With more than $2 million in purse being distributed over a 15-race card, the richest night of racing in Northfield Park history is on tap Saturday night (September 3), featuring a series of $250,000 races which will decide eight Ohio Sires Stakes champions.
Two champions from last year – Miss Me Yet, now a three-year-old pacing filly, and MJB Got Faith, a three-year-old trotting colt – are back to defend their crowns.
Three of Saturday’s participants – Type A Grey, a juvenile filly pacer, Buckeye Boss, a juvenile trotting colt and Consolidator, a sophomore filly trotter – are putting perfect four-for-four Ohio Sires Stakes leg victories on the line.
Here is a look at the eight championship races:
Two-Year-Old Filly Trotters — The top eight point earners have all entered. Division leader Let’s Get Started, a winner of three of his four Ohio Sires legs, and driver Josh Sutton will have to work out a trip after drawing the No. 8 outside post. Amuse’s, the other three-time winner among the juvenile filly trot finalists, drew well and will start from the No. 3 post with driver Peter Wrenn. The only time Amuse’s has lost in six starts is when she twice broke stride. Chim Swift, who defeated Let’s Get Started in the July 3 first leg of the OSS series at Northfield, will start from the No. 5 post with Aaron Merriman.
Two-Year-Old Filly Pacers — Type A Grey, one of just three horses to navigate the Ohio Sires Stakes four qualifying legs undefeated, heads the freshman filly pacers. She and driver Chris Page enjoyed a good draw and will depart from the No. 2 post. Bye Bye Felicia, winner of her first three OSS starts before finishing third in the final leg, drew the No. 5 post. The division was so deep that five leg winners failed to qualify for the final. Also missing will be Rosemary Rose, winner of her first two OSS legs, but absent since then.
Two-Year-Old Colt Trotters — Trainer Christopher Beaver has the numbers to dominate this final as he sends out the division’s top three point-earners, including Buckeye Boss who was a perfect four-for-four in the OSS qualifying legs. Beaver’s other pupils, Fraser Ridge (three wins) and Always A Good Time (two wins) complete his triple threat. Buckeye Boss, perfect in six career starts, drew the No. 5 post. Always A Good Thing and Fraser Ridge are directly to his inside, post position three and four, respectively.
Two-Year-Old Colt Pacers — A trio of triple leg winners – Drunk On Your Love, Barnabas and Ron’s Pro – should insure that this final is highly competitive. The point leader is Drunk On Your Love who lost by a neck in the fourth leg to Ron’s Pro. The latter couldn’t overcome an eight-hole draw in the opening leg or he would be OSS perfect. Barnabas, who dropped a photo in the third leg, has posted the fastest mile in the field, a 1:53 1/5 spin at Scioto Downs on Aug. 24.
Three-Year-Old Filly Trotters — Consolidator, perfect in four OSS qualifying legs and owner of the division’s fastest mile (1:55 1/5), drew the No. 1 post position in her bid for the championship. A TC Queenie, winner of three legs, is Consolidator’s main rival. While they didn’t square off in the OSS series, A TC Queenie upset Consolidator in the Ohio State Fair dash on July 29 at Scioto Downs. She will start in the No. 2 post position.
Three-Year-Old Filly Pacers — Miss Me Yet, the Ohio Sires Stakes champion as a freshman last year, seeks to complete a second half of the season comeback and has the rail post as a launching pad. The Brenda Teague-trainee was unplaced in the 2016 OSS opener, then skipped the second leg before posting victories in the third and fourth legs. Her main rival figures to be division point leader My Tweed Heart, a winner of three legs. She is on a three race winning streak and drew the No. 3 post.
Three-Year-Old Colt Trotters — MJB Got Faith, the 2015 freshman colt trotting champion who races for 11-year-old Breana Carsey, will need to believe in the power of overcoming a difficult post position after drawing the outside No. 8 starting spot for the final. He has won his last three OSS qualifying legs, including a triumph from the No. 8 post at Scioto Downs on July 15. Overdressed, also a winner of three qualifying legs but plagued recently by breaking issues, drew the No. 2 post.
Three-Year-Old Colt Pacers — The Super Night finale appears the most evenly matched of the eight championship miles, with six of the eight entrants each having won two qualifying legs. The participants’ credentials are so balanced that the top three rated colts – Winwood Mac, Whataboy and Hustling Charley – all have 141 points. Winwood Mac has drawn the rail post, while Hustling Charley has the three slot and Whataboy starts from the No. 4 post. Failing to qualify for the final were Love Tap Hanover, last year’s OSS champ at two, and Primo Giovanni, voted Ohio’s two year-old colt pacer of 2015.
In addition to watching the very best of Ohio racing, Saturday’s patrons will be offered a $10,000 guaranteed Pick 5 pool and a $20,000 Pick 4 guaranteed pool. The Pick 5 begins in the third race; the Pick 4 starts in race eight.
Other attractions include Seti’s Polish Boys and B&M BBQ food trucks, as well as Crooked Kettle Popcorn. There will be live music featuring The Caliber Band, a Northfield Park t-shirt toss after each of the first 12 live races and Northfield Park Plinko.
A special Lady Luck’s Buffet created and inspired by Hard Rock Executive Chef Chris Poplin will be available for $19.95. Race fans are encouraged to call 330.467.4101 for reservations.
