Grove City, OH – The traveling Buckeye Stallion Series stopped at MGM Northfield Park Monday July 20 for the third leg of the 3-year-old colt pace. Four divisions were contested with a purse $17,500 each. Trainer Christi Noble was the big winner on the night as she sent two winners to the post.
Noble's first win came when Bargain Shopper (Big Bad John-One Stop Shopping) won his second leg of the series. Owned by Chuck Grubbs, Bargain Shopper with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. got away third before taking the lead at the half giving way to Brady Brown with Elite Machine past the half. The two battled in the stretch with Bargain Shopper getting up by a head in 1:54.4. My Name Is Hairy finished 3rd for Kurt Sugg.
Noble's second win came with Ubuntu who got his initial win in the Buckeye Stallion Series. The Pet Rock out of Provethemwrong gelding was driven by Chris Page and is owned by Norman Rae Racing. Page got away from post three but was hung on the outside before scoring by a half-length over Big Bad Whamo and Kurt Sugg while Tick's A Yankin and Chris Lems finished 3rd. The winner took a lifetime mark of 1:53.3. Ubuntu has hit the board in each of his 17 career starts.
Snowmoon won his second of the series with a lifetime best 1:51.2 for Tyler Smith and owner-trainer Jessica Smith. The Gelding by Mr Wiggles out of Milky Way Hanover went wire to wire from post four to score by ¾ lengths. One Last Laugh with Ronnie Wrenn Jr was second and Nvrpoptdaplugs finished third for Jason Thompson.
The final BSS winner of the night was MC Cam, who also got his second win of the series, with a mile in 1:53.3 for Kurt Sugg and Kyle Ater. Russell Hundley owns the McArdle-Delightfully Cam colt who was a winner by a ¼ length holding off Western's Last Gun for Aaron Merriman while Cousin Louie and Tyler Smith finished 3rd.
Freshman colt trotters return to the track Wednesday July 22 at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in Bucyrus, Ohio for the second leg of 2-Year-Old Colt Trot.
by Roger Huston, for the OHHA