Defending Ohio divisional champion Sippinonsearoc earned his first Ohio Sire Stakes victory this season, winning the $138,889 fifth leg for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers over fellow Ron Burke trainees Swingtown and Rink Wink on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at MGM Northfield Park.
Downbythewater was aggressively driven by Chris Lems and defended the pylon position when the field entered the first turn. As the field paced through the backstretch, Downbythewater held the lead, but pressure mounted in the form of a parked-out Swingtown and a second-over Sippinonsearoc. Swingtown powered to the lead for Ronnie Wrenn Jr., but Sippinonsearoc drove on and made the front entering the far turn for the first time for Yannick Gingras. They hit the opening quarter in :27.3.
Gingras smartly rated the second quarter and Sippinonsearoc reached the half in a leisurely :56. Entering the backstretch, Ohohoh Im On Fire and Austin Hanners tipped outside first-over, with Rick Wink and Chris Page in tow, but he began to backpedal as they approached the three-quarters. Sippinonsearoc led his rivals to the three-quarters in a demanding 1:23.4.
With an eighth of a mile to race, Swingtown took a swing at the leader and vacated the pocket. Sippinonsearoc’s lead was never in doubt though and the Downbytheseaside-Queen Ann M colt needed no urging through the stretch to win by two lengths in 1:50.4. Swingtown was the runner-up with Rick Wink completing the Burke entry in the top three nearly seven lengths behind.
Sippinonsearoc, who now has 10 victories in 21 starts, became harness racing's newest millionaire. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, R A S Racing of Powell, Ohio and Knox Services of Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
A close runner-up in the July 5 leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes at Scioto Downs to Rick Wink, Sippinsonsearoc paid $2.10 to win as the park of the Burke entry.
(With files from Northfield Park)