Tom Largo scored another Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) victory on Sunday, July 12 as Northfield Park hosted two $105,634 divisions of the fourth leg for sophomore colt trotters.
Driven by Chris Lems, the Long Tom gelding out of Smith Hall led gate to wire and won the first division by a length in 1:54.1. Rose Run Banker (Chris Page) and Grape Crush (Brett Miller) rounded out the top three. Tom Largo is now three-for-four in the OHSS this season, recording a victory in each of the first two legs before finishing as the runner-up to a track record performance by Big Ranger in the third leg at Eldorado Scioto Downs on June 13. He is trained by Scott Cox for Ohio owners Jughead Stables and Robert Kubiak of Strongsville and G Peters of Akron. Tom Largo has hit the board in all seven seasonal starts with three wins and four seconds. He has eight victories and earnings of $367,176 in 16 career starts.
After recording third-place finishes in each of the first three legs of the OHSS this year, Rose Run Boom broke through to win the second division by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.1 with Luke Hanners in the sulky. Knob Creek Moni (Dan Noble) was second followed by Special Moni (Lems) in third. An In Range gelding out of Loconotion, Rose Run Boom has a 2-1-3 record in eight seasonal starts after winning one of nine as a rookie and has accumulated $182,481 in lifetime earnings. The Steve Carter trainee is owned by Jeff Fought Racing of East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Brian Carsey of Cambridge City, Indiana, Adam Friedland of Brooklyn, New York and Jacob Beard of Mansfield, Ohio.
Northfield Park also hosted two $105,634 divisions of the first leg of the OHSS for two-year-old colt pacers on Sunday.
Donttruckwithme, a winner in the Next Generation at Scioto Downs on July 4 in 1:52.2, is now two-for-two this season after taking a front-end victory in the second division with Lems. The Catch The Fire gelding out of Age Of Consent won by three lengths, tripping the wire in 1:53.3. First Grade (Page) and Jett James (Miller) rounded out the top three. Trained by Daren Harvey, Donttruckwithme increased his earnings to $159,960 with Sunday’s victory. He was a $51,388 yearling purchase from last year's Ohio Selected Jug Sale by Ohio's Wayne Mast Jr. of Dundee, Eden Acres Farmstead of Millersburg and Kirk Nichols of London.
North Rim won the first division in gate-to-wire fashion in 1:55 for his first career victory after finishing third in the Next Generation. Driven by Ronnie Wrenn Jr., the Downbytheseaside gelding out of Treacherous Beauty won by a length, increasing his earnings to $78,531. He is trained by Ron Burke for owners Hatfield Stables of Columbus, Ohio, Marvin Katz LLC of Versailles, Kentucky, Brad Grant of Milton, Ont., and Soderberg Bloodstock of Lexington, Kentucky. Ocean Party (Page) and Stateroom (Mike Micallef) rounded out the top three.
Celebrating its 50th season, the Ohio Sires Stakes continues on Monday, July 13 with three divisions of the first leg for freshman filly pacers as part of a 16-race card at Northfield Park starting at 6 p.m.
(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association; photo of Tom Largo winning on July 12)