The 50th anniversary season of the Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) kicks off Saturday, May 2, at Miami Valley Raceway with eight $75,000 USD divisions for sophomores.
The second division of pacers features several standouts among colts and geldings. Coming off a win in the James K. Hackett Memorial final at Miami Valley on April 23, Crocodile Station (David Miller) is the 2-1 morning line favourite. The Michael Hitchcock trainee and Downbytheseaside gelding won four of nine starts and earned $211,343 in 2025. Leaving from post three, he will contend with the likes of 4-1 second choice Illbetyourboots (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and Lindy Dragonwater (Chris Page). The Ron Burke trainees will leave from posts five and eight, respectively. In 2025, Illbetyourboots was victorious in the Next Generation and three legs of the OHSS, while Lindy Dragonwater was a three-leg winner in the OHSS en route to taking the OHSS Scarlet Championship and being named Ohio’s Two-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year.
In the first division of colt pacers, Sparks N Fire (Austin Hanners) is the 5-2 morning line favourite and will leave from post three next to 4-1 second choice Fire Run (Atlee Bender) in post four. Sparks N Fire is a son of Catch The Fire trained by Todd Luther. He was winless with four seconds and one third in seven starts as a freshman and has two wins in three starts this year. Fire Run is making his seasonal debut. The Erv Miller trainee finished with a 1-3-3 record in 13 starts in 2025. Pet Project (Trevor Smith), a three-leg winner in the OHSS as a freshman, is also in this division, leaving from post five.
Rose Run Banker (Page), another 2026 Hackett final winner, is two-for-two this season and will leave from post four as the 2-1 morning line favourite in the first division of colt trotters. The Burke trainee is a son of In Range who closed last year with a record of 2-3-2 and $189,910 in earnings. Soulful Saul (Brett Miller), the 5-2 second choice, will leave from post six in his seasonal debut.
Scott Cox trainee Tom Largo opened as the 2-1 favourite in the second division of colt trotters. Leaving from post six, the Long Tom gelding finished second in his lone start of 2026 thus far after recording five wins in nine starts as a freshman. Max The Mighty (Aaron Merriman) will leave from post four as the 3-1 second choice.
Among fillies, the first division of pacers includes a competitive field highlighted by Seaside Shuffle (David Miller) and Shesafirewoman (Luke Hanners). Seaside Shuffle scored victories in two legs of the OHSS as a freshman en route to winning the Scarlet Championship. The Downbytheseaside filly hit the board in 10 of 12 starts in 2025, recording four wins and $553,323 in earnings, and has one win in two starts in 2026. She is trained by Burke and will leave from post three. Shesafirewoman was victorious in all five legs of the OHSS a year ago and was the runner-up to Seaside Shuffle in the Scarlet Championship. The 2025 Ohio Two-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year finished her freshman campaign with eight wins and two seconds in 10 starts along with $340,118 in earnings. The Catch The Fire filly is trained by Mark Winters. Seaside Shuffle is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line, while Shesafirewoman opened with 7-1 odds and will leave from the far outside. Shacarri (Page) is the 7-2 morning line favourite and will leave from post six. Trained by Burke, the Summa Cum Laude filly has one second and one third in two seasonal starts.
Leaving from post two, Kb Wrecking Ball (Luke Hanners) is the 3-1 morning line favourite in the second division of filly pacers. After not racing as a freshman in 2025, the Fool Me Once filly has six wins and one second in seven starts this year and was victorious in the Hackett final. She is trained by Deborah Swartz. Seaside Charm (Wrenn Jr.) opened as the 7-2 second choice and will leave from post four.
Another 2026 Hackett champion, Charlies Moni (Chris Lems), is the 2-1 morning line favourite in the first division of filly trotters. Trained by Vernon Beachy, she will leave from the far outside. The Ready For Moni filly is two-for-two this season after hitting the board three times in eight starts as a freshman. Speedbewithyou (Austin Hanners) opened as the 4-1 second choice and will leave from post six. Trained by Luther, the Mission Accepted filly has one second and one third in four starts this year.
The second division of filly trotters features 5-2 morning line favourite Demonic Niko (Bender) and 3-1 second choice Faster Horses (Merriman) leaving from posts two and five, respectively. An In Range filly trained by Erv Miller, Demonic Niko hit the board in all 10 starts as a freshman and finished with seven wins and $380,724 in earnings. Faster Horses is a Muscle Up The Goal filly trained by Chris Beaver. She has hit the board in all three starts this year with one win, one second, and one third.
The eight OHSS events are part of a special 14-race card that concludes with the $100,000 USD Pacey Mindlin Memorial Invitational on the final day of the racing season at Miami Valley. First-race post time is 1 p.m.
The 2026 Buckeye Stallion Series (BSS) gets underway Sunday, May 3, with eight $20,000 USD divisions of sophomore fillies.
The driver-trainer pairing of Chris Page and Ron Burke lead the way as connections of morning line favourites in two of the four divisions of filly pacers. Page will drive 5-2 favourite Gochujang in the first division and 9-5 favourite Queen Valerie in the third division.
Both are Summa Cum Laude fillies. Gochujang is coming off a win in her seasonal debut, finishing in 1:55 at Miami Valley on April 17, and will leave from post two alongside 3-1 second choice Dolly Jean (Trevor Smith) at the rail. Queen Valerie has not hit the board in three seasonal starts and will leave from the rail alongside 2-1 second choice Eyes Up (Dan Noble) in post two. Eyes Up was a two-leg winner in the BSS in 2025.
At 2-1, Beach Babe Hanover (Chris Lems) opened as the favourite in the second division of filly pacers. The Downbytheseaside filly will leave from the rail. Trained by Sam Schillaci, she has one win and two seconds in three seasonal starts. Climate (Page) and Jamie Amanda (Luke Hanners) opened as co-second choices at 3-1 and will leave from posts two and six, respectively. Jamie Amanda won the BSS final for freshman filly pacers in 2025.
Baxter Tough (Tyler Smith) is the 2-1 morning line favourite in the fourth division. Trained by Joshua Rowe, the Dancin Yankee filly has hit the board in six of nine seasonal starts with two wins. She will leave from post five. Leaving from the rail will be 5-2 second choice Ima Beach Girl (Lems), who has a pair of third-place finishes in three starts in 2026.
Braiden Rhoades will be in the sulky for a pair of morning line favourites among the four divisions of filly trotters.
In the second division, Rhoades will drive 2-1 favourite Princess Karolyn, who will leave from post four alongside 7-2 second choice Kira (Aaron Merriman) in post five. Trained by Rosy Weaver, Princess Karolyn is perfect this year coming off a win at Northfield Park in 1:57.3 on April 22. The Creatine filly hit the board in eight of 13 starts with six wins in 2025. Kira finished second in her lone prior start this season.
Rhoades will also drive Dublins Breanna, the 2-1 favourite in the fourth division. The Enterprise filly is trained by Vernon Beachy and will leave from the rail. She won the BSS Consolation in 2025 and is unbeaten this season with a victory at Northfield in 1:57.1 on April 15. Lynn Range (Tyler Smith) is the 7-2 second choice and will leave from post four.
Guardian Doll (Noble), the 8-5 morning line favourite in the first division of filly trotters, will leave from the second tier. Trained by Deborah Swartz, the Guardian Angel As filly won her lone prior start this season, finishing in 1:56.4 at Miami Valley. Range The Wish (Merriman) is the 7-2 second choice and will leave from post four.
In the third division, Moolah In The Bank (Lems) opened as the 5-2 favourite. The Scott Cox trainee has hit the board in three of four seasonal starts with two wins. The In Range filly will leave from post five alongside 3-1 second choice Capturethephoto (Kayne Kauffman) in post four.
Sunday’s 16-race card at Northfield also features the debut of the Buckeye Claiming Series with four $15,000 USD divisions for sophomore fillies. First-race post time is 6 p.m.
(with files from the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association; photo of Shesafirewoman winning in 2025)