Two-year-old colts and geldings went postward on Saturday afternoon, July 4 at Scioto Downs in 10 divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS), each sporting a purse of $40,000.
Six pacing divisions and four trotting vied over Scioto’s five-eighths mile oval, with a total of 92 youngsters battling.
Big Bad Cam strode to victory in dominant fashion when he won the fifth OHSS division (Race 14) by nearly eight lengths in 1:53.2 for driver Peter Wrenn. Harnessed by Melanie Wrenn for owner Dorothy Miller of Delphos, Ohio, the Big Bad John gelding notched his first career victory. The $26,000 yearling purchase is out of the Arturo mare Camturo, a winner of $190,615 in her career with a mark of p,6,1:52.2f.
“I wasn’t really sure we were going that fast,” said the winning driver. “This was really impressive and gives us something to look forward to.”
Benda Teague’s Trayvon (Randy Tharps) was second best with Love Tap Hanover (Dave Palone) getting up for third.
Friskie Cruiser paced to a gutsy, first over haul to draw off and win by nearly six lengths in the fifth $40,000 OHSS division (Race 15) with Chris Page in the sulky. The Feelin Friskie-Corner Cruiser colt gave Page his fourth winning drive of the day and was the youngster’s first career win.
“Brian Brown races all over the country and always has his horses ready,” Page noted. “You have to give him and his crew all the credit for a performance like this.”
Owned by Stephen Sexton of Xenia, Ohio, Friskie Cruiser bested Onefinejimmerjohn (Dan Noble) in the stretch, with Rocknroll Wildcats (Andy Shetler) holding on for third.
Carl Howard’s Primo Giovani gave an impressive showing when he rallied to win the fourth (Race 12) OHSS division in 1:56.2. Given a confident steer by Chris Page, the son of Big Bad John-Jk Reunited came three-wide around the final turn after sitting quiet through splits of :27.4, :58.1 and 1:27.1. He was harnessed by Ohio’s leading conditioner Virgil Morgan Jr.
“This colt started out very slow and immature and he’s just progressively gotten better at the right time,” Morgan Jr. said. “He qualified really well and today from the eight-hole, he left well and Chris (driver Paige) got out at the right time. I’m very pleased with his effort.”
Gotmoneyinmypocket (Randy Tharps) finished a strong second with Aloha John and Kurt Sugg prevailing over the rest of the field for third-place honours.
Smoke Up Johnny captured the first OHSS division (Race 2) of pacing colts in 1:56 en rein to driver Greg Grismore. This son of Big Bad John-Ledas Twoeleven got the lead at the head of the stretch and posted a :28.4 final brush to nail down his first career victory for the Parent Racing Stable LLC of Holand, Ohio. A Yankee Feeln (Aaron Merriman) finished second, three and a quarter lengths behind the winner, while Forever Worth It (Ryan Stahl) was third.
Whiskey Friskie and Aaron Merriman captured the second $40,000 OHSS division (Race 10) in 1:57.1 for owner Karen McGraw of Pickerington, Ohio. John Ryan Melsheimer conditions the son of Feelin Friskie-Be My Lucky Star, who picked up his second straight pari-mutuel victory in as many tries, pushing his career earnings to $21,200. Mighty Touch (Chris Page) finished second, while Formula Three (Josh Sutton) notched third place honours.
Dan Noble piloted the Fred Huff Jr. trainee Nothing Fancy to a whisker victory in 1:56, in the third OHSS division (Race 11). The son of Metropolitan-Jl Cruise The Nile is owned by Huff and John Fairchild of Portsmouth, Ohio. It was the freshman pacer’s first career victory. Mr Wiggle Pants (Kayne Kauffman), who had led for most of the mile until the final yards, was a hard-trying second, while Turn It On Friskie (Randy Tharps) was third.
In the four $40,000 trotting divisions of OJSS youngsters, it was Kanthaka who scored the fastest mile (Race 3), turning in a 1:58.3 clocking for Dave Palone and trainer Chris Beaver. The son of Triumphant Caviar-Elena picked up his second straight career victory in as many tries for owner Wilbur Lang of Jamestown, Ohio and his trainer. Once the gate folded, Kanthaka left hard and never looked back, with his closest rival One Hot Future and driver Chris Page some eight lengths behind at the wire. Dusty Road (Kayne Kauffman) finished a hard-fought third.
Chips So Fast and Aaron Merriman won the third OHSS division (Race 5) for colt trotters, using a perfect garden trip to score in 1:59.1. This son of Chip Chip Hooray-Stable Creek Barb is conditioned by Ryan Angus for Mark Moger of New Hope, Pennsylvania and Albert Delia of Newtown, Pennsylvania. Chips So Fast bested rival Deep Question (Chris Page) by three-quarters of a length, with Triumphant’s Chip (Tyler Smith) holding on for third.
Chris Beaver harnessed Lone Valley Sam to capture the first OHSS division (Race 1) in 2:00.1 with Chris Page in the sulky. The Iron Duke-Wallaby Wannabee colt is co-owned by his trainer along with Synerco Vent of ON and S. Zeehandelar of Worthington, Ohio and D. Lang of Hilliard, Ohio. Paige used a perfect trip behind the pacesetting Lionbacker Kidd (Aaron Merriman) to sweep by him at the wire. Fantasy League (Dan Noble) finished third.
MJB Got Faith scored a mile upset when he cruised to a photo victory in the final OHSS trotting division (Race 13) in 2:00.4, over the hard-fighting Another Breath (Hugh Beatty). Overdressed and driver Kurt Sugg notched show honours. The son of Trainforthefuture-Imageofasweetgirl is trained by Steve Carter for Breana Carsey of Connersville, Indiana and picked up his first career victory with the Scioto Downs triumph.
(With files from Ohio Standardbred Development Fund)