Columbus, OH — A plethora of 2- and 3-year-old pacing and trotting colts and fillies will line up behind the Northfield Park starting gate on Friday (Aug. 9) and Saturday (Aug. 10) in Ohio Sires Stakes contests. First race post time both evenings at the “Home of the Flying Turns” is 6 p.m. (EDT).

On Friday, two $50,000 divisions of 2-year-old pacing fillies and three $40,000 divisions of 2-year-old trotting colts will venture postward.

Of the 14 freshman pacing fillies, four are sired by Pet Rock, while two each are foals from Big Bad John, Dragon Again and McArdle, with one foal each sired by Art Official, Art’s Chip, Bigrisk and Yankee Cruiser.

Uncle Peter tops the list of the 25 colt trotters entered in the trio of OSS events with seven youngsters competing, while Triumphant Caviar has four. The stallions Full Count and Wishing Stone are represented by three foals each, while Dejarmbro has two progeny competing. Break The Bank K, Broadway Hall, Dontyouforgetit, Manofmanymissions, Muscle Network and Winning Fireworks are all represented by one foal each.

McMarkle Sparkle captured leg one on July 5 at Northfield in 1:54.3 with Brett Miller driving. JJ Zamaiko photo.

Returning OSS leg winners include McMarkle Sparkle, who captured leg one on July 5 at Northfield in 1:54.3 with Brett Miller driving for trainer Jim Arledge Jr. The McArdle daughter, a winner of $43,050 for Laura and Paul Baker, starts from post two in the first division (race two).

In the second OSS division (race nine) Treasurethosechips, a Jeff Nisonger trainee, hails from post three for driver Greg Grismore. This Art’s Chip lass won leg one on July 5 at Northfield in 1:55.1 for this same driver and owner John F. Van Horn and sports a bankroll of $25,519.

Artful Dancer, who took both leg one at Northfield in 1:55.2 and leg two at Scioto on July 19 in 1:52.2, starts from post six in this same division for Aaron Merriman and trainer Steve Carter. Owned by Jay Mossbarger, Tammy Carter, Richard Lombardo and Josh Green, the Yankee Cruiser distaff has earned $67,700 thus far in her young career.

In the first (race four) of the three OSS trotting contests, leg one winner (in 1:58.1) Exhibit Class starts from post four with Aaron Merriman driving for trainer Sean Smithpeters and owner Marion Beachy. This altered Triumphant Caviar freshman has earnings of $33,458 from just four career starts and sits third in the OSS divisional standings with 77 points.

Starting in this same division from post eight is Expect The Sweep, a Chris Beaver trainee and winner of leg two in 1:57.2 on July 12 at Northfield. Owned by Beaver, Leo Fleming, Martin Yoder and Steven Zeehandelar, the son of Triumphant Caviar has $35,550 in his bank account and is fourth in the OSS standings with 64 points.

It’s Academic, an Uncle Peter son, co-owns the top spot in the OSS standings with 102 points, tied with Big Box Hanover, as both youngsters have swept the first two legs of the series. It’s Academic, a Ron Burke trainee, took leg one in 1:58.4 and leg two in 1:57.3 for owners Burke Racing, Bill Donovan, Joe Sbrocco and Hatfield Stables. He has $43,400 in earnings from three wins in four lifetime starts and starts from post seven in the second OSS contest (race six) with Chris Page at the lines.

Big Box Hanover, another son of Uncle Peter, starts from post nine in the third OSS division (race 12) for driver Dan Noble. The winner of $45,160 won leg one in 1:57.4 and leg two in 1:59 for trainer and co-owner Dalton Walls, who conditions the gelding for Bruce Soulsby and Norman Rae Racing. Big Box Hanover has collected $45,160 in earnings thus far from his two wins in three career trips postward.

Wading Boots and driver Chris Page in action at Scioto Downs. Conrad photo.

Leg one winner Wading Boots (1:57.4) starts from post four in this same division for driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke. The son of Wishing Stone has that lone win to his credit and $20,000 from just two lifetime starts for owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Larry Karr and Phil Collura.

Last, but not least in this division, is Jarmbalou, a Dejarmbro colt trained and owned by Rick and Regina Beinhauer who won leg one in 1:57.3 with a come-from-behind effort. The winner of $41,500 lifetime will leave from post seven with Brett Miller in the sulky. Jarmbalou sits fifth in the standings, tied with Wading Boots, with 52 points each. Attache’ and Doubleyellowline — both of whom finished second in both of the first legs — also have 52 points each and are tied with the aforementioned rivals for fifth.

On Saturday (Aug. 10) a total of 31 Ohio-bred Standardbreds will participate in Ohio Sires Stakes contests for 3-year-old pacing fillies (11) and 3-year-old trotting colts (20).

In the two filly pace divisions, three contestants are daughters of Dragon Again, while two each were sired by McArdle and Nob Hill High. Ohio-registered stallions represented by one foal each include Pet Rock, Rockin Amadeus, The Panderosa and Yankee Cruiser.

Uncle Peter has five of his progeny going postward in the trio of OSS contests for 3-year-old trotting youngsters, while Manofmanymissions is represented by four foals, and Break The Bank K has three foals lining up behind the Northfield gate. The stallions Broadway Hall and Cash Hall have two foals each racing, while Dontyouforgetit, Jailhouse Jesse, My MVP and Wishing Stone are represented by one foal each.

OSS leg winners Rylee Roo, Queen Of The Pride and Avaline Hanover face off in the first OSS contest for pacing fillies (race two). Queen Of The Pride won leg one in 1:51.4 and leg three in 1:51.1 for trainer Kevin Lare and owner Frank Chick and sits atop the standings with 104 points, while Rylee Roo was second in legs one and three and won leg two in 1:52 for trainer Steve Carter and owner Steven Price. She sits in second with 103 points. Avaline Hanover won leg one in 1:52.1 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing, Larry Karr, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi and is in fourth place in the standings with 70 points.

In the second division (race three) Rose Run Uptowngal, a 1:52.2 winner in leg two and Snobbytown, a leg three winner in 1:53, both Burke trainees, square off. These stablemates sit third (Rose Run Uptowngal – 90 points) and sixth (Snobbytown – 51 points) in the standings.

In the first (race one) of the three OSS events for sophomore trotters, the top four point earners in the standings will slug it out. Harry Horowitz’s Lane Of Stone, a 1:53.1 leg one and 1:54 leg three winner, and Michael Sowers’ Pattis Main Man, a 1:55.1 leg one and 1:56.3 leg three winner, are tied for first place with 103 points each. Wittyville, who won leg one in 1:54.3 for the Burke Brigade, is third with 70 points, with the Virgil Morgan Jr.-trained ELO Hanover sitting fourth with 61 points.

The second division (race seven) sees Dylan The Great, another Burke trainee, returning to OSS action. This Break The Bank K gelding is currently ninth in the standings with 36 points. Homer Hall, a Steve Carter-trained sophomore, also vies in this race, sitting 12th with 26 points, with Cash Hit (13th with 25 points) also competing for trainer Steven Walters and the Lone Wolf Stables.

Jason McGinnis will harness Yes in the third OSS division (race 11) for trotting colts. This Manofmanymissions gelding is tied for tenth place in the standings with 28 points, along with Serenity Cruise, an Uncle Peter gelding and a Brent Davis trainee.