Trainers Chris Beaver and Doug Hinklin harnessed two freshman fillies each to victory in Ohio Sires Stakes contests at Scioto Downs on Friday, Sept. 4.
Beaver adjusted the bridle on a pair of trotting fillies while Hinklin rigged two pacing distaffs — taking four of six $40,000 tests in the fourth leg of this series for two-year-old Ohio-bred Standardbred females.
It was a fantastic night for the Parent Racing Stable LLC of Holland, Ohio, as they collected a pair of sires stakes trophies via Johns Sunny Girl and Angry Shelby—both conditioned by Hinklin and both steered by veteran reinsman Greg Grismore.
Johns Sunny Girl paced to a winning 1:53.2 mile in wire-to-wire fashion — a career-best for the daughter of Big Bad John-Sunshine State-Dragon Again. Miss Me Yet (Montrell Teague) was second, while Hooray For Hazel (Chris Page) nailed third place honours.
The win was Johns Sunny Girl’s second in sires stakes competition, as she won leg one of this series on July 3 at Northfield Park in 1:55.4 by an impressive eight lengths. Bred by Midland Acres, the victory — the fourth of her career in seven starts — pushed the bay filly’s earnings to $74,625.
Johns Sunny Girl was a $32,000 yearling purchase at the 2014 Ohio Select Sale and is the fourth foal out of her dam. She is a half-sister to Olde Time Hockey (by Art Major) p, 3, 1:50.3 ($213,147) and to Blue Chip Sunshine (by American Ideal) p, 4, 1:50.1s ($100,122).
Angry Shelby tied her lifetime mark with a 1:54.1 clocking in her division. The Big Bad John-Tura Hanover-Dragon Again filly had made breaks in all three of her previous sires stakes tests, but put it all together in the fourth leg as she scored her third lifetime win in six starts. Her earnings now stand at $53,600. Big Bad Ashley (Dan Noble) was second, while My Tweed Heart (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) was third.
Bred by Spring Haven Farm, Angry Shelby was also a $32,000 yearling purchase at the 2014 Ohio Select Sale and is the sixth foal from her dam. She is a half-sister to All Terrain (by Tell All) p, 4,1:52.2h ($101,733); Pick N Scoop (by Bettors Delight) p, 5,1:55.1f ($60,686); and Town Temptress (by Artiscape) p, 2,1:53.1f ($58,201).
The other pacing division saw longshot Naked By Nine score impressively in a come-from-behind, 1:54.1 effort for driver Kayne Kauffman and trainer Mark Winters Sr. The daughter of Manhardt-Innocent Sahbra-Expensive Scooter was bred and is owned by Dennis Shaner of Wapakoneta, Ohio. The brown filly pushed her career bankroll to $40,950 with the win — the fifth of her career — that saw her best rivals Big Bad Chickie (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and Save My Tootsie (Aaron Merriman).
The indomitable trotting filly Kestrel didn’t disappoint her connections as she captured her fourth sires stakes leg in as many tries — prevailing in wire-to-wire fashion in 1:57.3 for Aaron Merriman and trainer Chris Beaver. The daughter of Triumphant Caviar has won every leg of this four-part series and is now five-for-five lifetime, as she also triumphed in a $61,800 Ohio Fair Stake on Aug. 5 at Scioto by six lengths.
Co-owned and bred by Wilbur Lang of Jamestown, Ohio and Beaver, Kestrel is the first foal out of the unraced Credit Winner mare Blackrose and has $110,900 in career earnings. Rivals Haley Chip (Josh Sutton) and stablemate Evanora (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) picked up place and show honours, respectively.
Beaver’s other trainee — the Chip Chip Hooray filly Kerfuffle Cookie — kept her cool as she trotted to a front-stepping 1:58.2 victory with Aaron Merriman at the lines. Owned by her trainer and the Synerco Ventures of Toronto, Ont., Kerfuffle Cookie notched her third career win and third sires stakes contest — having won the first two legs of this series previously, one each at Scioto and Northfield Park. Shut Up And Dance (Hugh Beatty) was second, while Buckeye Lady One (Chris Page) picked up third-place money.
Bred by Lmn Bred Stables, the brown filly now has $60,000 in career earnings and is out of the unraced Conway Hall mare Minor Skirmish. A $20,000 yearling purchase at the 2014 Ohio Select Sale, Kerfuffle Cookie is a half-sister to Allies Gift (by Holiday Road) p, 3, 1:57.1 ($46,810) and to Special Agent Man (by Federal Flex) p, 3, Q1:59.1s ($45,037).
Finally, it was the late-blooming Consolidator who took the other trotting division for driver Chris Page and trainer Jim Arledge Jr. in 1:58. Using gate-to-wire tactics, Page sent his charge right to the front and never looked back. The win was the second straight in sires stakes competition for the daughter of Triumphant Caviar, upping her earnings to $50,616. She now has two wins and a third in four career starts. Count On Kami (Kurt Sugg) was second and Hoorah Hoorah (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) was third.
Consolidator is owned by the Green Acquisition Corp. of Canfield, Ohio and was bred by Rose Run Farm. She was a $25,000 yearling at the 2014 Ohio Select Sale and is the sixth foal out of the $107,728-winning Muscles Yankee broodmare Muscle Toy.
Ohio Sires Stakes action continues Saturday night (Sept. 5) at Scioto Downs as freshman colts vie in six divisions, three each for pacers and trotters. The $225,000 Championships for each of the two and three-year-old divisions will be contested on Scioto Downs’ Super Night, on Saturday, Sept. 12.
(With files from Ohio Standardbred Development Fund)