by Jay Wolf, assistant publicity director, the Little Brown Jug

Delaware, OH — Cruizin Inya Jammys and Kyle Ater were forced to go a long mile, but held off Corner Cruiser (Sam Noble III) to take the second division of the $77,656 Ohio Breeders Championship for freshman filly pacers on the opening day of the Grand Circuit stop (Sunday, September 16) at the Delaware County Fair.

A sign greets fans on the second turn as the first day of racing begins at Delaware.

Yankee Scorch (Ray Paver) took control as the gate opened and led past a :28.2 quarter. Noble sent Corner Cruiser to the lead past the three-eighths-mile pole. The eventual winner was forced first-over and raced in tandum with Corner Cruiser through the :57.3 and 1:26.1 stations. Cruzin Inya Jammys dug in and gutted out a head victory in a lifetime best 1:55.4.

The Yankee Cruiser filly scored for the fourth time in just seven career starts for Mark Wooten of Eagleville, Tenn.

In the first division, Kalfas Attack (Steve Carter) recorded a mild upset over Ohio Sires Stakes champion Kay’s Yankee Lou (Aaron Merriman) in 1:56.2.

Kalfas Attack used an inside post position to gain the early lead. Kay’s Yankee Lou, saddled with the outside eight post, had to race on the outside for much of the mile, coming up 1-1/2 lengths short in the stretch. Lima Belle (Greg Grismore) was another half-length back in third.

The On The Attack lass now has 11 seasonal victories in 17 starts for Peggy and Steven Carter and Robert Reid.

B V’s Sister takes OBC, sweeps Ohio Triple Crown

Greg Grismore guided B V’s Sister to a 1-1/2 length victory to capture the second division of the $54,556 Ohio Breeders Championship for 3-year-old filly trotters.

As the gate’s wings folded, Grismore hurried the daughter of Big Victory towards the lead and led the field through the fractions of :28.1, :58.4 and 1:28.4. Winnie The Who (Bob Harper) and Katie’s Red Rose (Aaron Merriman) pressured the leader, but B V’s Sister was too strong and scored in 1:57.4.

USTA/Mark Hall photos

The starting gate pulls away as racing begins at Delaware.

Trained by Virgil Morgan, Jr. for Barnett Zimmerman of Deerfield, Ill., B V’s Sister earlier captured the Ohio State Fair Stakes and the $100,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Final, thus her OBC score completed the Ohio Triple Crown.

In the first $27,278 division, Beehomeontime continued her impressive streak by scoring a 2-3/4 length victory over Choklit Chip Chip (Elliott Deaton) in a lifetime best 1:57.

The sophomore daughter of Big Victory won for the fifth straight time and for the tenth time this season for James Mullinax and John Willis of Ohio. Her previous four victories were by a combined 77 lengths.

Four divisions of Billings Trot contested

Northfield Park’s Director of Racing Gregg Keidel scored his 100th career victory, fourth at Delaware, with a 6-1/2 length score by Striking Genius in the fourth and final division of the Billings Amateur Trot.

Keidel overcame post eight, took control of the field past the half-mile pole, and coasted to a 1:59.1 victory over Pure Electricity (Stephen Oldfield) and Just A Lad (Bud Hatfield).

Brent Davis scored his fourth Delaware Billings victory with JJ Hergert in 1:59.3. All Star Edition (Michael Walker) was 2-1/4 lengths back in second.

Indian Hill Rocket (Anthony Verruso) dominated the first division field and scored a 15-1/2 length victory over The Blue Baboon (Larry Farley) and Dave’s Design (Howard Gelfand). Indian Hill Rocket grabbed the lead past the three-quarter pole and cruised home in 2:00.3.

No Mon No Fun (Michael Caston) took the second division in 2:01.2. Bengali (Scott Wogan) and Rubicella (Bob Troyer) completed the trifecta.

Levine takes Fouts Memorial

Forida resident Theodore Levine captured the $5,000 Tim Fouts Memorial Pace with Standing Happy in 1:59.3. Levine, representing the Florida Amateur Driving Club, swept four-wide past the three-quarter pole, survived a late charge from Sheer Sahbra (Carroll Hays-Mid-Western Amateur Drivers Association) and a driver’s objection to score a 1-1/2 length victory. Blast To The Past (Thomas Williams-Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Club) was third.

Breakfast at Delaware

Post time for the Wednesday card at Delaware has been moved to 10:45 a.m. on September 19 due to a larger than expected number of entries. There will be 25 races, with a possibility of 26, which forced the change.