by Kimberly Rinker, Administrator, Ohio Standardbred Development Fund

Columbus, OH — Freshman colts and fillies are set to vie Tuesday (Aug. 23) at Scioto Downs and Wednesday (Aug. 24) at Northfield Park in the fourth round action of Ohio Sires Stakes.

Seven divisions of 2-year-old fillies will go postward on Tuesday afternoon, with a 2 p.m. (EDT) first race post, while eight divisions of 2-year-old colts will line up behind the Northfield Park starting gate beginning at 6 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday.

At Scioto, 35 pacing fillies in four divisions (races one, 10, 12 and 13) and 26 trotting fillies in three divisions (races two, three and 11) will battle. At Northfield, 37 colts battle in five divisions (races two, four, nine, 10 and 11), while 21 trotting youngsters will go postward in three divisions (races one, three and five).

Conrad photo

Let’s Get Started heads up the 2-year-old filly trot standings with 128 points.

Going into this final leg of the four-leg series, Joyce and Richard McClelland’s Let’s Get Started heads up the 2-year-old filly trot standings with 128 points. Trained by Bobby Brower, this Dejarmbo lass was second in her first leg contest, then rattled off a pair of victories (in 1:56.3 on July 19 at Scioto and in 1:57 on Aug. 15 at Northfield). Bred by her owners, Let’s Get Started has $70,300 in her coffers.

Heading up the filly pacing division are a pair of Brian Brown trainees in Bye Bye Felicia and Type A Grey, with 153 points each, some 50 points ahead of their nearest rival in the standings. Both fillies have swept all three OSS legs to date. Bye Bye Felicia, a coal black daughter by Woodstock, won leg one at Northfield on July 3 in 1:56.1, before lowering that mark to 1:54.2 on July 19 at Scioto. Finally, she paced to a winning 1:55 mile on Aug. 15 at Northfield in leg three for Brown, who co-owns her in partnership with Dean Davis, Joyce McClelland and Scott Mullet.

Type A Grey, owned by the Emerald Highlands Farm, is a grey daughter by Art Official who is four-for-four in her young career, with $77,900 in earnings. She captured her OSS legs handily in 1:57.2, 1:54.3 and 1:56.1, all in front-stepping fashion.

In the 2-year-old colt trotting ranks, Buckeye Boss has the clear lead with 153 points, having captured all three legs of the series for trainer Chris Beaver, who owns the son of Triumphant Caviar in partnership with Marion Beachy and Synerco Ventures, Inc. Buckeye Boss won leg on at Scioto Downs in 1:59 on July 4; leg two at Northfield Park on July 12 in 1:57; and leg three on Aug. 16 at Scioto Downs in 1:58.1. He is five-for-five lifetime and has $84,750 in his freshman bankroll.

Drunk On Your Love, the 2-year-old colt pacing standout, likewise has 153 points to lead his division handily. The Bill Dailey-trained youngster by Foreclosure N has amassed $60,000 from his three OSS victories to date for owners Carl and Melanie Atley and Josh Green. Drunk On Your Love has won all three legs in wire-to-wire fashion: on July 4 at Scioto in 1:54.3; on July 11 at Northfield in 1:56.1; and on Aug. 16 at Scioto Downs in 1:55.

The Ohio Sires Stakes is based on a point system, with horses garnering the highest number of the points after the four legs becoming eligible to the $250,000 championship. Eight of the eligible horses who enter the championship will line up behind the Northfield Park starting gate on Super Night, Sept. 3.