Four divisions of the Ohio Breeders Championship (OBC) for male trotters featured on the Tuesday, Sept. 22 program at the Delaware County Fair.
Big Ranger and Tom Largo used identical 1:55.3 efforts over a surface rated good to capture their $85,951 divisions of the OBC for three-year-olds.
When the field of five was sent on its way in the second split, Grape Crush (David Miller) led the field around the first turn. Tim Tetrick sent the Hambletonian runner-up, Big Ranger, to the front before the opening panel in :29.3 and had him on top to the half in :57.4. Soulful Saul (Kurt Sugg) was the first to pull to the outside before the three-quarters in 1:27.1. Big Ranger used a :28.2 final panel to record the 1-3/4-length win over Grape Crush. Rose Run Banker (Chris Page) rallied from last to get the show spot.
The winning In Range-Big Blue Bird colt, now 14-for-17 lifetime, is trained by Anette Lorentzon for Madison Global. Big Ranger paid $2.10 to win
In the first division for sophomores, Tom Largo overcame the outside post six to grab the lead and cruised to a three-length score. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. put him on top going to a :28.2 quarter and rated him to :57.3 and 1:27.2 middle splits en route to victory. Rose Run Boom (Luke Hanners) was second, and Bitcoin King (Chris Page) rounded out the triactor.
Tom Largo is trained by Scott Cox for Jughead Stable, G. Peters and Robert Kubiak. The Long Tom-Smith Hall gelding has 12 career wins from 22 starts. He paid $2.20 to win.
The driver/trainer combo of Ronnie Wrenn Jr. and Vernon Beachy swept the $100,528 OBC splits for two-year-old colt trotters with Mind On My Moni and Debt Free.
Mind On My Moni rebounded from a half-length defeat in his Ohio Sires Stakes Final last out as he cruised to a gate-to-wire victory in 1:59.2 in the first split.
Wrenn had the Ready For Moni-Jjs Jordyn gelding off the gate’s wings quickly from the outside post six, and they passed the opening quarter in :29.4 and the half in 1:01.2 on top. Aaron Merriman pulled Commanders Moni before the three-quarters in 1:31.2 to advance on the pacesetter. Mind On My Moni held off a late charge from the pocket-sitting Iluvmymoni (David Miller) to record the three-quarter-length win. Commanders Moni finished third.
Mind On My Moni is now seven-for-nine on the season for owners 518 Group LLC, Gitup Racing, Ryan Smith and Todd's Auto. He returned $4.40 at the windows.
Debt Free used similar front-end tactics to win the second division in 1:58 for the same ownership group. He set the fractions of :29, :59.2 and 1:29.1 and resisted Obsessed With Me (Brett Miller) by 1-1/2 lengths. Satans Fury (Aaron Merriman) was another length back in third.
The Ready For Moni-Feelsofree gelding has won five of eight lifetime outings. He paid $4.20 to win.
Buckeye Stallion Series
The Delaware County Fair also hosted seven $28,169 divisions of the fifth leg of the Buckeye Stallion Series (BSS) for colt and gelding trotters — four for freshmen and three for sophomores — on the 21-race card.
Driver Chris Page won three of the four divisions for freshmen, guiding Easter Bb, East King Street, and Great Start to victory. The BSS hat trick was part of a five-win day for the reinsman.
Easter Bb ($2.10) tallied his eighth straight victory while recording the fastest mile of the four freshman races, winning the first division in 1:59.3 for his fourth BSS win. The Creatine-Fear Her Makeup gelding led gate to wire, recording fractions of :30.1, 1:01, and 1:30.3 en route to winning by 4-1/2 lengths. Aiming To Please (Mike Wilder) and Blazen Sam (David Miller) rounded out the top three. Easter Bb is trained by Phillip Knox for owner Brant Brower. He has hit the board in all nine starts and won eight.
Page's other pair of Buckeye winners constituted two-thirds of a training triple for Virgil Morgan Jr. on the card.
East King Street ($18.20) took the second rookie division in 2:00.3, rallying from fifth place at the three-quarter pole to win by three-quarters of a length. Glowing Acceptance (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) was second followed by Way Too Easy (Brett Miller) in third. East King Street is an In Range-She Wore Red gelding owned by Joyce A. McClelland Stable LLC.
Great Start ($6) won the third division by 1-1/4 lengths in 2:01.2. Big Train (David Miller) and Smoking Mars (Kayne Kauffman) finished second and third, respectively. Great Start is owned by Joyce A. McClelland Stable. The Uncle Peter-Lets Get Started gelding is a two-time winner in the BSS this season.
Page's other winners were Stretch Limousine ($3.20) in 2:02.4 in the Ohio Fair Racing Conference and Ur Ride Is Here ($3.40) in 2:01 in the Buckeye Claiming Series.
Morgan also won with Wishing For Gold ($6.60) in 1:58 the Buckeye Claiming Series.
Lou Armstrong ($2.20) won the final BSS division of freshman colt trotters, doing so in gate-to-wire fashion in 2:01.1 for driver Anthony MacDonald. The son of Cuatro De Julio-My Jazz won by 8-3/4 lengths with Dollar Guard (Page) and Lets Go Long (Austin Hanners) rounding out the top three. A three-time BSS winner this year, Lou Armstrong is trained by Jason McGinnis for owner Thestable Lou Armstrong.
Royal Enterprise ($14.20) was the fastest among the sophomore trotting males, winning the first of the three divisions in 1:58.2 with David Miller in the sulky. Max The Mighty (Aaron Merriman) led to three-quarters, but Royal Enterprise pulled ahead by a nose at the line for his second BSS win of the season. Time Has Come (Brett Miller) finished third. Royal Enterprise is an Enterprise-Itsgoodtobequeen gelding trained by Greg Wright Jr. for owner Jon Erdner.
Lane Holding Court ($8.20), driven by Jeff Nisonger, also scored his second BSS victory, taking the second division by a neck over Dans Victory (Page) in 1:59. Ready For Pictures (John De Long) finished third after setting the pace. Lane Holding Court is a Lane Of Stone-Court Street gelding trained by Mark Winters for owner Harry Horowitz Estate.
Moon Time Moni ($14) won the third division by a length in 1:58.4 as Pump Action (Sam Widger) and Spirit Mission (Merriman) rounded out the top three. The Ready For Moni-Reve Encore Dream gelding is trained by Scott Cox for owners Wayne Mast Jr., Callam Racing LLC, Green Wave Racing LLC and Wayne Zollars. He was driven by Tyler Smith.
C R Mission ($3) scored his eighth consecutive victory in the third $10,708 Ohio Fair Racing Conference division for two-year-old male trotters. Emanuel Miller had the Mission Accepted-Driving Miss Sadie gelding on the front through :31, 1:02.3 and 1:32.4 fractions on the way to a 2:02 victory by 3-3/4 lengths. Ranger Lonnie L (Chris Page) was second over Liams Prize (Sam Widger). C R Mission is 11-for-13 for trainer Herman Hagerman and owner David Vannatta.
The 21-race Wednesday card at the Delaware County Fair will feature the 56th edition of the Jugette for three-year-old pacing fillies. First post is set for 11 a.m. (EDT).
(With files from the Little Brown Jug and Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association; photo of Big Ranger winning on Sept. 22)