Three Ohio fillies and one colt will look to stamp their names in the record book as Triple Crown winners with victories in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championships, Saturday night, October 1, at Dayton Raceway.
The fillies, two-year-old trotter Rose Run Yolanda, two-year-old pacer Fear Of Sports, and three-year-old trotter Gabbys C Note, along with two-year-old pacing colt Racing Rampage each won the Ohio State Fair Stakes in August and the Ohio Breeders Championship in September to earn their shot at the Triple Crown.
TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
Triple Crown hopeful Rose Run Yolanda is the 2-1 morning line favourite. A winner of five of in a row, the daughter of Triumphant Caviar, was dominant in winning the Ohio Breeders Championship by 4-3/4 lengths at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. Trained by Todd Luther and owned by Greg Luther Racing LLC, Rose Run Yolanda has earned $140,528 in six starts.
Swinging Senorita is the second choice at 5-2. The Jason McGinnis trainee has finished second to Rose Run Yolanda three times this year, including in the Ohio Breeders Championship. Owned by TheStable.ca and Hutchison Harness, Swinging Senorita has three wins in nine starts and has earned $166,014.
Truly Relentless has hit the board in all eight of her starts this year, winning three and earning $138,511. Steve Cross trains the Long Tom filly for owners Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, and Joseph Lozito. Saturday’s race will be the first time Truly Relentless, and Rose Run Yolanda will meet head-to head.
TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
World champion Fear Of Sports will have her work cut out for her. The daughter of Fear The Dragon is the 5-2 favourite but drew the far outside ninth post position. A winner of six of eight starts, the Kelly O’Donnell trainee has earned $160,903. She tied the world record for two-year-old fillies on a half-mile track September 6 at MGM Northfield Park, pacing in 1:51.2. Fear Of Sports is owned by Emerald Highland Farms.
Second choice Cruise Alert will fire from the rail looking for the upset. Cruise Alert has won two of eight races this year, beating Fear Of Sports once in their three meetings. Jeff Nisonger trains Cruise Alert, a winner of $75,713 this year, for Our Three Sons Stable and the Nisonger Stable.
The third choice in the race is Bucky Troute’s More The Merrier. More The Merrier has won four of nine this year and has earned $51,995. The Western Vintage filly is owned by September L Six.
THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
Gabbys C Note has finished no worse than second in her 11 starts this year, winning nine times. In her career, the daughter of Triumphant Caviar has won 14 of 18 starts and has only once finished worse than second — that was in her second career start when she broke stride at the beginning of the race. Gabbys C Note is riding a six-race winning streak for owner Chris Beaver who co-owns with his mother Johanna Beaver and Steve Zeehandelar. She has lifetime earnings of $450,778.
Criquette Hall will look to play spoiler. The Cash Hall filly looks for her first win in the last six starts. Criquette Hall has won seven of 16, but hasn’t won since August 5, when she won the Ohio State Fair Stakes at Scioto Downs. Trained by Ron Burke and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Beasty LLC, and Lawrence Carr, Criquette Hall has earned $170,227 in her career.
Favorite Aunt is the third choice in the field. Matthew Burkholder trains the Uncle Peter filly for owners Martin Wollam and Dark Horse Farms. Favorite Aunt has three wins in 14 starts this year and has earned $118,584.
THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
Two-year-old Ohio Pacing Filly Of The Year Sea Silk will look to retain her crown as a three-year-old and become a millionaire. The daughter of Downbytheseaside has won six of 10 this year and is coming off a second-place finish in the Jugette. A victory in the Ohio Sires Stakes finals will push Sea Silk's life earnings over the million-dollar mark for trainer Ron Burke and the Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and the Hatfield Stable.
Jugette finalist Allnight Micki is hoping to rebound from her fifth-place finish at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. Tim Twaddle trains and co-owns the daughter of Downbytheseaside with the Micki Rae Stables. Allnight Micki has won eight of 17 this year and has $154,517 in lifetime earnings.
Do It Like Bobbi, the 7-2 third choice will be looking for her first win in over three months. The daughter of Downbytheseaside has hit the board in all seven starts this year, winning three. Trained by David Elliott and owned by Stephen Sexton, the 7-2 third choice has earned $116,707 in her career.
Six of the nine three-year-old fillies in the race are sired by Downbytheseaside.
TWO-YEAR-OLD-COLT TROT
Rumble Strips is coming off a dominant performance in the Ohio Breeders Championship where he set a world record for two-year-old trotting colts on a half-mile track. The son of Long Tom won by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:53.2. The win was the third of the year in eight starts for trainer Mike Polhamus. Owned by Constance Polhamus and Mary Beth Walters, Rumble Strips is the 2-1 favourite. He has earned $126,135 in his rookie year.
Jet Hill, the 3-1 second choice is looking for his third win of the year. Trained by Edward Miller for the Serenity Racing Stable, Jet Hill has hit the board in all five starts earning $78,125.
The third choice is Black Magic, the winner of the $150,000 Next Generation at Eldorado Scioto Downs on July 4. Black Magic drew the far outside ninth post position for trainer Steve Cross. The Full Count colt has hit the board in all nine starts, winning six and earning $207,578. Black Magic is owned by Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, and Joseph Lozito.
The three have only met once, September 9 at Eldorado Scioto Downs in the fourth leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes, with Black Magic finishing first, Jet Hill second and Rumble Strips third.
TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE
Racing Rampage hopes to show why many think he is the top two-year-old pacing colt in the state as he takes his shot at the Ohio Triple Crown. The son of Racing Hill has won five of the last six starts including three legs of the Sires Stakes, the Ohio State Fair Stakes, and the Ohio Breeders Championship. Racing Rampage has earned $191,797 for trainer Darren Dowler who co-owns with Lawrence Bettler. Racing Rampage won three of the four OHSS legs and the Ohio State Fair Stakes.
Act Fast, who beat Racing Rampage in the last leg of the OHSS, will try to play Triple Crown spoiler. The Ron Burke trainee has two wins in six starts this year and has earned $124,677. Owned by the Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, and Rick Lombardo Racing, Act Fast is the second choice at 3-1.
Rockmelikeyameanit was second to Racing Rampage at the Ohio Breeders Championship. Trained by Christi Noble and owned by Dennis Owens, Norma Rae Racing and James Morris, Rockmelikeyameanit has hit the board in all seven starts with one win, five seconds and a third. The McArdle gelding’s only win was in the second leg of Sires Stakes action.
THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT
The battle in the three-year-old colt trotting final will come from the two inside post positions. Favourite Rose Run Xtra has the rail with second choice Longshot in post position two. The two have met twice this year with each claiming a win.
Rose Run Xtra has hit the board in all 14 starts this year for trainer Ron Burke. The son of Cash Hall has won six times and has lifetime earnings of $380,598 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and Jason Melillo.
Longshot is trained by Scott Cox and owned by Wayne Mast and Callam Racing. The Long Tom gelding has won seven times in 13 starts, including four of the last five. This year Longshot has earned $149,674.
Caviar Gold, the winner of the Ohio State Fair Stakes is the third choice at 7-2. Chris Beaver trains and co-owns the gelding by Triumphant Caviar with Bill Manes, Leo Fleming, and Steve Zeehandelar. Caviar Gold has won five races this year and has earned $246,773 in his career.
THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE
Little Brown Jug champion Bythemissal is the overwhelming favourite in the three-year-old-colt pace. The 4-5 choice has won 10 of 12 this year and finished second in the other two races. Trained by Ron Burke and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Eric Good and Rich Lombardo Racing, the Downbytheseaside gelding has earnings of $830,525 this year.
Bythemissal will start from post two, while his primary competition will come from the rail and Gulf Shores. Trained by Brian Brown and owned by Country Club Acres, Diamond Creek Racing, and the Wingfield Brothers, Gulf Shores is looking for his first win since the end of July. A Little Brown Jug finalist, Gulf Shores has three wins in 10 starts this year. He has earned $653,270 in his career.
Sling Shock is the third choice in the race at 4-1. Trained by Steve Carter, Sling Shock has won his last two races and has three wins in 11 starts this year. Owned by Michael Cimaglio, William Richardson, William Salmeri, and Rhonda Gilmartin, Sling Shock won the Ohio Breeders Championship at the Delaware County Fairgrounds September 22 in a lifetime mark of 1:49.3. He has lifetime earnings of $327,852.
Saturday’s card at Dayton Raceway is the richest night in Ohio horse racing history. Including the four Dayton Derbies, the 12-race card carries a total purse of $3.4 million.
Standardbred Canada will carry a live stream of the Saturday card from Dayton on the SC website, starting at 6:30 p.m. The coverage will be presented by the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association (OHHA) and the Galbreath Equine Center at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, and hosted by OHHA Outreach and Public Relations Coordinator Frank Fraas with Little Brown Jug Publicity Director Jay Wolf. Coverage will include the eight $300,000 finals for two-and-three-year-old filly and colt trotters and pacers and the four $250,000 Dayton Derbies.
(OHHA)