by Regina Mayhugh, communications director, Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association

Columbus, OH — Next week, the buyers will be looking for the best return on their investment at the 2014 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale on Monday (Sept. 15). The sale will start at 11 a.m. and will be held at Eden Park Equestrian Complex in Sunbury, Ohio.

Thanks to the expansion of gaming at Ohio racetracks the excitement is at a high level. The new Hollywood at Dayton Raceway will open in October and that means all four racinos will be operating for the OSS purses to be raced for in 2015.

This year the Ohio Sires Stakes purses were guaranteed at $40,000 for legs and $200,000 finals. 2015 looks to be estimated at $50,000 legs and $250,000 finals. There are only 900-plus yearlings (pacers and trotters) to race as 2-year-olds in 2015.

Total purse payout for the 2014 Ohio-sired races (Ohio Sires Stakes, Ohio State Fair races, Ohio Breeders Championships, Ohio Breeders Stakes and Ohio Fairs Fund racing at 65 fairs) is estimated to be about $7.6 million. The total purses for these events in 2015 are estimated to be more than $12 million.

Next week’s sale offers a great selection of yearlings that will be eligible to the lucrative Ohio-sired program as 2- and 3-year-olds in 2015 and 2016. Buyers will be evaluating the first crops of several sires to the Ohio-sired program including pacers Big Bad John, I’m Gorgeous, Lion Hunter, Manhardt and Woodstock and trotters Tom Cango and Triumphant Caviar.

Ohio-sired yearlings continue to offer excellent value due to the supply of horses and the lucrative OSS purses. This may be the best year yet to purchase an Ohio yearling.