’s first score came with 6-1 Bad Sammie in the two-year-old filly pace. The freshman Big Bad John lass broke her maiden in 1:55.3 for Patty Roth and Alan Keith. Trained by Mike Roth, Bad Sammie pushed her lifetime bankroll to $60,065 as she finished half a length in front of even-money favourite Officially My Way.
Wrenn, Jr., next reined 9-5 favourite Dragonology to victory in the three-year-old colt and gelding pace for trainer Ron Burke and owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco and AWS Stables. Dragonology took the lead from the start and never looked back to win in 1:53.1. The sophomore gelded son by Dragon Again took his second win this season and fourth overall, sporting $158,167 in earnings.
Canadian reinsman Anthony MacDonald steered 2-1 Westfiftysecond to a front-stepping 1:58 victory in the two-year-old colt and gelding trot for trainer Jason McGinnis and Thestable Westfiftysecond. The youngster was seven-and-a-half lengths in front at the wire and now has $54,832 in his lifetime coffers for his owners, who comprise a group of 31 partners.
The Doug Rine trained and co-owned 1-5 favourite Dance Withsomebody had no problem establishing his dominance in the three-year-old colt and gelding trot with Robin Miller aboard. The Dejarmbro gelding was clocked in 1:56.1 and was never challenged throughout the mile. He’s now earned $122,512 for Rine and co-owners Richard and Thomas Rine.
The three-year-old filly pace provided fans with a heart-stopping finish as 9-5 Princess Rougarou and driver Chris Page stopped the clock in 1:53.2 with a come-from-behind effort. The homebred Big Bad John lass is owned, trained and was bred by George Hensley, Jr., and upped her earnings to $119,652 with her seventh lifetime win in 31 starts.
(With files from Northfield Park and the Ohio Sires Stakes)