Speed was abundant at Northfield Park on Sunday (Sept. 5) for the Ohio Sires Stakes championship card, with several world records falling on Super Night.
Herculisa got Ohio’s Super Night off to a blazing start by scoring a track and world record of 1:52.3 in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for three-year-old trotting fillies. The daughter of My MVP bested six rivals to take the coveted crown for state-breds over the Northfield Park half-miler.
“She’s a tremendous filly and Virgil (trainer Morgan) had her right tonight,” said Brett Miller, the winning filly’s driver. “She can race on any size track and any way, it doesn’t matter to her.”
Herculisa upped her career earnings to $356,862 with this latest triumph, the tenth of her career in 14 starts. She was bred by Joe McLead, Billy Walters and Up Front Racing.
“I’m thrilled for the owners who are passionate about the sport,” trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr., said. “It’s always special when they can take a track and a world record. I thought she was the best last year and she got crowded and couldn’t get out and I was thrilled to see she drew the rail to vindicate herself after last year. We staked her to the Breeders Crown and the Matron, and it will be exciting to watch her race on a big track like the Meadowlands. It’s great to be part of the Ohio program right now.”
Gulf Shores demolished his seven rivals in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for two-year-old pacing colts, stopping the timer in 1:52.1 and keeping his unbeaten victory streak intact.
“We were going a pretty good clip [:26.2 first quarter] and I knew that Danny’s colt [Sling Shock on the lead] was nice and that down the backside we’d make a race of it,” said winning driver Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. “[Trainer] Brian and Jenny [Brown] have done a great job having this horse ready throughout the year. I hope the horse gets the chance to perform on a bigger stage.”
The son of Downbytheseaside — one of six by this Ohio sire in this event — is now five for five with $251,500 in career earnings.
“He’s a special little horse,” said winning trainer Brian Brown. “He was ordinary as a baby and he still doesn’t do anything extraordinary in the barn, but he’s just exceptional on the track. His sire has had a phenomenal year. Hopefully he keeps going and will continue to be a great sire.”
Smothastenesewisky obliterated her competition with a 1:50.2 track record in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for three-year-old pacing fillies for driver Brett Miller. The daughter of Nob Hill High picked up her 15th win and pushed her winnings to $340,731. She was bred by Robert Mondillo and Donald Robinson.
“This is the third time I’ve driven her and she has one huge move and was right up in the rigging and felt great,” Miller said. “When she took the first couple of steps when I asked her to pace, I thought to myself, it’s all over now.”
“We bought her for $3,000 at the November sale in Springfield, Ohio,” said winning owner-trainer Brian Haynes. “I never thought in a million years we’d have a horse like this, especially when you only pay $3,000 for one. She’ll go to Delaware and then come back here for the Courageous Lady later in the year.”
Gabbys C Note used a front-stepping performance to capture the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for two-year-old trotting fillies in 1:56.3, reined expertly by Aaron Merriman.
“She was very, very calm today and made my job easy,” said Merriman. “Triumphant Caviar has turned into a great sire, and I seem to have good luck driving them [his foals].”
The daughter of Triumphant Caviar was the 1-5 choice and picked up her fifth win in six starts. Bred by Johanna Beaver, Gabbys C Note now has $227,650 in earnings for trainer Chris Beaver and co-owners Johanna Beaver and Steve Zeehandelar.
Sea Silk grabbed the lead from the eight-hole and never looked back in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-old filly pacers, establishing a track and world record for freshmen pacing fillies on a half-mile track of 1:51.2.
Chris Page was at the lines behind the undefeated daughter of Downbytheseaside for trainer Ron Burke, who owns the filly in partnership with Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and Hatfield Services.
“She has just been flawless this year and everything we’ve asked her to do, she’s done,” said Mickey Burke Jr. “We’ve been very fortunate this season and we’ll head to Delaware and see what we can do there. It’s a possibility she’ll go to Lexington as well.”
Bred by Steiner Stock Farm, Sea Silk is now a perfect seven for seven and has $340,000 in career earnings.
Driver Brett Miller steered The Mighty Hill to win by a whisker over the leading Rose Run Extra in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters in a track record of 1:55.4. The victory gave Miller his third Ohio Sires Stakes Championship.
“These are the kind of nights you dream about,” Miller said. “David [Miller’s trotter] had a lot of trot left and we got up just in time.”
The What The Hill gelding picked up his fifth win in seven starts for trainer Chris Beaver, and co-owners Robinson, and VIP Internet Stable, pushing his career earnings to $213,485.
Borntobeshameless, a 30-1 longshot, upset the highly favoured 1-9 choice Charlie May by a nose at the wire in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The son of Big Bad John was piloted by Danny Noble for his wife and trainer Christi Noble and owners James Morris, Dennis Owens and Norman Rae Racing. The winner was timed in 1:51.3 for the one mile test.
“It helped us that Charlie May did a lot of leg work on the outside for most of the mile,” said Danny Noble. “This horse has one big kick in him, and to win this race feels really good.”
Unraced as a two-year-old, Borntobeshameless grabbed his third win in 14 tries with this stakes triumph, and the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse boosted his career earnings to $202,086. He was bred by George Green.
Winning Ticket picked up his tenth win this season in as many tries, capturing the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for three-year-old colt trotters easily in 1:54.2 for driver Aaron Merriman.
“This is the first time I pulled the ear plugs on him,” Merriman said. “This horse has stayed pretty tight in between starts and he deserved to win this race. He does his job and I’m happy for this horse and his connections.”
The son of Triumphant Caviar now has $434,547 in career earnings for trainer Chris Beaver and co-owners Steve Zeehandelar, Tim Homan, and James Burnett. The gelding was bred by James Bender.
“This colt has been an absolute dream this year,” said Chris Beaver. “Triumphant Caviar has been one of the top sires here in Ohio year after year. We have this colt staked to a number of races in North America so we’ll see how it goes.”
(Ohio Sires Stakes)