Five $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions for two-year-old trotters are set to be contested on Tuesday evening, July 3 at Northfield Park, including one rookie that's already turned heads with an impressive debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
A total of 43 of diagonally-gaited distaffs will go postward in races three, four, five, seven & 12. First race post time at the Cleveland half-miler is 6:00 p.m.
Ohio stallions represented in these OHSS races include Uncle Peter, with eight foals; Manofmanymissions (five); Wishing Stone & Triumphant Caviar (four each); with And Away We Go, Broadway Hall, Dejarmbro, and Dontyouforgetit all having three youngsters each competing. The Ohio-based sires Full Count, My MVP and Neely Dunn are each represented by two foals, while Cash Hall, Southwind Spirit, Stormin Normand, and Victory Sam have one each.
Canadian-based conditioner Bob McIntosh sends out Only Take Cash from post seven in OHSS division four (Race 7). This Cash Hall lass made her first start in winning fashion, stopping the clock in 1:59 on June 21 at Mohawk, but what was most impressive was her final panel clocking of :27.4.
Owned and bred by McIntosh along with the CSX Stables and Dave Boyle, Only Take Cash is out of the stakes-wining Garland Lobell mare Armbro Affair 4, 1:53.4 ($462,826).
In the first OHSS division (Race 3), Bad Babysitter looks solid in her debut, having qualified at Scioto Downs on June 25 in 2:00.4 with Dan Noble driving for trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr. Owned by Carl Howard and Carl Atley, this Manofmanymissions lass is the seventh foal out of the Muscles Yankee mare My Babys Momma, and is a half-sister to Wild And Crazy Guy (by Crazed) 6, 1:52.2s ($389,980); Barn Babe (by Cash Hall) 3, 1:54.2f ($350,463); and Dreadpirateroberts (by Cantab Hall) 4, 1:57.4f ($28,540), etc. Noble steers the filly—bred by Midland Acres and Steven Katz—from post four.
Scoring an impressive 2:01.2 winning qualifier on June 21 was Spirit Bell, a Southwind Spirit daughter conditioned by Kent Sherman, who starts from post four with Ryan Stahl in the second OHSS division (Race 4). Spirit Bell trotted commandingly from the gate and was never headed, winning by 6-3/4 lengths with a :29.3 final brush. Bred by Dublin Valley Farm, Spirit Bell is the first foal out of the Majestic Son mare Keystone Isabella 3, 1:57.2h ($42,546).
RV Marcie makes her career debut in the third OHSS division (Race 5) fresh off a pair of Northfield wire-to-wire winning qualifiers on June 14 & 21, when she trotted in 2:04.2 and 2:02.3 respectively. The daughter by And Away We Go is trained and co-owned by Rosy Weaver and Justin Irvine and will be driven by Don Irvine, Jr. from post eight. Bred by Ohioan Bill Troyer, RV Marcie is the second foal out of the Victory Sam mare Marcie 6, 1:56.1F ($99,923).
Another in this same event who has two winning qualifiers under her belt is Ms Toni, a My MVP lass conditioned by Ron Potter for Last Laugh LLC and Dawn Potter. This brown filly trotted to a four-length, 2:02.2 triumph on June 14 at Delaware, then scored a 1-3/4 length win in 2:01 at Scioto Downs on June 25. Ms Toni is out of the Crazed mare Unfazed 4, 1:58s ($21,011).
Aunt Marilynn, in this same division (Race 5), has impressive genetics in her favour as the daughter of Uncle Peter, out of the Andover Hall mare Poster Pin Up 3, 1:55.4F ($439,454), who has foaled Lookslikeachpndale 5, 1:51.1 ($568,619) and Jake 4, Q1:54.1s ($268,696) — both by Muscle Hill. Owned and bred by Joyce and Dick McClelland, Aunt Marilynn is conditioned by Chris Beaver and will have Aaron Merriman driving from the two-hole.
Trainer and co-owner Chris Beaver will harness Pure Chance from the nine-hole in this same event for partner Steve Zeehandelar. This Triumphant Caviar daughter, out of the Credit Winner mare Jewell Creek 3, Q2:01.0S ($6,036) is a full sister to three-year-old OHSS combatant Sesame 2, 1:58.4f ($102,177) and Jewells N Caviar 4, 1:59h ($28,850). Bred by Jonas Schlabach, Pure Chance has a half-sister in Explosive Ripple (by Explosive Matter) 4, 1:58f ($88,287). Pure Chance makes her career debut in this OHSS test, coming on the heels of a pair of winning qualifiers—the first at Delaware on June 14 in 2:01, and the second at Northfield on June 21, when she was clocked in 2:02.4. Aaron Merriman drives.
Beaver will also bridle up Ilianora, a homebred Broadway Hall distaff owned by Sandra Burnett. Ilianora scored an impressive, front-stepping qualifier at Delaware on June 20, trotting to a 7-1/4 victory in 2:03.1. She is the third foal out of the Chip Chip Hooray mare Nessa Rose 3, 1:57.1s ($38,829) and half-sister to: OHSS winner Evanora (by Pilgrims Taj) 3, 1:56.3h ($115,348) and Theodora (by Stormin Normand) 2, 2:01.2h ($16,700).
Fingerinthefrostin will have trainer Danny Noble in the sulky in the fifth OHSS division (Race 12) for Norman Rae Racing from post seven. This Stormin Normand-Action On Lavec filly posted a strong, winning Scioto Downs qualifier on June 25 in 2:00.2, on the front end the entire mile. Fingerinthefrostin was bred by Ohioan Martin Miller.
Bellas Rose Power also won her qualifier, on June 20 at Delaware, in 2:01.3 with her trainer Chris Beaver at the lines. Owned by Beaver in partnership with J. Gallagher, Marion Beachy (breeder) and Steve Zeehandelar, Bellas Rose Power is by Triumphant Caviar and is the second foal out of the unraced Angus Hall mare Rose Power.
Trainer Scott Cox sends out Box Cars from post nine in this same OHSS division for the Parent Racing Stable and G. Peters. This Manofmanymissions lass won her June 21 qualifier at Northfield Park in 2:00.2, by 4-1/2 lengths with Ryan Stahl in the sulky. Bred by Atlantic Trot and Steve Stewart, Box Cars is the first foal out of the Tom Ridge mare Prettysydney Ridge 3, 1:57.4F ($58,493).
Ohio Sires Stakes action continues Wednesday, July 4, with two-year-old pacing colts vying at Scioto Downs in a matinee program beginning at 2:00 p.m.
(with files from OSDF)