Driver Danny Noble steered both winners of a pair of $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts on a cool Saturday night at Northfield Park.
In the first OSS division, Noble put 1-5 favourite Bounding Dragon on the front end just after the first turn, and the rest was history as the son of Dragon Again cruised handily through fractions of :27, :55.1 and 1:22.4, before posting a 1:51.1 winning clocking.
Trained by Mike Roth for Alan Keith of Johnstown, OH and Carl & Melanie Atley of Xenia, OH, Bounding Dragon has now swept the first three legs of OSS competition.
Jo Jos Pet Rock, a 12-1 mild longshot got up gamely to be second for driver Tyler Smith, 2-1/4 lengths behind the winner, while 4-1 Slick Mick (Chris Page) finished third.
Bred by Emerald Highlands Farm, J&T Silva and W. Spraw, III, Bounding Dragon upped his career earnings to $161,659 and his seasonal earnings to $90,250 from six wins, seven seconds and one third in 16 lifetime starts.
Rockathon was never headed throughout the second OSS division for Noble, pacing through panels of :27, :55.1 and 1:23.3, before posting a :28.1 final brush to win in 1:51.4 as the even-money favourite.
Trained and co-owned by Kimberly Dailey, along with partners Carl & Melanie Atley, the son of Pet Rock was third in his OSS Leg 1 division, and won Leg 2 on June 9 at Scioto Downs in 1:51.1 for these same connections.
Seeing Eye Single (4-1) was 2-1/2 lengths back in second for driver Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., while 3-1 Letsallrock (Tyler Smith) was moved up to third after 11-1 Sectionline Bigry (Aaron Merriman) was set back to fifth for causing interference.
Rockathon now has $211,012 in career earnings from seven wins, four seconds and three third in 17 lifetime starts. He was bred by Ron Salcedo of Tennessee.
Ohio Sires Stakes action continues Monday night at Northfield Park, with two events for three-year-old trotting colts in round three of the four-leg series.
(OSDF)