Northfield: Ohio Super Night crowns best in the Buckeye State

The weather was far from perfect, but it was still a big night of racing action at Northfield Park as the Ohio Sires Stakes champions in the 2- and 3-year-old divisions were crowned in eight $300,000 finals.

Kikimora (Aaron Merriman) kicked off the proceedings in the 2-year-old filly trot with a game first-over win in 1:57, wearing down leader Globetrotting (Anthony MacDonald) approaching the wire to win by half a length. Guinevere Hall (Peter Wrenn) closed for third.

Owned by trainer Chris Beaver and breeder Sandra Burnett, Kikimora picked up her third win and pushed her earnings to $203,556. The daughter of Triumphant Caviar-Nessa Rose (Chip Chip Hooray) was sent off at 3-1 and paid $8.80 to win.

Looksgoodinaromper (Chris Page) continued a strong rookie season by taking the filly pace in 1:52 4/5 for driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke. She led through fractions of 27 1/5, 56 3/5, and 1:25, then fended off a challenge from pocket-sitter Beautiful Beach (Merriman) to prevail by three-quarters of a length. Artful Dancer (Trace Tetrick) followed in for third. Despite the sloppy conditions, the time of 1:52 4/5 just missed Looksgoodinaromper's own world record by a fifth of a second.

A daughter of Pet Rock-Don't Blame Her (Village Connection), Looksgoodinaromper is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The filly, bred by Robert and Barbara Bongiorno, has a record of 4-1-1 from six attempts, and she has now pocketed $241,300. She was the 1-2 favorite and returned $3.00 to win.

One of the most impressive miles of the night was turned in by Action Uncle (Brett Miller) in the 2-year-old male trot. He moved to the front past the 27 4/5 first quarter, kept command through middle-half stations of 56 3/5 and 1:25 2/5, and closed it out with a 29 4/5 final kicker for a track record 1:55 1/5 score, just missing the world record for a freshman colt trotter on a half-mile track by a fifth of a second. Big Box Hanover (Simon Allard) was a length and three-quarters back in second, with Exhibit Class (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) third.

Virgil Morgan Jr. trains Action Uncle, an Uncle Peter-Action-Broadway (Broadway Hall) for Kenneth A Sommer Trust. Action Uncle is a two-time winner from five trips behind the gate, has put away $196,300, and paid $7.80 to win as the 5-2 second choice.

Rounding out the 2-year-old winners was the undefeated Elver Hanover (Page), who took the colt and gelding pace in 1:51 2/5, becoming the third horse to just fall short of a world record by a fifth of a second. He sat in the pocket behind Ocean Rock (Dan Noble) through a 27 second opening quarter and a 55 2/5 half, then moved to the outside heading to the 1:23 three-quarters. Elver Hanover cleared past three-quarters and steadily pulled away, winning by four lengths over Ocean Rock. Mr Ds Rock (Merriman) collected third.

Elver Hanover, a gelded son of Yankee Cruiser-Edra Hanover (The Panderosa) is trained by Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky, Jason Melillo, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby. Elver Hanover has won all six of his tries, shows a bankroll of $256,500, and returned $3.20 to win as the 3-5 choice.

Filly trotters kicked off the 3-year-old finals, and Only Take Cash (Aaron Merriman) defended her championship from last year with a 1:54 1/5 mile. One of two in the eight-horse field not trained by Chris Beaver, Only Take Cash (Merriman) showed the way through a 28 second opening quarter, a 57 1/5 half, and a 1:25 3/5 three-quarters, then held off three Beaver pupils - Weslynn Quest (Tyler Smith), Aunt Rose (Wrenn Jr.), and Pure Chance (Jason Thompson) to win by three-quarters of a length.

Trainer Bob McIntosh bred (with C S X Stables) and co-owns (with Dave Boyle and Mardon Stables) Only Take Cash, a daughter of Cash Hall. She has won 14 of 17 lifetime attempts, and she has now put away $570,561. She was dispatched as the 1-9 favorite and paid $2.20 to win.

Queen Of The Pride (Tony Hall) also became a repeat Ohio Sires Stakes champion when she took the filly pace in 1:51 3/5. After leading through fractions of 27, 54 4/5, and 1:22 3/5, she repelled challenges from a first-over Snobbytown (Page) and pocket-sitting Giggles In Dreams (Shawn Barker II) to win by a quarter of a length over the latter. Norman's Madeline (Lewayne Miller) rallied off cover to get up for third over Snobbytown.

The victorious McArdle-Lionness Hanover filly is trained by Kevin Lare for owner Frank Chick. Queen Of The Pride made her 13th appearance in the winner's circle, and she has now banked $660,479. She was the 2-1 second choice and returned $6.40 to win.

Lane Of Stone (Jeff Nisonger) has been a force in the 3-year-old colt and gelding trots in the Buckeye State in both 2018 and 2019, and that didn't change tonight as he was a 1:54 1/5 victor in their championship. He cleared passing the 28 2/5 opening quarter, put a 57 1/5 half and a 1:25 4/5 three-quarters on the board, and won by three-quarters of a length over pocket-sitter Voyage To Paris (Noble). Yes (MacDonald) overcame post eight to get third.

Mark Winters Sr. trains Lane Of Stone, a Wishing Stone colt, for owner/breeder Harry Horowitz. Wishing Stone has a record of 15-2-0 from 18 lifetime appearances, and he has earnings of $431,213. He was the 4-5 favorite and paid $3.60 to win.

A first-over Bllack Hole (Smith) and a leading Yankee Boots (Noble) hooked up in a stride-for-stride battle from the 1:21 3/5 three-quarters through the stretch in the colt and gelding pace championship, but Bllack Hole got an advantage in the closing strides and prevailed by three-parts of a length in 1:49 4/5. Cross Country (Luke Ebersole) finished third.

Bllack Hole, a gelding by Mr Apples, is trained by Clarence Foulk for owner L & L Stables. Bllack Hole has nine victories and one second-place finish from ten career tries, and he has stashed away $228,099. Sent off as the 6-5 favorite, Bllack Hole returned $4.40 to win.