Four $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions for three-year-old pacing and trotting colts went postward on a rainy afternoon at Miami Valley on May 3. Despite the gloomy weather, all the tail-sitting events offered excitement for harness racing fans.
Winning Ticket began the afternoon by taking the first of two OHSS trotting events with Aaron Merriman driving for trainer Chris Beaver. The son of Triumphant Caviar, out of the Credit Winner mare Lotto Winner now has four straight triumphs to his credit in 2021, with seasonal earnings of $77,500 and career earnings of $162,547.
Bred by James Bender, Winning Ticket is owned by Beaver, Steve Zeehandelar, Tim Homan and Jim Burnett. The bay gelding used front-end tactics to score the win, snapping off fractions of :29, :58.4, 1:26.3 with a final panel in :29 to fly under the wire in 1:55.3. Peters Royalty was second for Josh Sutton, nearly three lengths behind the winner, while Tango With Me (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) was a distant third.
The same driver-trainer combo of Aaron Merriman and Chris Beaver was back in the winner’s circle for the second OHSS trotting division as Spyder The Striker prevailed in 1:56.3 for owners Beaver, Beaver, Fleming and VIP Stable.
The bay son of Uncle Peter-Elena-San Pellegrino hinted in his last start, losing a head decision in a Miami Valley overnight. This OHSS victory was his fifth lifetime start as he bested rivals Perron (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) and Lockbox (Chris Page) by a nail-biting nose. Bred by Wilbur Lang, Spyder The Striker won two OHSS events as a freshman in his only two starts last year. He now has $68,125 in career earnings.
The Brian Brown-trained Four Star Flash kept his unblemished 2021-win streak intact by posting a 1:52 victory in the first of two $50,000 OHSS events for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The son of Western Vintage, out of the Bettors Delight mare Keladi Blue Chip is now four-for-four on the year for owners Hutchison Harness, D. Wozniak, D. Van Dusen and Acadia Farms.
Bred by Marion Beachy, Four Star Flash, with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., at the lines, now has $80,010 in his lifetime bank account and was three-quarters of length in front of Im Sorry Man and Chris Page, followed by 48-1 longshot Sir Charles Of Sky and driver Trace Tetrick.
Heart Of Chewbacca added another $25,000 to his already hefty $244,348 bank account by capturing the second OHSS division for three-year-old pacing colts in spry 1:51.2. Trained by Ron Burke for owners Dennis Owens and Norman Rae Racing, the son of Break On The Beach-JTs Chewbacca-Four Starzzz Shark notched his eighth career triumph in 11 starts.
Bred by Spring Haven Farm, the black colt was driven by Danny Noble to his third straight victory this season in wire-to-wire fashion and finished 7-1/4 lengths ahead of Truly Noble (Greg Bateson), with Bare It Hill (Chris Page) nabbing show honours.
(OSDF)