by Keith Gisser, assistant publicity director, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — Aaron Merriman won nine races at Northfield Park on Tuesday (Dec. 26) to move within six wins of Greg Grismore for the track driving title with four cards left in the year.

Merriman, who trailed by 40 wins a few weeks back, continued his hot spell by winning all but three of his drives on the night. His 13th race drive, Currently Flying, was a late scratch as a morning line second choice that could have put Merriman in position to win ten races.

Merriman took the featured $8,000 Open Trot in gate-to-wire style with R Cowboy ($4.60), who posted a 1:59.1 win over Blastaway Sahbra and Show Me The Monet over a sticky surface rated good. It was R Cowboy’s seventh win of the year and fourth in his last six tries. Titus Schlabach of Sugarcreek, Ohio, owns and train the 7-year-old Balanced Image gelding.

Stats Comparison courtesy of StatsMaster@Northfield Park.

Name Starts

Wins

W%

Place

P%

Show

S%UDRITM%EarningsEPS

Greg Grismore

2016

493

24%

404

20%

276

14%

.402

58%

$1,513,190

$751

Merriman, Aaron

2395

487

20%

396

17%

329

14%

.341

51%

$1,453,550

$607