by Kimberly Rinker, Administrator, Ohio Standardbred Development Fund

Columbus, OH — Sixteen diagonally-gaited 3-year-old colts and geldings square off Monday afternoon (June 19) in a pair of $40,000 leg two Ohio Sires Stakes at Scioto Downs. Ten geldings and six colts spar in races two and five over the lightening-fast five-eighths-mile oval, with a matinee post time of 2 p.m. (EDT).

Returning for round two action are leg one (Miami Valley Raceway, May 2) winners Full Surge, Fraser Ridge and Lord Of The Reigns.

Trainer Chris Beaver will harness four of the competitors — two in each division — while Jim Dailey has one contestant in each division.

Ohio stallion Dejarmbro has six foals represented in Monday’s OSS events, while Triumphant Caviar has three and Victory Sam two. And Away We Go, Big Rigs, Break The Bank K, Deep Chip and Full Count all have one progeny each competing.

Conrad photo

Lord Of The Reigns vies for trainer Marty Wollam in his $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes contest on Monday afternoon at Scioto Downs.

Conditioner Marty Wollam harnesses leg one winner Lord Of The Reigns in the first OSS division from post two. Bred and owned by James Beluscak and Bob Carson, this Dejarmbro colt scored his lone career victory by a neck over Jailhouse Sam in 1:57.3 and has amassed $62,342 for these connections.

A model of consistency, Lord Of The Reigns hasn’t finished off the board this season in four starts (1-1-2) and has only missed two checks in 15 lifetime starts. He is the first and most prolific foal out of the Cantab Hall mare Mariko Hanover 3,1:59f ($45,141).

Full Surge, a Full Count colt, races for the Ohio-based quartet of trainer Miles Wollam and co-owners Ashley Fusco, Renna Wollam and Rhett Roll. The bay winner of $76,551 posted a neck victory in his first OSS triumph, stopping the timer in 1:57.1 for driver Mike Wilder. Mahlon A. Miller bred the bay sophomore, who has three wins in four starts this year. At two, he posted a solo victory in eight starts but did earn $43,502 last season.

Full Surge is the fifth foal out of the unraced Muscles Yankee mare Super Katrina, and is a full brother to Countmymuscles 5,1:56f ($118,585), with half-siblings in Hoorayi’monmyway (by Chip Chip Hooray) 2,2:09h ($36,246) and Jesse Hill (by Jailhouse Jesse) 3,1:59 ($3,800).

The Jeff Cox-trained Star Buster will leave from the rail in this same division, and while he finished third in OSS leg one, he’s riding an impressive three-race win streak that bodes well for owner Michael Soehnlen. The son of Deep Chip has shown he can get around any size racetrack, having won at Miami Valley on May 8 in 1:54.4 and at Northfield on May 22 (by nearly 10 lengths in 1:56.2) and again at that same half-miler on June 3 (by nearly eight lengths in 1:54.3). Bred by Pius Soehnlen, Star Buster has career earnings of $60,796 from 11 wins in 20 starts — with $45,950 earned this season from four wins in six starts.

This speedy gelding is the second foal out of the unraced BJ’s Mac mare Frances Maxine and is a half-brother to the gelding Drift Away (by Trojan Touch), a winner of 36 races and $348,878 with a mark of 7,1:52.1.

Chris Beaver trainee Fraser Ridge — who was a multiple OSS leg winner as a freshman — starts from post four in the second division. This son of Triumphant Caviar has $182,595 in his career coffers from five wins in 16 starts.

Bred by Steve Stewart, Fraser Ridge most recently won a $38,808 Currier and Ives division at The Meadows on June 3 by four lengths in 1:55.1. This talented sophomore is owned by Donald Robinson, Robert Mondillo, Chris Beaver, and RBH Ventures.

Fraser Ridge is the third foal out of the Muscles Yankee mare Classical Mary 3,1:55.2 ($207,811) and has a half-brother in Guy Fox (by Glidemaster) 4,1:55.2f ($119,405).

Trying to avenge his nose loss to Fraser Ridge in their OSS contest on May 2 is the Scott Cox-trained Goldfinger, an altered bay son of Big Rigs owned by Parent Racing Stable and G Peters. Bred by Up Front Racing, Goldfinger has career earnings of $83,522 from four wins in 16 starts and seems versatile, having won both on the front-end and from off the pace.

As the sixth foal out of the unraced Mr Lavec mare Armbro Espionage, Goldfinger is a half-brother to Armor Hanover (by SJ’s Caviar) 7,1:52f ($248,955) and Jacksons Minion (by Explosive Matter) 3,1:53.1f ($148,943), among others.

Dekeyser, who finished a neck back to the winning Full Surge on May 2, won his first start of the year on April 26 at Northfield by 5-3/4 lengths and is still looking for his elusive second win of the season. Trained and co-owned by Chris Beaver for Synerco Ventures Inc. and Steven Zeehandelar, this Dejarmbro colt rarely misses a check and has $43,994 in lifetime earnings.

Kevin Greenfield bred the sophomore trotter, the fifth foal out of his Mr Vic mare Pink Ribbons 4,1:54.3s ($236,525). Dekeyser is a half-brother to the Explosive Matter gelding Datsyuk 3,1:53.1f ($472,528) and to the Pegasus Spur gelding Big Package 6,1:56f ($111,063).

Ohio Sires Stakes action resumes July 1 as 3-year-old colt pacers (leg three) vie at Northfield Park; 2-year-old filly trotters (leg one), July 3, Northfield; 2-year-old pacing colts (leg one), July 4, Scioto Downs; and 2-year-old filly pacers (leg one), July 5, Scioto Downs.