Rylee Roo, a Pet Rock lass, set a track record of 1:53.3 in the first of three $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) divisions at Northfield Park on Tuesday, July 17, taking a tick off the previous mark of 1:53.4 set by Shakewhatmamagaveu in 2017.
The 4-1 choice left the gate for driver Aaron Merriman and stalked the leading 1-2 favourite Mi Nina Bonita to the :56.4 half, then took over the lead and sprinting home to prevail by one-and-a-half lengths in front. Officially My Way finished third.
Bred and owned by Steven Price, Rylee Roo, a daughter of McArdle, has $20,000 in career earnings. The OHSS victory was her first in two starts lifetime, as she was sixth in the first OHSS leg on July 6 at Scioto Downs to Lofty Beach.
Delaware-owner Frank Chick’s Queen Of The Pride scored as the 1-9 favourite, going wire to wire in 1:54.3. Tony Hall sat behind the two-time winner as she upped her career earnings to $46,500 in an unchallenged effort.
Trained by Kevin Lare, Queen Of The Pride held off 7-2 Carmen Ohio by one-and-a-half lengths with How About Murph getting up for third.
Long-shot Sugar And Spite, sent at 25-1, bested 13-1 Twinsburg by a neck in the final OHSS split in 1:55.2. Rose Run Uptowngal was third at 5-2 odds, a quarter length back.
Trained by Mary Birkhold for owner Tom Lehmann, the Pet Rock filly sat mid-pack behind leader Twinsburg before moving three-wide at three-quarters to win.
Sugar And Spite finished third in the first OHSS leg at Scioto Downs on July 6 and now has career earnings of $26,000.
Ohio Sires Stakes continue Friday, July 20 at Scioto Downs with nine $40,000 divisions for two-year-old trotting colts and fillies. Post time is at 6:30 p.m.
(With files from the Ohio Sires Stakes)