Rylee Roo, a Pet Rock lass, set a new track record of 1:53.3 in the first OSS division, taking a tick off the previous mark of 1:53.4 set by Shakewhatmamagaveu in 2017. The 4-1 choice left the gate deftly for Aaron Merriman, stalking the leading 1-2 favorite Mi Nina Bonita (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) to the :56.4 half, before taking over the lead and sprinting home to prevail by 1½ lengths over her aforementioned rival. Jason Thompson guided 60-1 longshot Officially My Way up to notch third-place money.
Bred and owned by Steven Price of Sandy Springs, GA, Rylee Roo has $20,000 in career earnings. The OSS victory was her first in two lifetime starts, as she was sixth in OSS Leg One on July 6 at Scioto Downs to Lofty Beach.
Rylee Roo is the second foal out of the Western Hanover mare Moonlite Delight p, 6, 1:51.3f ($278,548) and is a full sister to Tenwillgetutwenty p 3, 1:55f ($20,125).
Delaware owner Frank Chick's Queen Of The Pride didn't disappoint her backers after leaving the gate as the 1-9 overwhelming public favorite, scoring a wire-to-wire triumph in 1:54.3, making her a two-time OSS victress. The big, rangy filly, equipped with spreaders, appeared at times to struggle in the turns, but then seemed uber-confident in the straightaways for driver Tony Hall as she upped her career earnings to $46,500 in an unchallenged effort.
Trained by Kevin Lare, Queen Of The Pride held off a determined 7-2 Carmen Ohio (Ryan Stahl) by 1½ lengths, with 50-1 longshot How About Murph (Jeff Nisonger) getting up for third.
Bred by Brad Wallace, Queen Of The Pride is by McArdle, out of the Western Ideal mare Lionness Hanover p,2,1:53 ($21,280), making her a half-sister to: Roaring To Go (by Art Major) p, 2, 1:50.4 ($431,999); Well Lets See (by Well Said) p, 4, 1:54.4h ($89,382); and Well Excuuuse Me (by Well Said) p, 4, 1:53f ($76,035).
The final OSS division of the evening proved to be the most exciting as a blanket finish saw 25-1 longshot Sugar And Spite (Tyler Smith) best 13-1 Twinsburg (Anthony MacDonald) by a neck in 1:55.2. Rose Run Uptowngal (Chris Page) was third at 5-2 odds, a quarter length back.
Trained by Mary Birkhold for Tom Lehmann of Sarasota, FL, the Pet Rock filly sat mid-pack behind the leading Twinsburg before moving three-wide at the three-quarters to prevail with a gutsy :28 final brush. Sugar And Spite had finished third in OSS Leg One at Scioto Downs on July 6 and now has career earnings of $26,000.
Bred by Midland Acres, she is the 12th foal out of the prolific Towner's Big Guy mare Tre Cress and has half-siblings in: Peenie (by Real Artist) p, 4, 1:50.4 ($710,021); Chotat Milk (by Jate Lobell) p, 3, 1:51 ($602,852); Tre Bien (by Nobleland Sam) p, 7, 1:52f ($383,181); The Big Beast (by Mister Big) p, 4, 1:52.1s ($57,712); Gucci Mane (by Art Official) p, 4, 1:55f ($37,350); Gaston (by Art Official) p, 3, Q1:54.3h ($25,937).
Ohio Sires Stakes continue this coming Friday night at Scioto Downs, with nine $40,000 divisions for 2-year-old trotting colts and fillies. Post time is 6:30 pm, ET at Ohio's Showplace of Racing.
by Kimberly Rinker, OSDF Administrator