A total of four $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies and three-year-old trotting colts are set for Saturday (June 5) at Northfield Park in round-two action of the four-leg series for the Buckeye State’s finest-bred youngsters.
Winning Ticket will be the prohibitive favourite in the second OHSS division (Race 4) for trotting colts. This son of Triumphant Caviar took his OHSS leg-one division on May 3 at Miami Valley in 1:55.3 with Aaron Merriman driving for trainer Chris Beaver. He now has five wins in as many tries this year, with seasonal earnings of $77,500 and career earnings of $172,547.
Bred by James Bender, Winning Ticket is owned by Beaver, Steve Zeehandelar, Tim Homan and Jim Burnett. Winning Ticket will start from post 6 with Merriman in the sulky, and this bay gelding typically uses speed tactics to score his wins. He is the second foal out of his dam, the hardy Credit Winner race mare Lotto Winner (7, 1:56.1H [$166,461]).
Another Beaver trainee, Panzano, heads up the first OHSS division (Race 2) with Merriman driving from post 3. This son of Coraggioso-Grace N Charlie-SJs Caviar is owned by Spaaaartners of Ballston Spa, NY and has lifetime earnings of $114,724. He is the first foal out of his dam, who herself earned $225,830 and took an eight-year-old record of 1:55.4f. Panzano finished fourth to the winning Spyder The Striker in his OHSS leg 1 before winning a Scioto overnight on May 21 in 1:55.1. To date he has three wins, three seconds and two thirds in 12 starts.
Among the pacing fillies, Summer Touch (Race 6) and Lady Arthur (Race 9) are the clear standouts in their divisions, as both won their OHSS leg-one events on May 2 at Miami Valley.
Summer Touch stopped the timer in 1:53.1 in that first OHSS contest for driver Chris Page, who will be in the sulky from post 3. This gregarious filly by Well Said-Real Touch-Real Desire captured last year’s $300,000 Championship on Super Night, and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Slaughter Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and trained by Ronnie Burke. The homebred lass has $328,800 in her coffers to date from eight wins and two seconds in ten starts.
Summer Touch is the fourth of six foals from her dam Real Touch p,3,1:51.1 ($150,251), and is a half-sister to Real Fine (by Bettors Delight) p, 3, 1:52.1f ($145,118); Tru Lou (by Sweet Lou) p, 3, 1:49.1f ($140,131); and Touch Of The West (Western Ideal) p, 4, 1:52.1f ($82,432).
Lady Arthur captured her OHSS event at Miami Valley in 1:53.3 with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. at the lines for trainer Dr. Ian Moore, who co-owns the filly in partnership with the RG McGroup and Serge Savard. The winner of $111,031 has four wins, one second and a third in 13 outings.
Lady Arthur is by Arthur Blue Chip and is the eighth foal out of the Mach Three mare April Three p, 3, 1:53.1s ($100,262). She has half siblings in Apollo Seelster (by Camluck) p, 5, 1:50.4f ($187,729) and Azalea Seelster (by Big Jim) p, 5, 1:54.3f ($27,929), among others.
First-race post time at the Cleveland oval is 6:00 p.m. (EDT).
(Ohio Sires Stakes)