Grove City, OH – She’safirewoman is looking to stay perfect in this year’s Ohio Sires Stakes as the freshman filly pacers head to MGM Northfield Park for the third leg on Saturday (Aug. 9).
Northfield is hosting two $65,000 divisions of 2-year-old filly pacers and three $50,000 divisions of freshman male pacers in their third leg of the OSS as part of a big night of racing on Saturday. The 16-race card also includes the $300,000 Grade 2 Carl Milstein Memorial, the $100,000 Tom Aldrich President’s Trot, the $100,000 Myron Charna President’s Pace, and two $65,000 divisions each of the fourth leg of the OSS for sophomore filly and male trotters.
She’safirewoman is the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the second division of filly pacers in the OSS and will leave from post three. The Catch The Fire filly won her division in the opening leg at Northfield in 1:54.3 and posted a lifetime-best 1:51.4 in her second-leg victory at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Luke Hanners was in the sulky for each of those wins and returns for Saturday’s race. She’safirewoman has hit the board in all five starts this season with four wins and one runner-up finish. She is owned by Harry Horowitz. Rodeo Dancer (Brett Miller) is the 4-1 second choice in the division and will leave from the rail. The Steve Bauder trainee was the runner-up to She’safirewoman in the first leg of the OSS and has one win this season.
Shacarri (Chris Page), the runner-up to She’safirewoman in the second leg, is the even-money morning-line favorite in the first division. Trained by Ron Burke, the Summa Cum Laude filly has won twice in four starts this season, including a division of the Ohio State Fair Stakes at Scioto. In her other victory, she equaled the Scioto track record for 2-year-old filly pacers, tripping the wire in 1:51.1 in her first career start on July 5. Zooom Call (Dan Noble) will leave from the rail and is the 5-2 second choice. The Steve Carter trainee has one second and two thirds in five seasonal starts.
Seaside Shuffle, who is 2-for-2 in the OSS this year, is not entered in the third leg. She is instead entered to race in the $80,000 second leg of the Kentucky Championship Series for 2-year-old filly pacers at The Red Mile on Sunday (Aug. 10).
The third leg of the OSS for freshman colt pacers will also be contested Saturday at Northfield. Just one leg has been completed, however, as the second leg, originally scheduled for July 26 at Scioto, was postponed to Aug. 30.
Three of the four winners from the first leg are entered in the third leg, two of which — Swelce and I’llbetyourboots — are in a loaded second division. I’llbetyourboots (Page) opened as the 8-5 favorite and will leave from post five next to 4-1 third choice Swelce (Mike Wilder) in post four. Trained by Burke, I’llbetyourboots has hit the board in all four seasonal starts with three wins. In addition to his OSS victory in 1:54 at Northfield, he won his division of The Next Generation at Scioto in a lifetime-best 1:52. The Summa Cum Laude gelding has earnings of $104,906.
Heerz Corinthian (Aaron Merriman) will leave from post three as the 7-2 second choice. The Jessica McCown trainee is a two-time winner in the Buckeye Stallion Series this season. Swelce, the runner-up in The Next Generation, won his division in the first leg of the OSS in a lifetime-best 1:55. The Jeff Nisonger trainee has two wins and two seconds in five starts. The division also includes Pet Project (Trevor Smith), who opened with 9-2 odds and will leave from post six. The Kimberly Dailey trainee is coming off a victory in the OSFS in a lifetime-best 1:52.2.
The first division is highlighted by 2-1 morning-line favorite Gentleman’s Club (Andrew McCarthy) and 5-2 second-choice Crocodile Station (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.). Gentleman’s Club has two wins this season, including a lifetime-best 1:54.3 in the opening leg of the OSS. The Downbytheseaside colt is trained by Aaron Lambert. Crocodile Station is coming off an Ohio State Fair win in 1:52.3, marking the first career victory for the Michael Hitchcock trainee.
Odds On Sugar (Dexter Dunn) is the early 5-2 favorite in the third division and will leave from the far outside. The Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee has one win and one second in four starts this season. Caillou Hanover (Noble) is the 7-2 second choice.
Saturday’s first-race post time at MGM Northfield Park is 6 p.m. (EDT).