Northfield: Oso Fast lives up to his name in Ohio Sires Stakes

Oso Fast captured the quickest of three $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes tests for 2-year-old male trotters on Wednesday night at MGM Northfield Park after he took the first grouping in 1:58. The other victors were Lt Loverboy and Whats Shakin.

Scrappys Love (Aaron Merriman) carved out fractions of 28 3/5, 59 3/5 and 1:29 1/5 while Oso Fast came first-up out of third heading to three-quarters. Scrappys Love managed to keep Oso Fast at bay around the final turn and into the lane, but Oso Fast was game despite the uncovered trip and wore down Scrappys Love late in the going to tally by a neck. What A Buckeye (Dan Noble) came in third.

Scott Cox trains Oso Fast, a Coraggioso gelding bred by R. Brad Shafer, for owners Wayne Mast Jr. and Callam Racing LLC. Oso Fast won for the first time after three second-place finishes to start his career, has now earned $48,500 and paid $7.00 to win.

In the second flight Tommy Count (Ronnie Gillespie) chopped out a 28 4/5 quarter and 1:00 2/5 half, but Lt Loverboy (Merriman) completed a first-over advance from fourth to the top nearing the 1:29 1/5 three-quarters. From there, it was all Lt Loverboy as he pulled away to prevail by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:58 3/5, with Rose Run Arch (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) second and Battle Hill (Lems) third.

Bred by Midland Acres Inc., Lt Loverboy, a gelded son of Long Tom, is also owned by Wayne Mast Jr. and Callam Racing LLC., but is trained by Daren Harvey. Lt Loverboy has a summary of 4-1-1 from six appearances, has pocketed $85,980 and returned $5.40 to win.

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The finale saw Uncle Moneybags (Merriman) press on two-wide to the engine beyond a 28 3/5 quarter before he backed down the middle-half to just 1:00 and 1:30. Despite the well-rated tempo Uncle Moneybags couldn't hold on in the stretch as Whats Shakin (Gillespie), who swung out three-wide from second-over on the final bend, surged into the lead and then held off a closing Stud Muffin T (Noble) to score by three-quarters of a length in 2:00 1/5. Uncle Moneybags had to settle for third.

Whats Shakin is a gelding by What The Hill and is trained by Gillespie for owner W.J. Donovan. The Steiner Stock Farm-bred has a pair of victories and two thirds in four trips behind the gate, has put away $112,000 and paid $13.20 to win.