When 3-1 Winwood Mac captured his $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes division on Saturday night (July 16) at Scioto Downs, it came as no surprise to his driver, Chris Page.
The Canyon Wind gelding tripped the timer in 1:52.1 in the last of three OHSS divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, in leg three of this series for Ohio-breds.
“Anytime you drive a horse for [trainer] Ronnie Burke, you have a shot to win,” said Page of the gelding who was debuting from the Burke barn for his new ownership group. “I drove this horse as a two-year-old and he tends to run in a bit, but he can pace like heck in the straightaways.”
Which is exactly what Winwood Mac did, using game, come-from-behind tactics to score his second victory of the season and his first in OHSS competition in 2016. Bred by the Winwood Farm of Michigan, the bay pacer is co-owned by the Pennsylvania-based partnership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura.
The winning time was a new lifetime record for Winwood Mac, who pushed his seasonal earnings to $51,565 and his career earnings to $90,048. What A Boy (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr), at 6-5, was just a head behind the winner to finish second, while 9-5 Mr Wiggle Pants (Kayne Kauffman) notched show honours.
In the first OHSS division Gotmoneyinmypocket bested eight rivals in an all-gelding field to pick up his sixth win of the year in 11 tries. Conditioned by Bill Dailey for Ohio breeders/owners Jerry Zosel and Kathy Ratcliff, the bay son of Feelin Friskie paced to a new lifetime clocking of 1:50.3 for driver Randy Tharps. Little Woody (Chris Page) was second and Nothin Fancy (Josh Sutton) was third.
“The race set up perfectly for this horse tonight,” Tharps noted. “The fractions were fast, but he was on cruise control.”
Gotmoneyinmypocket pushed his seasonal earnings to $79,750 and upped his career bankroll to $142,348. He is the third foal out of the Expensive Scooter mare Fran Ann p,3, 1:56.4s ($3,400) and is a full brother to Igottafeelinfran p,4, 1:51.1f, a 26-race winner with earnings of $521,665. He also has a half-brother in Gottatigerinmytank (by Panspacificflight) p,3, 1:54f ($36,250).
The second OHSS division saw Hustling Charley prevail with a new lifetime mark of 1:51.3 for driver Kyle Ater and trainer Danny Collins. The son of Charley Barley, who interestingly was the only colt in the field of nine (the rest were geldings), went three-wide around the last turn, chasing Canadias Bakin (Kayne Kauffman), who had led the field through fractions of :26.1, :54.3 and 1:23. Hustling Charley then bested his rival by nearly four lengths to score seasonal victory four and lifetime win number five. The bay colt, who is co-leased by Collins and Ryan Holton, was bred by Ohio’s Lisa Ezzo.
Hustling Charley had won leg one of this series at Miami Valley Raceway on May 7 by six lengths in 1:53.4, and then finished second by a head in leg two to Smoke Up Johnny in 1:52.2 on June 11 at Scioto Downs. He now has $85,813 earned lifetime, and $67,200 amassed in 2016 for his connections.
(With files from OSDF)