Lebanon, OH – Four $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions for 3-year-old pacing and trotting colts went postward on a rainy afternoon at Miami Valley on Monday (May 3). Despite the gloomy weather, all the tail-sitting events offered excitement for harness racing fans.

Winning Ticket picked up the victory in the opening Ohio Sires Stakes trotting event today at Miami Valley. Conrad photo.

Winning Ticket began the afternoon by taking the first of two OSS trotting events with Aaron Merriman driving for trainer Chris Beaver. The son of Triumphant Caviar, out of the Credit Winner mare Lotto Winner now has four straight triumphs to his credit in 2021, with seasonal earnings of $77,500 and career earnings of $172,547. Bred by James Bender, Winning Ticket is owned by Beaver, Steve Zeehandelar, Tim Homan and Jim Burnett. The bay gelding used front-end tactics to score the win, snapping off fractions of :29, :58.4, 1:26.3 with a final panel in :29 to fly under the wire in 1:55.3. Peter’s Royalty was second for Josh Sutton, nearly three lengths behind the winner, while Tango With Me (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) was a distant third.

Spyder The Striker won the second trotting division of the OSS this afternoon. Conrad photo.

The same driver-trainer combo of Aaron Merriman and Chris Beaver was back in the winner’s circle for the second OSS trotting division as Spyder The Striker prevailed in 1:56.3 for owners Beaver, Beaver, Fleming and VIP Stable. The bay son of Uncle Peter-Elena-San Pellegrino hinted in his last start, losing a head decision in a Miami Valley overnight. This OSS victory was his fifth lifetime start as he bested rivals Perron (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) and Lockbox (Chris Page) by a nail-biting nose. Bred by Wilbur Lang, Spyder The Striker won two OSS events as a freshman in his only two starts last year. He now has $68,125 in career earnings.

Four Star Flash posted a 1:52 victory in the first pacing division of the OSS. Conrad photo.

The Brian Brown-trained Four-Star Flash kept his unblemished 2021-win streak intact by posting a 1:52 victory in the first of two $50,000 OSS events for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The son of Western Vintage, out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Keladi Blue Chip is now four for four on the year for owners Hutchison Harness, D. Wozniak, D. Van Dusen and Acadia Farms. Bred by Marion Beachy, Four-Star Flash, with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., at the lines, now has $80,010 in his lifetime bank account and was three-quarters of length in front of I’m Sorry Man and Chris Page, followed by 48-1 longshot Sir Charles Of Sky and driver Trace Tetrick.

Heart Of Chewbacca, a Ron Burke trainee, picked up the second pacing division of the OSS this afternoon. Conrad photo.

Heart Of Chewbacca added another $25,000 to his already hefty $244,348 bank account by capturing the second OSS division for 3-year-old pacing colts in a spry 1:51.2. Trained by Ron Burke for owners Dennis Owens and Norman Rae Racing, the son of Break On The Beach-Jt’s Chewbacca-Four Starzzz Shark notched his eighth career triumph in 11 starts. Bred by Spring Haven Farm, the black colt was driven by Danny Noble to his third straight victory this season in wire-to-wire fashion and finished 7-1/4 lengths ahead of Truly Noble (Greg Bateson), with Bare It Hill (Chris Page) nabbing show honors.