The richest night in Ohio horse racing history was recorded on September 2 at Scioto Downs, when the evening’s Super Night program sported more than $2 million in purses, highlighted by eight $250,000 Ohio Sires Stakes contests for Ohio-sired two and three-year-old trotters and pacers of both genders.
The Ohio Sires Stakes provides youngsters sired by a stallion standing in the Buckeye State, and registered with the Ohio State Racing Commission (OSRC), an opportunity to race in the four-leg, $40,000-per-division series, culminating with $250,000 Championships. Drivers, trainers, owners and breeders of winning horses are all rewarded for their efforts via the prestigious Ohio Sires Stakes Championships, both directly and indirectly.
Stallion Stats
The pacing stallion McArdle—who stands at Hickory Lane Farm in Findlay, OH—had the most contestants in the pacing championships, as eight of his foals went postward. That number includes a pair of two-year-olds and six three-year-olds. The Panderosa—who stands at Marvin Raber’s farm in Baltic, OH—was represented by five foals, including two freshman and three sophomore side-wheelers.
As well, Big Bad John and Pet Rock (both standing at Midland Acres, Bloomingburg, OH) each had four of their progeny compete, while the ill-fated Dragon Again (who stood at Sugar Valley Farm, Delaware, OH until his death earlier this year) was represented by three two-year-olds. Art Official (Midland Acres) and Manhardt (standing at Dublin Valley Farms, Fredericksberg, OH) each had one two-year-old and one three-year-old in sires stakes competition that night, while the exported Foreclosure N had a pair of freshmen pacers vying.
Believeinbruiser, Charley Barley, Santana Blue Chip, Woodstock, World Of Rocknroll and Yankee Cruiser all had one foal each in a sires stakes event.
World Champion trotting stallion Triumphant Caviar (standing at Abby Stables, Sugarcreek,OH) held his own in the trotting ranks, as seven of his foals battled in the Ohio Sires Stakes Championships—with one two-year-old and six three-year-olds. Dejarmbro (Hickory Lane Farm) had one freshman and four sophomore trotters sparing, with Manofmanymissions having six two-year-olds racing. Three two-year-olds and one three-year-old foal by Break The Bank K (Midland Acres) went postward as well.
The stallions Cash Hall, Full Count and Victory Sam were all represented by two foals each in the Ohio Sires Stakes Championships, while And Away We Go, Big Rigs, Deep Chip, Iron Duke, My MVP and Stormin Norman all had one foal each in competition.
Ohio Sires Stakes Championship winners Impinktoo and Mission Accepted were both sired by Manofmanymissions, while Triumphant Caviar sired Champions Fraser Ridge and Rose Run Sydney. Dragon Again sired the winning Seeing Eye Single; Champion Bad Girls Rule was sired by World Of Rocknroll; the winning Pistol Packin Mama is by The Panderosa, and Champion Drunk On Your Love by Foreclosure N.
Favorites Prevail
Six winners of the sires stakes championships were favourites: Two-Year-Old Colt Trotting Champion Mission Accepted and Three-Year-Old Colt Pacing Champion Drunk On Your Love were each 8-5; Seeing Eye Single, the Two-Year-Old Colt Pacing Champion, was 2-1; Rose Run Sydney, Three-Year-Old Filly Trotting Champion, was 4-5; Fraser Ridge, the Three-Year-Old Colt Trotting Champion, was 1-5; and Pistol Packin Mama, the Three-Year-Old Filly Pacing Champion, was 6-5.
Impinktoo, the Two-Year-Old Filly Trotting Champion, had the longest odds of any of the Super Night Champions, as she left the gate at 14-1, while Two-Year-Old Filly Pacing Champion Bad Girls Rule was sent off at odds of 7-2.
Trainers
Conditioner Jim Dailey harnessed two sires stakes champions—Impinktoo and Bad Girls Rule, as well as second-place finisher Rockathon and third-place finisher Scotch McEwan—from four starters. Trainer Chris Beaver tightened the girth on eight Super Night starters, including the winning Fraser Ridge, with Gabbyloosechange second; Red Storm and Buckeye Boss each fourth; and Sesame and Bamaslastchance each fifth.
Trainer Ron Burke sent out four pacers, winning the Two-Year-Old Colt Championship with Seeing Eye Single, while Baron Remy was third in the Two-Year-Old Filly Pacing Championship, as was Rosas Touch in the Three-Year-Old Filly Pacing Championship.
Ten pacers went postward from the Brian Brown stable during the sires stakes championship, with 44-1 Dragonology finishing third; Rock On Creek fourth; and Slick Mick fifth in the Two-Year-Old Colt Pacing Championship. Barnabas was fourth and Lightning Onmyfeet fifth in the Three-Year-Old Colt Pacing Championship.
Drivers
Dan Noble won two championship events; first with Bad Girls Rule in the Two-Year-Old Filly Pacing Championship in 1:54.3 and then in the Three-Year-Old Colt Pacing Championship with Drunk On Your Love, who was timed in 1:53.
Second Isn’t Bad, Either
Perhaps the most interesting horse of the night was Bourbon And Barley—who finished second at 48-1 odds in the Three-Year-Old Filly Pace Championship to the winning Pistol Packin Mama in 1:53. The daughter by Charley Barley had career earnings of $143,105 prior to Super Night, and has only one win lifetime from 18 starts—a victory in the first leg of the sires stakes at Miami Valley Raceway earlier this season on May 1 in 1:56. In seven starts at two she never visited the winner’s circle and still earned $107,870 for owner Kenneth Kohut of Independence, OH. Her career earnings now stand at $205,605—a testament to the money-making opportunities for owners that invest in an Ohio-bred harness horse. As well, to those fans who invested in her abilities in the championship, she returned a whopping $50.60 to place.
Ohio Sires Stakes action will wrap up on Saturday, October 14 at Northfield Park, when eight $50,000 Consolations will be contested at the ‘Home of the Flying Turns.’
(OSDF)