The top aged horses in a trio of $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes didn’t disappoint their backers as the 2016 season of the rich series for Ohio-sired horses drew to a close Saturday night, Oct. 15 at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway.
Favourites Final Breath, Dancin Yankee and Victory Is Coming all won their respective OHSS divisions handily before a modest crowd at the five-eighths mile oval, on the mild October evening with temperatures in the high 60s.
Final Breath (5-2) and driver Josh Sutton took the OHSS four-year-old & up trot for horses and geldings with a 1:55.2 score. Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. for breeder/owner Duane Lowe of Malta, Ohio, the six-year-old son of Victory Sam led at nearly every post to notch his seventh win of the season by a neck over I Know My Chip (Chris Page), while Cantcutthatchip (Dan Noble) got up for third.
The victory—the 27th of his career—pushed Final Breath’s seasonal earnings to $86,375 and his career earnings to $425,453.
Even though he was pushed to a blistering :25.3 first quarter, it wasn’t enough to stop 1-5 Dancin Yankee from taking the OHSS test for aged pacing geldings for the third straight year, this time in 1:52.2. Driven by Aaron Merriman for trainer Josh Green, the eight-year-old Yankee Cruiser stallion prevailed at every post, snapping off fractions of :54 and 1:22.3 before pacing his final quarter in :29.4 to finish three and a half lengths in front at the wire. Hanky L (Greg Grismore) was second at 12-1, while 15-1 Arringarosa (Josh Sutton) was third.
This win upped Dancin Yankee’s career bankroll to $1,505,200 and his seasonal earnings to $127,329 for owners Richard Lombardo of Solon, Ohio and L&J Racing LLC of Horsham, Pennsylvania. He was bred by Elizabeth Yontz of Georgetown, Kentucky.
Trainer Ammon Hershberger harnessed 3-5 Victory Is Coming to her sixth straight victory in the OHSS test for aged trotting mares. The daughter of Victory Same-Norse Comer picked up career win 67 and seasonal win seven and booster her lifetime bank account to $698,659 for owners Betty and “Red” Shaw of Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Sitting patiently in the garden spot behind even-money choice Like Old Times (Chris Page), Victory Is Coming waited until the final turn to make her move, drawing off by nearly five lengths to hit the wire in 1:55.3. Sandys Victory (Kayne Kauffman), at 16-1, was six lengths back in third. The nine-year-old Victory Is Coming was bred by Success Acres.
(With files from OSDF)