Northfield: Longshot, Rose Run Xtra strike again in Ohio Sires Stakes

Longshot and Rose Run Xtra turned in winning efforts in the pair of $55,000 Ohio Sires Stakes races for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters on Sunday night at Northfield Park. The same two horses also were victorious the last time this division had a sire stakes leg on August 13 at Northfield.

Racing over a sloppy racetrack, Longshot (Chris Lems) led through panels of 28 3/5, 57 3/5, and 1:26 1/5 in the first sire stakes tilt. He turned away a first-over try from What The Blaze (Dan Noble) heading to three-quarters and then trotted clear in a 28 3/5 last quarter on his way to a 1 1/2 length decision in 1:54 4/5. The Mighty Hill (Aaron Merriman) was second from the pocket and What The Blaze held third.

A Long Tom gelding bred by Perry Coblentz, Longshot is trained by Scott Cox for owners Wayne Mast Jr. and Callam Racing LLC. Longshot posted his ninth career win, has now earned $128,056, and paid $2.80 to win as the 1-5 choice.

In the other flight Caviar Gold (Merriman) drove on two-wide after leaving from post seven and wrestled command away from Rose Run Xtra (Chris Page) beyond the 27 3/5 opening quarter. Caviar Gold maintained the top spot through middle-half panels of 55 4/5 and 1:24 4/5 and managed to fight off a first-up try by Bamboo (Noble), but Page put Rose Run Xtra in the passing lane in the stretch, and he was able to out-foot Caviar Gold to prevail by half a length in 1:55 1/5. Bamboo wound up third.

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Ron Burke trains Rose Run Xtra, a Cash Hall colt bred by Rose Run Farm, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Hatfield Stables, Knox Services Inc., and Jason Melillo. Rose Run Xtra has compiled a record of 6-12-5 from 24 appearances, pushed his bankroll to $344,694, and returned $4.00 to win as the even-money co-favorite.