Randy and Kim Haines are having the time of their lives. The husband and wife team are uber-psyched for the Ohio Sires Stakes finals on Sunday night (Sept. 6) at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
The Haineses, who own and operate Cool Winds Farm in Lima, Ohio, are giddy with anticipation as 12 of the starters in these OSS Championships are progeny of Ohio-registered stallions standing or who have stood at their farm.
The Haineses met while both were pursuing degrees in equine reproduction at The Ohio State University and married in 1993 after graduation. In 2002, the couple established Cool Winds Farm on 130 acres in Lima. Besides foaling, breeding and reproduction facilities, the picturesque facility includes more than 100 acres of prime Ohio pastureland.
“We worked for Dr. Steiner at Steiner Stock Farm for 10 years before we started our own farm,” Kim explained. “It’s taken a while and we don’t always have the top stallions in the state, but we try to get the best quality of horse we can and take care of them well. I think our diligence and hard work paid off this year.”
Now, 18 years later, they are witnessing the fruits of their labours.
“We have foals in every championship except for the three-year-old filly pace and three-year-old colt trot,“ Kim added. “So that’s pretty exciting.”
Seven Ohio-registered stallions currently stand at Cool Winds Farm, and three of those have foals who will go to post in the OHSS finals, including Bring On The Beach, Coraggioso and Rockin Amadeus. Two former Cool Winds stallions, Cash Hall (who passed in 2019) and Arthur Blue Chip (exported to Canada) also have progeny in these events.
Rockin Amadeus p,4,1:48.4f ($728,392) has produced 74 starters to date who have earned $1,532,777, with 21 foals clocked in 1:55 or faster. Now standing his sixth year, he is represented by 3-5 morning line favourite Ocean Rock p,3,1:48.4f ($345,677) in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Three-Year-Old Colt Pace (race 10).
Ocean Rock is both Rockin Amadeus’ fastest and highest-earning performer to date and will leave from post four with Danny Noble driving for trainer Christi Noble and owner-breeder Sandra Burnett. Ocean Rock captured Leg 3 of the series in a blistering 1:48.4 world and track record performance.
Another Rockin Amadeus son, Worthabuck, starts in the same final for trainer-breeder Jason Elser of Montpelier, Ohio, who owns the gelding in partnership with Rodney Bingman of Fayette, Ohio. A winner of $43,328 lifetime, Worthabuck starts from the rail with Josh Sutton driving. He garnered two solid checks in OHSS Legs 3 and 4.
Rainy Day Chic, a daughter of Rockin Amadeus, starts from post six in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Two-Year-Old Filly Pace (race four) for breeder-owner Marjorie Polhamus. Trained by Dan O’Mara and driven by Brett Miller, the filly has career earnings of $58,900 from four wins, two seconds and a third in seven starts. Rainy Day Chic captured OHSS Leg 2 in 1:54.1 and was second in Legs 3 and 4.
“Both Rockin Amadeus and Bring On The Beach are both easy to collect, very fertile and well-mannered — everything you’d like to have in stallions as far as a breeder goes,” Randy said. “I think a lot of people tend to forget that Bring On The Beach was the only horse to beat Captaintreacherous as a two-year-old, when he won the Breeders Crown.”
Cool Winds Farm stallion Bring On The Beach p,3,1:53s ($12,001) is now standing his fourth year in Ohio, and has produced light foal crops with 19 starters who have earned $234,838, with four timed in 1:55 or better. This Ohio-registered stallion has a standout in the sophomore pacer Heart Of Chewbacca, who will start from post three in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Two-Year-Old Colt Pace (race eight) for driver Danny Noble, trainer Ron Burke, and owners Dennis Owens and Norman Rae Racing LLC. The youngster captured OHSS Leg 3 in 1:51.1 and OHSS Leg 4 in 1:51.2 for these connections and has four wins and a second in five career starts, with $89,375 in career earnings. Bred by Spring Haven Farm, Heart of Chewbacca been listed as the even-money favourite in this event.
Coraggioso t,5,1:52.4 ($677,398), standing his fourth year at Cool Winds Farm, is represented by three contenders on Ohio Sires Stakes Championship night. From 13 starters, with two timed in 2:00 or faster, his progeny have earned $288,285 to date.
His fastest and richest performer, Lima Gold t,2,1:57h ($108,562)m heads up the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Three-Year-Old Filly Trot (race seven) from the rail for trainer Chris Beaver, driver Danny Noble and Spaaaartners. Lima Gold has two wins, four seconds, and a trio of thirds in 15 tries and has never missed a cheque in her OHSS events.
Panzano, a freshman son of Coraggioso, leaves from post five in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Two-Year-Old Colt Trot (race six) with Chris Page driving for trainer Chris Beaver and Spaaaartners. Panzano is listed as 8-1 in the morning line, with his lone triumph in five starts coming in OHSS Leg 3, timed in 1:58.3 at Northfield Park. The gelding, who was bred by Christopher Coyle, has career earnings of $48,520.
The Coraggioso distaff Incomeorexpenses will leave from post two in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Two-Year-Old Filly Trot (race three) with Tyler Smith driving for trainer Todd Luther and Black Magic Racing. Bred by Cool Winds Farm, this bay filly has two wins and three seconds in eight starts with $27,777 in her career coffers and was a solid second in OHSS Leg 1 and OHSS Leg 4.
Arthur Blue Chip stood at Cool Winds Farm during the 2017 and 2018 seasons before being exported to Canada. This former Ohio-registered stallion is represented by Lady Arthur in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Two-Year-Old Filly Pace (race four), leaving from post seven with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. driving. Thr homebred filly is owned and trained by Dr. Ian Moore for the R.G. McGroup Ltd. and Serge Savard and has career earnings of $56,188. Lady Arthur captured OHSS Leg 1 in 1:53.2 and was third in Leg 2 and fourth in Leg 4.
The ill-fated stallion Cash Hall, who stood at Cool Winds Farm, sadly passed in 2019, but his legacy carries on in his foals, four of whom are competing in Sunday’s OHSS finals.
Before his passing, Cash Hall produced 344 starters, with 173 clocked in 2:00 or better and 52 timed in 1:55 or faster with $29,119,269 in foal earnings.
Cash Hall is represented by the undefeated Guinevere Hall in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Three-year-Old Filly Trot (race seven). Despite being saddled with post eight, Guinevere Hall has been made the 1-1 morning line favourite in the field of nine. Bred by Alan Leavitt, this filly captured all four OHSS Legs — in 1:55, 1:54.1, 1:53 and 1:53 — for owners M T Pockets Stables and David McDuffee. Trained by Melanie Wrenn, Guinevere Hall has $265,081 in earnings from nine wins in 16 starts and will have Peter Wrenn in the sulky.
Competing in this same final is another Chris Beaver-conditioned Cash Hall daughter, Delovely Hall, the 8-1 morning line choice from post four. Owned by Renee Bercury, Delovely Hall picked up solid cheques in her OHSS contests and sports a bankroll of $118,223. She was bred by Walnut Hall, Henry Stable and DJ McCann.
Ciao Baby Hall, another Cash Hall distaff, leaves from post four for driver Aaron Merriman in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Two-Year-Old Filly Trot (race three). Bred by Alan Leavitt, the Robert McIntosh-trained lass has amassed $31,757 to date and seeks her first career triumph in this Championship. Owned by Robert McIntosh Stables, Dave Boyle, and Mardon Stables, Ciao Baby Hall has been installed at morning line odds of 6-1.
Street Gossip is a son of Cash Hall who leaves from post eight for driver Brett Miller in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Two-Year-Old Colt (race six) as the 7-2 choice. This gelding, who was bred by the Morrisville College, has career earnings of $69,714 from three wins, one second and two thirds in six starts for owners Carl Howard and the Jesmeral Stable. Street Gossip is the OHSS divisional leader with triumphs in Leg 2 (1:57) and Leg 4 (1:58.1) for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr.
“The best part of the Ohio program is the Ohio Sires Stakes, it’s the tops,” Randy stressed. “I honestly believe that Ohio is the best place to race in the country right now. We have three levels to race at, along with the county fairs. There’s something for everyone in Ohio.”
(Ohio Sires Stakes)