Columbus, OH – Five divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes for 2-year-olds were held at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Saturday (July 13). Three divisions of colts went for $50,000 while two divisions of fillies went for $65,000 each. Trainer Ron Burke teamed up with driver Chris Page to win four of the five events.
Two of the winners won The Next Generation last weekend, and stayed a perfect two-for-two in lifetime starts.
The Word Is Out won her split in 1:55.3. Queen Of Fear (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) took the early lead towards the 28.4 opening quarter. Not content to sit in the pocket, Page pulled The Word Is Out and they tripped the beam in 58.4 and 1:28.3 before pulling off the victory by three-quarters of a length. Queen Of Fear was a close second with Prolific Fire (Brett Miller) getting up for third.
The Word Is Out was a $24,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase and in her two lifetime starts has $107,500 in earnings. The Well Said filly is owned by Burke Racing, Knox Services, Beasty and R A S Racing.
Swingtown, the other Next Generation winner, took his Sires Stakes event in 1:52.1. Copper Penny (Wrenn, Jr.) took the field to the :27.3 quarter and :57.2 half. Page pulled Swingtown going down the backside but by the 1:24.4 third quarter was still four lengths off. The Downbytheseaside colt powered home in :26.3 to win under a hand drive by three-quarters of a length over Copper Penny; Whatcagonnado (Aaron Merriman) came three-wide around the last turn to get up for third.
Swingtown is owned by Burke Racing, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and R A S Racing.
Burke and Page teamed up to sweep the colt divisions by winning with Sippinonsearoc in 1:52.3 and Rick Wink in 1:52.1.
In the first division of colts, Spiritshappyending (Tyler Smith) took the early lead from post four, but yielded to Fabio Hanover (Wrenn, Jr.) by the :28 quarter. Page pulled Sippinonsearoc before going under the line for the first time and comfortably made the front before the :56 half. They hit the three-quarters in 1:24.2 and won by 2-3/4 lengths.
Spiritshappyending came back to finish second but was placed back to fourth for going inside the passing lane too early; Fabio Hanover was third placed second, with Bars And Notes (Austin Hanners) fourth placed third. Sippinonsearoc, by Downbytheseaside, was a $77,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase and is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, R A S Racing and Knox Services.
Pants On Fire (Wrenn, Jr.) left sharply from post eight in the second division of colts to catch the early top spot. Page had Rick Wink out and moving from the four hole just as the field hit the :27.2 opening quarter. The duo took the lead going under the wire for the first time and hit the half in :56 and three-quarters in 1:24.3. Pants On Fire came out of the two hole and was charging hard but came up a nose short; Cruisinoverfire (Smith) finished third. Rick Wink, by Bit Of A Legend N, was a $27,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase and is owned by Burke Racing, R A S Racing, Knox Services, J&T Silver-Purnel & Libby.
The lone non-Burke trainee to win a Sires Stakes event Saturday was Odds On Hialeah who took the first division of fillies in 1:52.2.
Goodnight Dance (Wrenn, Jr.) left off the gate from post four to take the early lead. Sea Her Rule (Merriman) went wide around the first turn and was just a length behind at the :27 quarter. Just at the :56 half Downthejerseyshore (Luke Hanners) came first up with Odds On Hialeah coming second over. Just after the 1:24.3 third quarter, Downthejerseyshore had a nose in front, but around the last turn Odds On Hialeah went three wide and took off to win by an impressive 7-1/4 length margin. Witching Blue Chip (Trevor Smith) got up for second with Rose Run Ashlee (Page) finishing third.
Odds On Hialeah is owned by Odds On Racing and trained by Virgil Morgan, Jr. The Lather Up filly prepped with two qualifiers and a win in the non-winners of one on July 5, winning in 1:54.4.