The Ohio Breeders Stakes for colts and fillies on their respective gates will head postward on Friday and Saturday night.
The trotting and pacing two-year-olds will have their chance at the cash on Friday. Starting in Race 1 on the 12-dash card, the two-year-old filly pacers will race for a purse of $26,200.
Bell Flower and Chris Page are slated as the 3-5 morning line favourite for trainer Jim Arledge Jr. She’s an impressive three for three and will look to extend her perfect record. She will start from Post 3 in the eight-horse field.
Race 2 and Race 3 are the split divisions for the two-year filly trotters. The fields of seven will each race for a purse of $16,600.
Dark Roast for trainer Marty Wollam is one of the early favourites in Race 2. She’s coming in off a notable Ohio State Fair Stakes win in 2:01.3. Standing in the filly’s way will be her own stablemate, Influential Girl, and Chip Girl from the Krista Harmon barn.
The flawless Chris Beaver-trained Sunrise Nibbles will try to extend her winning streak to four when she starts from Post 5 in Race 3 with driver Chris Page.
The two-year-old colt trotters are slated for Race 5 and the full field of nine will battle it out for a share of the $26,800 purse.
Neelys Messenger, who will start from Post 2 for trainer and driver Marty Wollam, is the 2-1 early favourite. He dominated a similar group last week in the Ohio State Fair Stakes at Scioto Downs in a new lifetime best performance of 1:58.3. He won by more than seven lengths in the contest.
Race 11 is the final Ohio Breeders Stakes for two-year colt pacers. A field of six will race for a bounty of $26,400.
The impressive Nobles Finesse, who will be racing for new trainer, Kurt Sugg, will hope to appease his new connections with a victory, but Chief Talkalot from the Brian Brown stable looks to stand in his way from Post 6.
The sophomores will get in to action on Saturday (August 9).
The action will start in Race 2 on the 14-dash card with the three-year-old colt trotters. A field of eight will race for a purse of $21,200.
Rompaway Galaxy will look to romp again for trainer Krista Harmon and regular driver Mike Micallef. They will start from Post 3 and are the 4-5 morning line favourite.
The filly pacers will compete for the $22,200 prize in Race 3. The competitive field of six leaves the race wide open and gives the chance for any one of these ladies to steal the spotlight.
A full field of nine three-year colt pacers will make up Race 5 on the program for a purse of $23,100. It will be a showdown between the undefeated Friskie Adam from the Dan Ater stable and Big Bossman, who is trained by Doug Hinklin.
Big Bossman will start from Post 2 for driver Greg Grismore and Friskie Adam has drawn Post 5 with Kyle Ater at the lines.
The Ohio Breeders Stakes concludes in Race 10 with the trotting fillies. The field of nine will chase after the $22,700 prize.
The 8-5 early favourite, Sandys Victory and Josh Sutton, will look to continue their winning streak. They will start from Post 4 for trainer Larry Tinch. In The Grippers is looking to rebound for her connections and she will start from Post 8 for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and driver Chris Page.
First-race post time for the Friday and Saturday cards is 6:30 p.m.
(Scioto Downs)