by Kimberly Rinker, OSDF Administrator

Columbus, OH — Nine $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions, featuring 78 diagonally-gaited freshmen, are set to be contested Friday (July 20) at Scioto Downs. Going postward in the second round of the four-leg series are 42 colts and geldings in five OSS divisions, with 36 fillies battling in four divisions.

For foals to be eligible to the Ohio Sires Stakes program, a stallion must be registered with the Ohio State Racing Commission and reside in the state during the year of conception. Of the 78 youngsters lining up behind the gate in these events, 19 (12 colts and seven fillies) are by first crop Cantab Hall sire Uncle Peter 4,1:50.3 ($1,290,660), who stands at Hickory Lane Farm in Findlay.

Eleven (seven colts and four fillies) are by the now-exported Yankee Glide stallion Manofmanymissions 3,1:52.1 ($1,215,000), who stood at Midland Acres in Bloomingburg before being sold in 2017.

The Hickory Lane Farm-based stallion Dejarmbro 3,1:52.2f ($1,137,285), a son of Credit Winner, has seven foals total participating in these OSS events, five of which are colts and two of which are fillies.

Ohio-based stallions represented by six foals each include Broadway Hall, Triumphant Caviar and Wishing Stone; while Cash Hall, Full Count and My MVP each have three youngsters competing. And Away We Go, Break The Bank K, and Dontyouforgetit have two foals each in an OSS test, while those stallions represented by one foal each are Cayenne Turbo, Ilooklikemymom, Neely Dunn, So Striking, Stormin Normand, Southwind Spirit, Victory Sam and Winbak Yankee.

The OSS-eligible colts will be starting in races one, five, seven, 10 and 12; while the fillies have been scheduled as races two, three, 11 and 13. All OSS leg one winners have returned to vie in this second leg: the colts battled on July 2 and the fillies on July 3 at Northfield Park.

Among the male trotters, Homer Hall carries the hopes of trainer Steve Carter and co-owners Jay Mossbarger and Cass Gallagher postward in the first division (race one). This Broadway Hall youngster scored his leg one victory in wire-to-wire fashion with Ryan Stahl at the lines in 1:59.3. Homer Hall is now three-for-three lifetime and gets Stahl in the bike again from post seven.

Oh So Pine won his leg one division in 2:01.3 with Anthony MacDonald driving for Jason McGinnis and Thestable Oh So Pine Group. The Uncle Peter gelding has collected $25,250 thus far in just two lifetime starts. Bred by Gbw Breeding Farm, Oh So Pine starts from post three in the fourth OSS division (race 10) for these same connections.

The Parent Racing Stable’s Bosley was clocked in 1:59.2 in his front-stepping leg one triumph for driver Ryan Stahl and trainer Scott Cox. Bred by Darwin and Ann Shaver, the Manofmanymissions gelding is one-for-two this season, and leaves from post eight with Stahl at the helm once again in the fourth OSS division (race 10).

TC’s Best led from gate-to-wire in leg one, stopping the timer in 1:59 for Aaron Merriman in his first lifetime start. The Triumphant Caviar colt, who is trained and co-owned by Chris Beaver, along with James Gallagher, Moger-Delia Racing and Steven Zeehandelar, will start from the rail with Merriman in the sulky in the fifth OSS division (race 12). TC’s Best was bred by Barbara Murdock and Murdock Racing Stable.

Starting alongside TC’s Best in post two in this same division is Lane Of Stone, a brown son of Wishing Stone who is owned by Harry and Iris Horowitz. Piloted by Jeff Nisonger, Lane Of Stone went wire-to-wire in leg one, timed in 2:07.4 over a track listed as good. The homebred is conditioned by Mark Winters Sr.

Among the fillies, leg one winners See Me Sparkle (post two-Jeff Pantaleano) and Vivi D (post seven-Trace Tetrick), both daughters of Broadway Hall, square off in the first OSS contest (race two) for 2-year-old distaffs. The former is trained by J. L. Adams for the partnership of Martin Valentic, John Bednarski Jr. and Kassandra Adams and scored a 2:00.3 triumph in a come-from-behind effort.

Dan Ater trains and co-owns the latter, along with Kirk Nichols, and harnessed Vivi D to a 1:59.2 clocking in a near wire-to-wire effort. Both fillies will be trying for their second career victories in as many starts. See Me Sparkle was bred by Midland Acres, while Vivi D was bred by Donald and Michael Robinson, Robert Mondillo and Steve Cheatham.

Aunt Rose is an Uncle Peter lass who was never headed in leg one, winning by seven lengths in 1:59.1 with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. at the lines. Bred by Spring Haven Farm and Doug Millard, Aunt Rose is co-owned by trainer Chris Beaver along with Michael Carter, Joe Sbrocco and Steven Zeehandelar. She’ll start from post nine with Wrenn aboard in the second OSS filly division (race three).

Stone In Love notched her first career victory in leg one, timed in 1:59.2 with Aaron Merriman driving for trainer Chris Beaver. The Wishing Stone lass leaves from post two in the third division (race 11), with Chris Page driving for owners Beaver, Jim Burnett and Tim Homan. This youngster was bred by Mark Ford and Ed Mullinax.

The decisive Spirit Bell heads up the fourth OSS division (race 13) for fillies, and despite being saddled with post nine, appears to be the one to beat in here. Ryan Stahl steered her to a 1:58 clocking in leg one and returns again for trainer Kent Sherman and owners Melissa Patterson and Daryl Sherman. Spirit Bell, a daughter of Southwind Spirit, was bred by Dublin Valley Farm.

Leg three of the Ohio Sires Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts and fillies will take place on Monday (Aug. 6) at Northfield Park.