A trio of Ohio Sires Stakes for 3-year-old diagonally-gaited colts and geldings will go postward on Friday night, June 15 at Scioto Downs, featuring 25 Ohio-breds racing for a purse of $40,000 in each division (Races 1, 2 & 5). First race post time is 6:30 pm, ET.
All three OSS Leg 1 winners-Mission Accepted, Northmedo Mission and Sultan Of Cash-are set to return for round two action.
Mission Accepted, an unaltered son by Manofmanymissions vies from post two in the first division (Race One), while Northmedo Mission, a Manofmanymissions gelding, starts from post three in this same event. Sultan Of Cash, a Cash Hall gelding, leaves from post two in the third division (Race Five).
Five of these 25 trotting combatants are trying for their first victory as 3-year-olds: Dance Withsomebody, Dontforgetmaster, Rising MVP, Magic MVP and Cash Lane.
Six of the youngsters did not start in Leg 1 of this series and are undertaking OSS action for the first time this season: Cordoba Hall, Last Mission, Vote For Pedro, Rising MVP, Ride The Rails & Manny L; and only two-Vote For Pedro & Secret Bro-did not race as freshmen in 2017.
Eight of the 25 sophomores will utilize trotting hobbles; Mission Accepted, Two OB Wonkenobi, Doc Mossies Legacy, Cordoba Hall, Vote For Pedro, Rising MVP, Ride The Rails and Cash Lane.
Of the 25 OSS entrants, 19 are geldings and six are colts, with two earning $100,000 or more: Mission Accepted ($235,800) and Sultan Of Cash ($173,965).
For a colt to be eligible to the OSS program, they must have been sired by a stallion registered with the Ohio State Racing Commission standing in Ohio the year of conception. Stallions represented in these three OSS events include Dejarmbro (with six foals); Cash Hall (with five foals); Break The Bank K & Manofmanymissions (with four foals each); My MVP (with three foals); and Dontyouforgetit, Stormin Normand & Winning Fireworks with one foal each.
As well, broodmare sires that are prominent among the 25 trotting colts and geldings include: Tom Ridge & Conway Hall (three foals each); Credit Winner, Donerail, Garland Lobell & Kadabra (two foals each).
In the training ranks, Jim Arledge, Jr., and Rich Gillock will each send out a pair of competitors.
Arledge, Jr., will harness Dontforgetmaster-who was fourth in Leg 1 at Miami Valley on May 6 to Sultan Of Cash-from post five in the second division (Race 2); and Last Mission, a newcomer to the series, from the rail in the third division (Race 5). Gillock bridles up Ride The Rails-also a newcomer-from post six in that same event, and Banker Twentyfive, who was fifth in Leg 1, from post six in the first division (Race 1).
Of the 25 trotters, many are owned in partnerships or by a solo owner that includes 30 Ohioans; six Pennsylvanians; five Indiana owners; three owners each from New Jersey & Canada; two from Kentucky and one each from Michigan and Illinois.
Breeder Walnut Hall is represented by three sophomores in two divisions: Sand Cash & Get The Cash in the first division (Race 1) and newcomer Cordoba Hall in the second division (Race 2). Owner/breeder Robert Key sends out two homebreds: Banker Twentyfive in the first division (Race 1) and Ride The Rails in the third division (Race 5).
And speaking of homebreds, another six trotters were also bred by their owners: Mission Accepted (Race 1) was bred by co-owner Knox Services; Northmedo Mission (Race 1), bred by Northmedo Stable; Joggingtothebank (Race 2) was bred and is owned by Dale & Julie Sweet and trainer Marty Wollam; Pass The Vape (Race 2) was bred by owner Lionel Ray Waitker; Icingon De Cupcake (Race 5) was bred by partners William Jeff Johnson II and Douglas Millard; and Magic MVP (Race 5) was bred and is owned by Midnight Stables.
by Kimberly RInker, for the Ohio Standardbred Development Fund