The powerful Consolidator stormed to victory in the first of three $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies on a balmy Sunday night (May 29) at Northfield Park.
Confidently driven by Chris Page, the daughter of Triumphant Caviar took the lead just past the :29 first quarter and never looked back, trotting through panels of :58.3 and 1:28.2, before stopping the timer in a strong 1:58.3.
Owned by the Green Acquisition Corporation, Consolidator is conditioned by Jim Arledge Jr. The boisterous filly upped her seasonal earnings to $40,000 and her career earnings to $117,616 after finishing a solid three lengths in front of the hard-trying Hoorah Hoorah (Aaron Merriman) and third-place finisher Wegotthechips (Peter Wrenn).
“Consolidator has so much go,” acknowledged Arledge Jr. “So much so, that she can get pretty rambunctious at times. She just has no stop in her.”
Always a handful in the winner’s circle for her patient caretaker, Consolidator won leg one of this series on May 6 at Miami Valley Raceway.
Bred by Rose Run Farm, Consolidator sold for $25,000 as a yearling at the 2014 Ohio Selected Jug Sale.
Kestrel used the rail to her advantage in the second $40,000 OHSS division, leading at every post for driver Aaron Merriman en route to notching her seventh career victory in a lifetime-best mark of 1:57. Trained by Chris Beaver and owned in partnership by Beaver with breeder Wilbur Lang, the daughter of Triumphant Caviar was the public’s 1-5 choice.
Kestrel left hard from the gate, floating through panels of :28.1, :58.2 and 1:27.4, striding confidently ahead of second-place finisher Buckeye Lady One (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), while Bellesvictoryring (Ryan Stahl) got up for third.
Kestrel added the winner’s share of $20,000 to her already bulging bankroll of $191,650 in her seasonal debut for these connections.
After finishing third in leg one of this series, A TC Queenie put in a strong performance to capture the third $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for trainer Ron Steck and driver Danny Noble.
After stalking the leader, 3-5 favourite Kerfuffle Cookie (Chris Page) through opening panels of :28.4 and :59.3, the daughter of Triumphant Caviar assumed the front end and held on gamely to the 1:29 three-quarter marker and was first to the wire in 1:58.3.
Owned by Trish Soulsby of Ohio and Richard Schaut of Florida, A TC Queenie pushed her seasonal earnings to $27,300 and her career earnings to $53,116 with the win, the fourth of her career.
This well-put-together bay filly was bred by Danny Collins and was making just the fifth start of her three-year-old season.
(Ohio Sire Stakes)