Scioto: Ohio Sires Stakes grand slam for Brett Miller

Driver Brett Miller had a spectacular Saturday night (Sept. 7) at Scioto Downs, capturing one $75,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship for veteran pacing mares and three $75,000 Ohio Sires Stakes consolations.

Miller began his four-win night, which came in consecutive races, by steering 5-1 Homer Hall to victory in the $75,000 OSS 3-year-old colt and gelding trot consolation. Trained and co-owned by Steve Carter, along with Jay Mossbarger and Cass Gallagher, the son of Broadway Hall was clocked in 1:54 3/5.

Bred by Midland Acres, Homer Hall bested 3-5 rival Morally Flexible (Dan Noble) by a length, with 21-1 Workinitonbroadway (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) nailing down third-place honors. The victory, Homer Hall’s tenth of the year and 17th lifetime in 26 starts, upped his lifetime bankroll to $193,742.

Next, Miller guided Patti Roth and Alan Keith’s Bad Sammie to a 1:53 1/5 clocking in the $75,000 OSS 3-year-old filly pace consolation. The Big Bad John lass left the gate as the 3-5 favorite, besting 3-1 Twinsburg (Noble) by half a length, with 16-1 Lofty Beach (Yannick Gingras) third. Mike Roth trains Bad Sammie, who was bred by Midland Acres and now has $132,740 in career earnings from just four wins in 21 starts.

Miller then drove 5-2 B Like Cruiser to a 1:51 4/5 triumph for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and owners Michael Cimaglio and William Richardson in the $75,000 OSS 3-year-old colt and gelding pace consolation. The homebred gelded son of Yankee Cruiser finished a neck ahead of 18-1 Rose Run Ulysses (Tim Tetrick) at the wire, with 16-1 Ohio Vintage (Aaron Merriman) another short neck back. Unraced as a freshman, B Like Cruiser now has seven wins, two seconds, and one third in 13 trips postward, with $110,301 in his coffers.

Finally, Miller used a four-wide move in the last turn to bring 7-1 Up Front Flor Ida home first in the $75,000 OSS aged mares pacing championship in 1:51 3/5. The 4-year-old daughter of Woodstock is owned by Kevin McKinney and Virginia McKoy and is trained by Tim McKoy. She now has career earnings of $269,890 from 15 wins, eight seconds, and ten thirds in 52 lifetime starts. Using a 28 4/5 final brush, she easily paced to the win ahead of 50-1 Berazzled (Merriman), with 60-1 McDazzle (Wrenn Jr.) getting up for third.

Harold Bauder’s Sectionline Bigry captured the $75,000 OSS aged horse and gelding pace championship impressively in 1:49 2/5 as the 1-5 favorite. Driven by Tyler Smith for trainer Steve Bauder, this 4-year-old homebred son of Pet Rock has been a strong contender in the Ohio open and invitational ranks all season. This latest victory—his 11th of the season and 18th lifetime—upped his career earnings to $365,027. Whataboy was second at 8-1 for Noble, while 90-1 Barley Up was third for Wrenn Jr.

Merriman got the evening started by piloting 6-5 Chris Beaver trainee Delovely Hall to a 1:58 1/5 triumph in the $75,000 OSS 2-year-old filly trot consolation. Renee Bercury owns the Cash Hall lass who picked up a perfect time to score her second career victory.

Noble had no trouble bringing 1-5 Buxton home first in 1:57 2/5 for owner Carter Duer and trainer Bob Stewart in the $75,000 OSS 2-year-old colt and gelding trot consolation. The homebred Dejarmbro colt picked up his second career win in six starts and now has $60,460 in his bankroll.

Trainer Brian Brown then sent out the next two OSS winners—the first being PJ’s Legacy, a 1-2 daughter of Big Bad John who stopped the clock in 1:53 in the $75,000 2-year-old filly pace consolation for driver Ryan Stahl. Brown then harnessed 6-5 Stanford Court, with Wrenn Jr. taking the youngster to a 1:52 4/5 victory in the $75,000 OSS 2-year-old colt pace consolation.

Chris Page brought Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva- Purnell & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi’s 3-1 Buckeye Starlet into the Scioto winner’s circle after the daughter of Uncle Peter took the $75,000 OSS 3-year-old filly trot consolation in 1:56. The win was the fourth of the year and fifth lifetime for Buckeye Starlet, who now has $95,681 in career earnings.

--press release (Ohio Standardbred Development Fund)--