The 2021 Ohio Sires Stakes season kicks off on Sunday (May 2) at Miami Valley Raceway, with three divisions for sophomore fillies. Additionally, four divisions of sophomore colts will race at the same venue on Monday (May 3). Post time both days is 2:05 p.m. ET.
A total of 27 fillies will race in OHSS events on Sunday, with one $60,000 division of nine trotters and a pair of $50,000 divisions of pacing fillies with nine contestants each. Likewise, on Monday afternoon, two $50,000 divisions of trotting colts and two $50,000 divisions of pacing colts will line up behind the starting gate.
This season the Ohio Sires Stakes nominations are significantly, with 1,071 foals nominated as opposed to 930 in 2020. Of those, 314 are three-year-olds, up from 300 in 2020, while 757 are two-year-olds, up from 630 nominees during the same time period.
Last season’s two-year-old champion, Merry Ann, makes her seasonal debut on Sunday for trainer Ronnie Burke in the lone trotting division (race six). The daughter of Southwind Spirit out of the SJs Photo mare Witty Girl earned $245,200 last year from five wins and two second-place finishes in eight starts and captured the $300,000 OHSS championship on Super Night at Scioto Downs in a wire-to-wire effort in 1:57. Her career mark of 1:56h came at Northfield in an $40,000 OHSS contest on Aug. 7. Most recently, she qualified at The Meadows in front-stepping fashion in 2:01. She is owned by her breeder, Knox Services, in partnership with Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.
Burke also sends out Summer Touch (race nine), who captured the 2020 OHSS championship on Super Night, and who will be making her second seasonal start on Sunday. After earning $285,550 as a freshman and pacing to a mark of 1:51.4h at Northfield on Aug. 7, the daughter of Well Said and Real Touch finished second by a head to Lady Arthur on April 23 in the $50,000 Scarlet & Gray for the Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Slaughter Racing and Weaver Bruscemi.
The aforementioned Lady Arthur (race 3) heads up the first pacing division for Canadian-based trainer Dr. Ian Moore. The daughter of Arthur Blue Chip out of the Mach Tree mare April Three is owned in partnership by Moore, RG McGroup and Serge Savard. She earned $60,931 last year at two and took a respectable mark of 1:53.2f at Scioto Downs on July 11 in a $40,000 OHSS contest. This year, she has amassed $25,000 from that lone start and victory in the Scarlet & Gray at Miami Valley.
On Monday afternoon, Perron leaves from post four in the second OHSS trotting division (race 4). This son of My MVP captured the $300,000 championship on Super Night last season in 1:58f and is making just his second start this year. Trained by Chris Beaver for Steve Stewart, David Wright, Greg Wilcoxen and Kevin Doherty, Perron has amassed $206,204 lifetime for his connections.
The Chris Beaver-conditioned Winning Ticket has begun his 2021 campaign with a vengeance, rattling off three straight triumphs for owners Beaver, Steve Zeehandelar, Tim Homan and Jim Burnett. Bred by James Bender, the son of Triumphant Caviar out of the Credit Winner mare Lotto Winner already has $52,500 on his card this season, after earning $95,047 at two. Most recently he captured the $50,000 Scarlet & Gray for Aaron Merriman on April 24 at Miami Valley in 1:54.1. Winning Ticket starts from post eight in the first OHSS trotting division (race 2).
Seven colts move behind the starting gate in the first OHSS division for pacers (race 6), headed up by Charlie May, last season’s winner of the $300,000 OHSS championship for freshman pacers. This McArdle gelding, who is out of the Western Hanover mare Stipple Hanover, had a fat pocketbook last season, with $328,627 in earnings for owner-breeder Don Tiger of Canonsburg, Pa., and looks to pick up right where he left off. After two solid qualifiers at Miami Valley for trainer Steve Carter, Charlie May won his debut in a $15,000 Hackett elimination on April 10 in an impressive 1:51.4.
Heart Of Chewbacca, a solid OHSS contender last season, heads up the second pacing division (race 8) for trainer Ronnie Burke from the rail slot. The son of Bring On The Beach earned $195,598 for owners Dennis Owens and Norman Race Racing last year and has added another $48,750 to his coffers this season via two wins and a second in three starts. He lowered his two-year-old record of 1:51.1f by a tick at Miami Valley on April 24 via his triumph in a $50,000 Scarlet & Gray with Danny Noble at the lines. This hardy youngster was bred by Spring Haven Farm.
(Ohio Sires Stakes)