Northfield Hosts OHSS Cavalcade | Standardbred Canada standardbredcanada.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardbredcanada.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Two $50,000 divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies were featured at Scioto Downs on a humid Friday night.
Dragons Lucky Lady proved that she was just that as she cruised to a 1:52.2 clocking in the first split for driver Tyler Smith and trainer Eddie Foulk.
The daughter of Dragon Again notched her seasonal fourth victory from nine starts, upping her 2021 earnings to $58,335 for owners L&L Stables of Springfield, Ohio and William A Hartt, of Carmel, Maine. Leaving the gate as the 4-5 favourite, Dragons Lucky Lady prevailed easily over Babs Jansen (Kayne Kauffman), with She Knows It All (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) garnering third-place honours.
Whiskey Blu survived a demanding opening panel and rolled to a comfortable victory in the James Manderino, a $36,995 Arden Downs Grand Circuit Stake for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters, on Saturday (July 10) at The Meadows.
Capstone, the 3-5 favourite, parked Whiskey Blu past the quarter in :27.3, but winning driver Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. indicated he wasn’t unduly concerned about that tough early journey.
“I had to steady him to make sure he got through the first turn,” Wrenn said. “But once I got to the lead, I was pretty confident in my horse. I kept his attention late, but he had a lot more trot. He’s nice. There’s a reason he’s already won 11 times this year. I imagine he’d be really good on a big track, but he was strong today.”
Northfield Park hosted a total of nine $40,000 divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) for 2-year-old pacing colts and fillies on Saturday night (July 10) at Northfield Park, with multiple national season’s records broken and set.
Secret Side Piece began the night with a bang, winning the first OHSS division for fillies in 1:53.3, a national season’s record for driver Mike Wilder. The daughter of Downbytheseaside is conditioned by Todd Luther for Black Magic Racing and upped her earnings to $57,500 with the victory, the second of her brief career. Secret Side Piece, at 1-9 odds, bested 10-1 second place finisher Fear Our Fayth with 25-1 shot Sleepwithoneyeopen notching third place honours.
Frankly My Dear saved ground through three-quarters, then moved powerfully first over to capture Friday’s Ned McCarr, a $38,345 Arden Downs Grand Circuit Stake for three-year-old filly trotters, at The Meadows.
Once Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. asked her for trot, the daughter of Southwind Frank-Temple Of Athena had little trouble overtaking May Karp and downing her by 2-1/4 lengths in a career-best 1:55.1. Dazzling Reign completed the ticket.
Wrenn said it was his plan to put Frankly My Dear in a spot where her brush could be most effective.
“Last time out in the Currier & Ives, she got in a bad spot,” he said. “She was on the right line, and it was a little tough to steer her in the last turn. Today, I just wanted to get away decent. She has one really good move, and I was able to use it. She’s a nice filly, but she’s more of a trip horse.”