Harness: Ohio Sire Stakes in full gear this week

A total of 17 Ohio Sires Stakes will be contested during the July 4th holiday week, in round one action for 2-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters. Each event carries a purse of $40,000.

On Wednesday, July 3, five OSS fields of neophyte filly trotters will line up behind the Northfield Park starting gate. A full 39 of these diagonally-gaited distaffs will wage war in races one, two, three, five and seven over the half-mile “Home of the Flying Turns.” First race post time is 6 pm, ET.

On Thursday, July 4, eight OSS divisions for colts—four pacing and four trotting—will take place over Scioto Down’s five-eighth’s mile oval, with a matinee post of 2 pm, ET. A total of 31 pacers vie in races one, four, eight and 12, while 32 trotting youngsters battle in races two, five, seven and 11.

Friday, July 5, the action returns to Northfield Park, with four OSS divisions for pacing fillies, carded as races two, five, seven and nine, with a 6 pm, ET post time. From 164 nominees, 32 side-wheelers passed the entry box—some making their first career starts.

For foals to be eligible to the rich Ohio Sires Stakes program, which sports four legs per division based on gender, gait and age, the foal’s sire must be registered with the Ohio State Racing Commission during the year of conception.

Ohio-based trotting stallions represented by progeny in these OSS contests include Uncle Peter with 20 foals (11 fillies and nine colts); Triumphant Caviar with nine foals (five fillies and four colts); and Manofmanymissions with six foals (two fillies and four colts). The stallions Break The Bank K, Broadway Hall, Cash Hall and Dejarmbro are represented by five foals each, while Wishing Stone has four foals competing.

Other diagonally-gaited stallions with progeny in the Ohio Sires Stakes include And Away We Go, Coraggioso, Deep Chip, Dontyouforgetit, Full Count, My MVP, Southwind Spirit and Team Six.

Switching gaits to the pacing stallions, Big Bad John has 11 foals represented (eight colts and three fillies); Pet Rock has ten foals (five colts and five fillies); and Dragon Again has eight foals (three colts and five fillies). McArdle and Yankee Cruiser both have five foals competing, while Rockin Amadeus has four, with Bigrisk, We Will See and Western Vintage with three foals each.

Additional side-wheeling stallions with foals in the Ohio Sires Stakes include Allamerican Native, Art Official, Art’s Chip, Charley Barley, Cheyenne Rei, Feelin Friskie, I’m Gorgeous, Mister Big, Mr. Wiggles, and Nob Hill High.

-edited release (Kimberly Rinker for OSDF)