Northfield: Beaver brings talented trotters to Ohio Sires Stakes Championships

Eight $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championships will be taking place on Sunday night at Northfield Park, and trainer Chris Beaver will be heavily involved in the proceedings, sending out 10 trotters.

Beaver has his biggest presence in the 3-year-old filly trot (Race 11), with six of the eight finalists hailing from his barn. Weslynn Quest has the rail, Back Splash and Aunt Rose have post three and four, and then Stone In Love, Pure Chance, and Bella’s Rose Power occupy the outside three posts.

"I never would have guessed that all these trotting fillies would end up so good. They've kind of taken turns winning and getting good checks in the races,” remarked Beaver. “I've had three in each division about every time, and they've all raced well. I'm real proud of that group of fillies."

[OHIO SUPER NIGHT: FREE Harness Eye PPs for the entire Sunday Super Night card at Northfield!]

Weslynn Quest is coming off a track record 1:53 2/5 win in her last Ohio Sires Stakes try at Scioto Downs on August 15, and given her advantageous draw, Beaver thinks she merits attention.

"With the draw that she got and the way that she's come into form lately, things seem to be setting up for her pretty well,” Beaver said of Weslynn Quest. “I've liked Pure Chance all along real well, but she got beat up kind of in the last leg, and then she drew bad in the final. I think things look really good for Weslynn Quest right now in that group with the rail."

In the 2-year-old filly trot (Race 7), Beaver has rail starter Kikimora and post six occupant Lima Gold. Kikimora has been more consistent, with a win and three seconds through the preliminary legs, while Lima Gold has been boom-or-bust, with two wins but off-the-board finishes in her other Ohio Sires Stakes efforts.

"Kikimora's in a better position. I think she'd have won her last race, but she was kind of coming out and Pete Wrenn's filly was coming in. He had to check her and she lost momentum halfway down the lane, then she was coming back on again,” Beaver explained. “I think that she's really close in ability to the top fillies in that class.

"Lima Gold's been good, inconsistently. That one race she came home in 27 4/5 two starts ago to win, but then she got used twice in her last start and kind of weakened the last quarter-mile. I don't know what to expect with her. I think it kind of depends on how the trip works out for her. From the rail Kikimora can make her own luck a little bit, I think."

Rounding out Beaver’s finalists are 2-year-old male trotters (in race 9) Expect The Sweep (post two) and Attache’ (post eight). Both won Ohio Sires Stakes legs at Northfield, with Expect The Sweep victorious on July 12 and Attache’ coming home a winner on August 9.

"They're both nice. Unfortunately, the colt who drew the eight-hole, he really seems like he's had a good week. I was thinking he would race real well, but that eight-hole is tough,” said Beaver. “The other guy, he should work out a nice trip, and can maybe get a good piece of it. I like him, but he hasn't been able to beat the better ones yet when he goes head-to-head with them."

Expect The Sweep is by Triumphant Caviar, a horse Beaver trained through his career as well, and he’s been very pleased with the siring impact he’s had in the Buckeye State.

"I train a lot of them, and he's been a fantastic horse for me from training him and to owning him as a sire. He's done a lot for me,” remarked Beaver. “His offspring, probably half of all their earnings have been for me. I've had a lot of nice horses by him. He throws a really deep horse, deeper than most stallions do in this state. It's been special for me.

“I'm always really proud of what his offspring do since I developed him as a racehorse and as a stallion. We kind of started out taking our own mares and getting him started. I was the only one that wanted them in the beginning. It's been nice."

The eight championship finals on Ohio Super Night, which kicks off at 6 PM, is part of a 16-race card that includes two guaranteed wagers, $20,000 in the early Pick 4 (race 7) and $30,000 for the late Pick 4 (race 11).