by Kimberly Rinker, OSDF Administrator

Columbus, OH — Lather Up and Bounding Dragon each captured a $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes (OSS) division for 3-year-old pacing colts on Saturday night (Aug. 18) in fourth round OSS action at Eldorado Scioto Downs. By virtue of their victories, the third in the series for Bounding Dragon and the second for Lather Up, both have secured a starting berth in the $275,000 final, set for Sept. 8 over the very same surface.

Conrad photo

Lather Up adds another victory in Ohio Sire Stakes company at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Saturday night.

Lather Up, a son of I’m Gorgeous trained by Clyde Francis for breeders/owners Gary & Barbara Iles stormed to a 1:50.2 clocking in his division for driver Montrell Teague. The dark bay colt sat third until just past the :27.1 first quarter, then pulled first and took control of the race on the front end, snapping off a :27 second quarter and a :28 third quarter, before posting a :28.1 final panel to finish 3-1/2 lengths ahead of gutsy 5-1 rival Sectionline Bigry (Aaron Merriman). Dragonology, a 38-1 longshot, finished third for Ronnie Wrenn Jr.

Lather Up left the gate at 1-9 odds for his connections and upped his career earnings to $601,465. He had previously won leg one in 1:50 at Miami Valley and later captured the $1 million North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a blistering 1:48.1. He also won a Hempt elim in 1:49 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and an Ohio Fair Stake at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Aug. 4 in a heart-stopping 1:49.4.

Bounding Dragon, a son of Dragon Again, had already won legs one (in 1:53) and three (in 1:51.1) of this series, and added his 1:51.1 posting in this leg four triumph to his credentials as the 4-5 favorite. He also has a second-place finish in leg three for trainer Mike Roth and owners Alan Keith and Carl & Melanie Atley.

Driver Dan Noble had Bounding Dragon on the front end from nearly start to finish, pacing through panels of :26.3, :54.3 and 1:22.3, before turning in a :28.3 last brush to hold off 8-1 rival Seeing Eye Single (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) by a scant head. Drew The Dragon and Aaron Merriman notched show honors at 5-1 odds.

Bounding Dragon, who has OSS earnings of $80,000 this season and career earnings of $201,509 is the leading point earner in the series, with 179. Rockathon sits second in the standings with 121 points, while Lather Up is third with 102 and Seeing Eye Single is fourth with 87 points. Cinnamack sits fifth with 70 points, with Sectionline Bigry sixth (58 points) and Slick Mick and Rockn Motion are seventh and eighth with 53 points each. JoJo’s Pet Rock is set in ninth with 41 points. The next highest point earners are Letsallrock, with 31 points and Sip And A Bite, with 26 points.

Ohio Sires Stakes action continues with two $50,000 leg four divisions for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Monday night (Aug. 20) at Northfield Park.