Josh Sutton manufactured a six-win performance Thursday evening at Northfield Park, including a victory with Sweetheart Dance in the $12,000 Fillies & Mares Open.
Sweetheart Dance, who is owned by Keith Pippi of Pittsburgh, PA and trained by Kent Sherman, led at every call, posting fractions of :27, :55.1, 1:23.3 en route to the 1:53.2 decision. She was an uncontested 3-1/2 lengths in front at the finish, with Riverdancer and Ashtoreth Hanover rounding out the top three.
Thursday’s win was the third victory this year for the daughter of Yankee Cruiser-Somekindasweetypie. The 15-time winner pushed her lifetime earnings to $179,241 with the triumph. She returned $3.00.
Sutton’s other winners on the evening included Serina Request ($7.80) in race three, Ribbons Of Color ($3.00) in race four, Bride In A Box ($6.60) in race five, Sparkling Yankee ($7.00) in race seven and Hello Camie ($4.60) in race 15.
Sutton, 32, began driving in 2000 and has since garnered 2,439 career successes. He is approaching $13,500,000 in purse earnings. He has posted 198 victories so far this year over Northfield’s Flying Turns, which tops the local driving ranks by 43 wins. Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. (155), Aaron Merriman (129), Kurt Sugg (61) and David Lake (60) complete the top five.
Sutton has spent his nights off driving at Miami Valley and Scioto Downs, where he has also been winning races at an impressive rate. To date, Sutton has garnered a total of 238 wins in 2014. His seasonal win tally ranks him as the third leading driver in North America, completing a Northfield Park Trifecta of drivers. Aaron Merriman (261) and Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. (244), both Northfield regulars, are the only drivers to post more wins so far this year this year than Sutton.
(Northfield Park)