Northfield Park: Ronnie Wrenn Jr., Brian Brown tough to beat in Ohio Sires Stakes

Driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. and trainer Brian Brown teamed together to win three of the five Ohio Sires Stakes races for 2-year-old pacers on Monday night at Northfield Park.

Rock Candy led a Brown exacta in the first $40,000 flight for colts and geldings, defeating stablemate Dislocator (Chris Page) by a length and a quarter in a 1:53 mile. Rock Candy moved into the lead around Dislocator past the 28 2/5 opening quarter and held sway from that point.

A Pet Rock gelding, Rock Candy is owned by Country Club Acres Inc., Joe Sbrocco, and Richard Lombardo. Rock Candy has a record of 2-3-0 from five trips behind the gate, and he has earned $68,400. Bred by Mark Moger and Albert Delia, Rock Candy was a $60,000 buy at the Ohio Select Sale and is out of the Sportsmaster mare Cotton Candy (1:52 3/5, $188,312), making Rock Candy a half-brother to the likes of Mr. D's Dragon (Dragon Again, 1:50 1/5, $213,323). Rock Candy was the 1-5 favorite and returned $2.60 to win.

There was also a Brown 1-2 finish in the final division for pacing males as Smackitwithahammer sat a loose pocket trip to Tony Too Tall (Ryan Stahl) through panels of 28, 56 4/5, and 1:24 3/5, then came to the outside off the last turn and got up to win by a length in 1:52 3/5.

Smackitwithahammer, a gelding by McArdle, is owned by Country Club Acres Inc, Sbrocco, and William Robinson Estate. Smackitwithahammer is now a two-time winner from five tries, and he has pocketed $39,000. Patrick Gafford, Danny Miller, and Aaron Miller bred Smackitwithahammer, who was a $40,000 Ohio Select Sale purchase and is out of the Camluck mare Higher Standards (1:56 3/5, $50,410). Higher Standards is a half-sister to Pacific Playboy (Pacific Fella, 1:48 3/5, $571,208). Smackitwithahammer was the 6-5 favorite and returned $4.60 to win.

Rounding out the Wrenn Jr./Brown hat trick was Final Offer, who took the first of two $50,000 tests for pacing fillies in 1:55. She completed a first-up move into the lead past the 57-second half, and went on to score by three lengths.

By Rockin Amadeus, Final Offer is owned by Country Club Acres Inc., Aws Stables, and Sbrocco. This was her second career triumph, and she now shows $61,300 in earnings. Final Offer, who was bred by Michael Dixon, Harold Bauder, and Harold L. Bauder, fetched $47,000 at the Ohio Select Sale and is out of the Yankee Cruiser mare Sectionline Yankee (1:50 2/5, $350,075). Sectionline Yankee is a half-sister to five six-figure earners. Final Offer was the 4-5 favorite and returned $3.60 to win.J J Zamaiko PhotographyRylee Roo bettered her own track record

Rylee Roo (Aaron Merriman) was already the track record holder for a 2-year-old pacing filly at Northfield Park, but she would lower her own standard by a fifth of a second in winning the other division for the ladies in 1:53 2/5. She led to the 27 3/5 opening quarter, yielded to Rose Run Uptowngal (Page), then came up the passing lane in the stretch to down that foe by a quarter of a length.

The victorious Pet Rock filly is trained by Steve Carter for owner/breeder Steven Price. She made her second appearance in the winner's circle, and she has now banked $74,375. Rylee Roo is the second foal out of the Western Hanover mare Moonlite Delite (1:51 3/5, $274,548). Rylee Roo was the 8-5 second choice and paid $5.40 to win.

High On Paydaze (Page), trained by Brown, was looking to run his record to five-for-five in the remaining colt contest, but he ran into a buzzsaw in Rose Run Ulysses (Trace Tetrick). Rose Run Ulysses had control through panels of 27 3/5, 55 2/5, and 1:23 3/5, turned away the first-up advance from High On Paydaze past three-quarters, and went on to score by a length and a quarter in 1:52, just missing the track record for a 2-year-old gelding pacer by a fifth of a second.

Kimberly Dailey trains and co-owns the victorious gelding with partners Carl and Melanie Atley. Rose Run Ulysses, who fetched $19,000 at the Buckeye Yearling Sale, is now four-for-five in the win column with $83,200 in earnings. Bred by Rose Run Farm, Rose Run Ulysses is out of the Good News Scooter mare Alcyon Semalu (1:56, $37,802), making him a half-brother to Style Semalu (Million Dollar Cam, 1:51, $436,003). The 4-1 second choice, Rose Run Ulysses returned $10.20 to win.