Sweet Rose picked up her second Buckeye Stallion Series win of the season on Monday, Aug. 11 as MGM Northfield Park hosted four $27,397 divisions in the fourth leg for sophomore filly trotters.
Sweet Rose, driven by Chris Lems, came out on top in the evening's second division, which included two other winners from prior legs in Iwillmakeuproud As (fifth) and Wild As You (eighth).
The Matthew Burkholder trainee moved to the front just past the :28 first quarter and led the rest of the way with fractions of :57.4 and 1:26.3 en route to winning by a length in a lifetime-best 1:56.3. Freedom Hill (Aaron Merriman) was second followed by BBs Kanson Lady (Luke Ebersole) in third.
Sweet Rose has hit the board in all four legs of the Stallion Series with two wins, one second and one third, and has four total victories on the season from eight starts. Overall, the Marseille-Normas Rose filly has seven wins and $92,377 earned in 16 career starts. She is leased by Courtney Burkholder of Vienna, Ohio.
Another Marseille filly, Pretty Lil Penny (dam Pinery), was also victorious in the fourth round. The Jeremy Miller trainee led wire to wire in 1:56.1 with Trevor Smith in the sulky. Up (Chris Lems) was three lengths back in second with Count On Kenna (Aaron Merriman) in third. Pretty Lil Penny posted fractions of :27.1, :57.3 and 1:26.4 en route to picking up her third win in eight seasonal starts for Miller, who also co-owns with Wayne Mast Jr. of Dundee, Ohio.
Travel Nurse, who posted second-place finishes in the second and third legs, got her first win of the season, in 1:57.2. Driven by Luke Hanners, she led the whole way, posting fractions of :28.3, :58.2 and 1:27.2, and won by more than two lengths. Miss Side Gig (Justin Irvine) and Countn On Cc (Kurt Sugg) were second and third, respectively. Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr., the Enterprise-Poster Pin Up filly is owned by Joyce A McClelland Stable of Zanesville, Ohio.
Volstarita, driven by Justin Irvine, rallied from sixth place at the halfway mark to win the other division in 1:56.3 for her second seasonal victory in eight starts. The Volstead-Southwind Magic filly was five lengths back of leader Aunt Lilly (Merriman) as the field crossed the half in :57.4. She went three-wide going to the 1:26.3 three-quarter pole and took the lead entering the final turn. The Cassandra Lecourt trainee held off a challenge from Tankfullaluck (Kurt Sugg) down the stretch to win by a length. Sudsnritz (Tyler Smith) was third. Volstarita is owned by M3 Racing Stable of Berlin, Ohio.
The Buckeye Stallion Series for sophomore filly trotters continues with the fifth leg on Sept. 15 at Delaware.
Monday’s 15-race card at Northfield also included the Great Lakes Amateur Driving Series trot, which was won by Johnnyreds Victory in 1:58.1 with trainer Edward Miller in the sulky.
Northfield Park will host the third leg of the Buckeye Stallion Series for freshman colt trotters on Wednesday, Aug. 13, with all eight winners from the prior two legs vying for their second wins in the series this season. The four divisions are part of a 15-race card, which begins at 6 p.m.
(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association)