Last year’s Indiana Sires Stakes champion, Odds On Osiris, left the Hoosier State for the first time to compete, and made it count by winning the $250,000 Carl Milstein Memorial at MGM Northfield Park on Saturday (Aug. 15).
Odds On Osiris left from post two to take the initial lead before relinquishing the top to Ocean Rock, who cleared from post eight.
“My plan was to try and hold position around the one (Catch The Fire), but he didn’t get out that strong,” said driver Peter Wrenn. “Then I had the lead and controlled the decision from there.”
Odds On Osiris was content receiving the garden trip through fractions of :26, :55 and 1:22.1. Wrenn pulled Odds On Osiris in the final turn and he battled Ocean Rock to the wire, eventually besting him by a quarter-length in 1:50.1, a lifetime best.
Odds On Osiris (Rockin Image–Antigua Hanover–Somebeachsomewhere) is owned by Odds on Racing of Boca Raton, Florida.
Saturday’s victory is the ninth score for Odds On Osiris. The win brings the Melanie Wrenn trainee’s earnings to $500,395.
Following in succession after Odds On Osiris were: Ocean Rock (Dan Noble), Stanford Court (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.), Chief Mate (Scott Zeron), Manticore (Chris Lems), Elver Hanover (Chris Page), Catch The Fire (Mike Wilder) and Slippin The Clutch (Aaron Merriman).
Odds On Osiris returned $15.00 to win.
In the race before the Milstein, Sectionline Bigry captured the $50,000 Myron Charna President’s Pace. The Ohio-sired event by invitation began in 2016.
Sctionline Bigry was another pocket-sitting winner, leaving from post 5 to sit behind Bllack Hole until the top of the stretch. Driver Tyler Smith called on him for pace and he won by a neck in 1:49.2.
Steve Bauder trains Sectionline Bigry for Harold Lee Bauder of Delaware, Ohio.
It was the Ron Burke and Chris Page show early in the card as the trainer-driver combo captured the first three Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS).
Its Academic and driver Page captured the first of two $50,000 OHSS divisions for sophomore trotting colts handily in 1:55.1. The son of Uncle Peter-Annapolis-Muscle Hill was the 1-5 favourite, upping his seasonal earnings to $150,572 and career earnings to $279,574 for owners Burke Racing, Bill Donovan, Joe Sbrocco and the Hatfield Stables. Dan Noble steered Doubleyellowline to second-place money with 18-1 Bold Strategy getting up for third with Kurt Sugg behind.
Page returned to score another OHSS win with the three-year-old pacing filly Crowntimerockette in 1:51.3. The daughter of Pet Rock, out of the Feelin Friskie mare Crown Time Keeper, sat in the pocket behind the 3-5 favourite and pacesetter PJs Legacy before unleashing a hefty late kick to win at odds of 3-1. PJs Legacy settled for second while McMarkle Sparkle got up for third at 7-2 for driver Brett Miller.
Crowntimerockette notched her sixth seasonal victory in 15 starts and pushed her earnings to $72,060 and her career earnings to $82,305 for Burke Racing, A. Schmucker, Jr. Weaver Bruscemi and L. Karr.
The Page-Burke winning combo continued in the second OHSS division for three-year-old pacing fillies as 18-1 Rockngo BB scored in 1:53. Owned by Burke Racing, Frank Baldachino, Weaver Bruscemi and L. Karr, the brown daughter of Pet Rock, out of the Arts Chip mare Gingo BB, picked up her second win in three tries this season and now has $29,750 in career earnings for her connections. Artful Dancer, the 3-5 favourite, was second for Dan Noble and 8-5 Ellagator notched show honours with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. at the controls.
Action Uncle, the 1-9 favourite, took the second OHSS contest for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in 1:55 for driver Brett Miller and trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr. The son of Uncle Peter-Action-Broadway-Broadway Hall is now six for six on the season, with 2020 earnings of $166,500 for owners Carl Howard, Joyce McClelland and Larry Wills. Yanks Dougout (21-1) was second for Kurt Sugg with Buxton (99-1) third for Danny Noble.
(with files from Northfield Park & Ohio Sires Stakes)
Also on the Milstein
Also on the Milstein undercard, Southwind Amazon just kept on going and chalked up what I think was his 98th career win in the Open Handicap, winning in 1:49.4. If there's a world record for the most wins by one driver driving one horse, I bet that Southwind's pilot Ronnie Wrenn holds the record. Southwind leads North America with 11 wins in 2020, won 18 times last year, 22 times in 2018, and 17 times in 2017, and I think Mr Wrenn was holding Southwind's reins in nearly every one of them.