This year’s two-year-old pacing colt division is shaping up to be one of the most exciting, as Leg One victors visited the winner’s circle after four, $40,000 Leg-Two divisions on Monday (July 16) at Northfield Park.
See You In Tuscany made every pole a winning one, as he finished first over a ‘sloppy’ track in 1:57.3 to nail down his second consecutive victory in sires stakes competition.
Driven by Anthony MacDonald for trainer Jason McGinnis, the son of We Will See was never headed throughout the mile, and held off the hard-trying 2-5 Rock Candy (Ron Wrenn Jr.) by a neck at the wire. Mike Wilder steered 40-1 longshot Touch Of Dragon to third-place honours.
See You In Tuscany, who was bred by Mark Maroletti, has $42,660 in career earnings for the Canadian-based Thestable Tuscany Group.
See You In Tuscany’s mile was contested over a ‘sloppy’ track (earlier divisions were raced over better conditions prior to the evening’s rains).
Rose Run Ulysses, a striking chestnut son by Western Vintage captured the first sires stakes division as the 4-5 favourite in 1:54.4 with Dan Noble at the controls. He bested 7-2 rival Black Smile (driven by Chris Page) by three-quarters of a length. A 90-1 longshot, Big Pocket Teen (Josh Sutton) garnered the third-place honours, after he finished nearly eight lengths back.
Trained and co-owned by Kimberly Dailey, along with partners Carl & Melanie Atley, Rose Run Ulysses had won Leg One on June 4 at Scioto Downs in a snappy 1:52.2. Bred by the Rose Run Farm, the gelding’s career earnings now stand at $20,000.
Authentic Hanover picked up where he left off at Scioto Downs on June 4, when he captured Leg One in 1:53.3. On Monday he scored his Leg-Two triumph in 1:53.4 for driver Tyler Smith as the 4-5 favourite. He bested 8-5 Dislocator (Chris Page) by more than five lengths. Petacular Rock, a 70-1 longshot, got up for third for driver Jack Dailey.
The Western Vintage colt, who was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, is owned by Hutchison Harness, M.J. Thompson and trainer Dustin Arledge and sports a $45,000 bankroll.
By the time the third sires stakes division went postward, the heavens opened, which led to a harsh downpour that lasted long enough for Leg One winner High On Paydaze to roll to a 1:54.2 victory with Ron Wrenn Jr. in the sulky.
The even-money homebred son of Nob Hill High finished more than four lengths ahead of 5-2 Gold Digger King (Kayne Kauffman), who had also won his Leg One division on June 4 at Scioto Downs. Rock N Randy V, who finished eighth in Leg One, was a solid third at odds of 19-1 for Aaron Merriman.
Owned by Scott Hagemeyer, R. A. Mondillo and D.E. Robinson, High On Paydaze upped his career earnings to $40,000.
After the first two legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes for this division, Authentic Hanover, High On Paydaze Rose Run Ulysses and See You In Tuscany are the top point-getters. Horses in this series accumulate points based on where they finish in each leg. The top nine point-earners after the four legs will garner automatic starting berths into the $275,000 championship, which is scheduled for September 8 at Scioto Downs.
(With files from the OSDF)