Northfield: Elver Hanover swiftest in Ohio Sires Stakes for rookie pacing males

A trio of $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes (OSS) for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings highlighted the 16-race card at Northfield Park on a comfortable Saturday evening (July 13).

Big Bretta, who finished third but was disqualified and placed fifth in OSS leg one at Scioto Downs on July 4, redeemed himself with a 1:54 victorious clocking in this second leg. Steered by Chris Lems for trainer Bret Schwartz, the son of Big Bad John rocked to an easy front-end triumph, pacing through panels of 28, 56, and 1:25 before posting a modest 29 second final quarter.

Owned by Hired Gun Racing Stables, B.R. Larnick, and A.M. Jacobs, 6-1 Big Bretta finished a nose ahead of 7-1 Can Be Perfect (Kurt Sugg), while 12-1 Fifty Flat (Jeff Nisonger) got up for third. Big Bretta now has $23,563 in career earnings from his two wins in three lifetime starts.

As the 16th of 17 foals out of the Towners Big Guy mare CC Biggirl Bretta, Big Bretta is a half-sibling to Psilvuheartbreaker (by Nobleland Sam) p, 5, 1:49 3/5 ($1,566,664); CC Make A Buck (by Nobleland Sam) p, 3, 1:53 ($217,901); CC Big Boy Sam (by Nobleland Sam) p, 8, 1:51 3/5 ($247,886), and CC’s Desire (by Real Desire) p, 6, 1:51 1/5 ($159,753).

Trainer Ron Burke harnessed OSS leg one victor Elver Hanover to his second consecutive triumph as the Yankee Cruiser gelding cruised to a wire-to-wire 1:53 3/5 clocking with Chris Page at the controls. Owned by Burke Racing, Bridgette Jablonsky, Jason Melillo, and J&T Silva-Purnel&Libby, Elver Hanover had scored at his Eldorado Scioto Downs career debut on July 4 in 1:53 4/5.

Sent off at 3-5 odds, Elver Hanover finished 3 1/4 lengths in front of 7-5 second-place finisher Mr Ds Rock (Aaron Merriman), with 30-1 Rockntheafterparty (Kyle Ater) third. The impressive side-wheeling youngster now has $40,000 in his coffers.

Elver Hanover is the eighth of nine foals out of The Panderosa mare Edra Hanover p, 2, 1:51 ($171,753) and is a half-brother to Eddard Hanover (by Dragon Again) p, 5, 1:49 3/5 ($521,397).

In perhaps the most exciting OSS division of the evening, Gray Dragon battled hard and fought off multiple challenges by his rivals to hold on for driver Ryan Stahl at 30-1 odds, returning $63.20 on a $2 ticket. The son of Dragon Again tripped the timer in a modest 1:55, staving off 5-1 Rock Smart (Aaron Merriman) by half a length, with 99-1 One Rock (Greg Grismore) nabbing third-place money.

Virgil Morgan Jr., trains Gray Dragon, who was fourth in OSS leg one to the winning Rock Smart. He now boasts a bankroll of $23,200 for owner/breeder Emerald Highlands Farm.

Gray Dragon is the fourth of five foals out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Rock For Glory p, 3, 1:52 2/5 ($137,598).