Grove City, OH – With 14 horses from his stable in the Ohio Fairs Championships, trainer-driver Hank LeVan will be a significant presence at Northfield Park Racino on Saturday (Oct. 10).
“I’m excited,” says LeVan, of Woodstock, Ohio. “I hope we have some luck. It took a lot of starts and a lot of success to get to this point, and hopefully we can capitalize on the year we’ve had and all the hard work we’ve put in and be able to get some recognition for all the horses’ connections.”
Primarily driving horses from his own stable at tracks throughout the Ohio fair circuit, LeVan has racked up a combined 226 wins (117 driving, 109 training) and $1.46 million in earnings this year. His 2026 Ohio Fairs Championships entries include three — Otis L, Dobby Do L, and Ranger Lonnie L — in the freshman colt trot division’s eight-horse field, which, he says, could be a blessing or a curse.
“Hopefully, all three race well, but they could also get in each other’s way, so you never know,” he says. “We started with four 2-year-old trotting colts, and three of the four made the fair finals, so hopefully we have some luck and do well.”
With three starters in the same race, LeVan had to pick which one to drive on Saturday. Otis L was his choice.
“I sat behind him most of the summer, and of those three, I thought he could be the most challenging to drive,” LeVan says. “He’s a good-gaited horse, but he’s a little different to drive.”
Chris Page will guide Dobby Do L, and Aaron Merriman has been tabbed to drive Ranger Lonnie L. While all three of the LeVan horses have had success this year, none are among the top choices on the morning line. Otis L and Ranger Lonnie L opened at 8-1 and 9-1, respectively, with Dobby Do L at 25-1. After drawing the rail, Krazy Caviar (driver Sam Widger) is the top choice on the morning line at 3-2. C R Mission (Dan Noble), who finished atop the Ohio Fairs Championship standings with 666 points, is the 2-1 second choice.
Otis L
Otis L was the top LeVan trainee in the standings, compiling 595 points to place second behind C R Mission. Owned by LeVan Stables, Richard Freese, Brake Farms, and Megan LeVan, he elicits high praise from his trainer.
“I don’t think you could ask for it to be a lot better,” LeVan says of Otis L’s season thus far. “He took to everything pretty quickly. He’s a really good-looking horse, and he’s nice to be around. He’s a little quirky going into the barn, but overall, he’s a nice horse, and he’s shown up and raced well most of the summer.”
The Centurion ATM gelding out of Windowshopper has hit the board in 13 of 17 starts with nine wins. His first career victory came in his second start, tripping the wire in 2:07.1 at the Pickaway County Fair in Circleville. He trailed leader Bullseye Lane by more than six lengths at the quarter pole but continued to close the gap en route to winning by a neck.
“The majority of his wins have set up about like that race did,” LeVan remembers. “He doesn’t have a ton of gate speed but likes to be out in the flow of things and chase other horses down. That’s what he’s done most of the summer.”
Driven by LeVan all season, Otis L added victories at fairs in Marion, Piketon, Marysville, Athens, Celina, Richwood, Marietta, and Kenton. His lifetime mark of 2:04.1 came at Athens after trailing by eight lengths at the half and five lengths at the three-quarter pole.
Otis L will leave from post 2 on Saturday.
Dobby Do L
Dobby Do L is one of LeVan’s favorites.
“He’s very good-looking and is fun to race and fun to be around,” he says of the In Range gelding out of Osonice owned by LeVan Stables, Darmofal Racing, and Megan LeVan. “I thought early on that he could be a horse that could be competitive in the Buckeye Stallion Series or Ohio Sires Stakes, but he got a little bit hot there after a few starts, so I just took him to the fairs to teach him a little bit.”
That patience paid off in the form of seven wins and three runner-up finishes in 16 starts, which put him fifth in the standings. He finished second in his career debut at Paulding and won at Ottawa in his next start. But his next two outings, an overnight race and a BSS event at Scioto Downs, both ended with sixth-place finishes. LeVan, who has driven Dobby Do L in all starts except the BSS, went on to guide the gelding to a berth in Saturday’s Ohio Fairs Championships on the strength of victories at Bucyrus, Tiffin, Napoleon, Richwood, Wauseon, and Kenton. He will leave from the far outside.
“It’s not ideal, but he has a lot of gate speed and is very handy, so hopefully he can get away good and be in a good position to win,” LeVan says.
Ranger Lonnie L
Though not quite as successful as his stablemates in this race, Ranger Lonnie L ended up at the same destination after finishing seventh in the point standings. The In Range gelding out of Culinary Delight had an inauspicious start to his career, missing the board in each of his first six races. But he has since rebounded to produce a 3-6-1 record through 17 starts.
“We joked with my wife’s grandfather, which is who the horse is named after, that he’s not going to make it. But he’s made a nice turnaround,” LeVan says. “He was really a late bloomer. For part of the spring, I wasn’t quite sure whether he was going to make the cut. He would just kind of go through the motions and wasn’t very fast. But eventually, the light bulb came on, and he’s kind of blossomed here late in the season.”
Owned by LeVan Stables, Edward Perry, Megan LeVan, and Richard Freese, Ranger Lonnie L scored his first career win in his seventh start, leading gate to wire at Sidney in what was a turning point in the horse’s season.
“He drew inside, and I was at the point where I was like, ‘You either race well, or you’re going to find a new address,’” LeVan remembers. “He made the front, and we didn’t go a whole lot. But the last quarter, he was really strong. He opened my eyes to the ability that he has.”
Primarily driven by LeVan, Ranger Lonnie L finished no worse than second in each of his next seven starts, including wins at Wapakoneta and Marietta, where he recorded his lifetime mark of 2:04.1. He added finishes of third at McConnelsville and second at Delaware but enters Saturday coming off a sixth-place performance in the Montgomery County Fair race card at Dayton Raceway. After drawing post 4, LeVan is hoping for a strong finish.
“I think that’s a good spot for him,” he says. “He’s been solid, so hopefully he can make the board.”
A brief look at each of the other seven $50,000 divisions of the Ohio Fairs Championships is below. First-race post time for Saturday’s 15-race card at Northfield is 6 p.m. (EDT).
Freshman Male Pace
Sonnys Big Brother (Justin Irvine) opened as the 8-5 morning-line favorite after drawing post 2. The Wayne Bowman trainee has six wins in 11 seasonal starts. Thee Town Buckeye (Jason Beattie) and Vh Dancin Guy (Noble) are co-second choices at 5-2.
Freshman Filly Trot
Guardian Queen (Noble) is the 9-5 morning-line favorite and will leave from post 4. The Herman Hagerman trainee has eight wins in 15 starts this season. Twila L (LeVan) opened at 5-2 after drawing the rail.
Freshman Filly Pace
Despite drawing the far outside post, Seaside Masquerade (Alex Hawk) opened as the morning-line favorite at 8-5. Trained by Randy Smith, she has 10 wins in 13 seasonal starts. Bit Of Honey (Jeff Nisonger), the 3-1 second choice, will leave alongside her in post 7.
Sophomore Male Trot
Out Of Range (Page) opened as the slight morning-line favorite at 3-2 over 9-5 second choice Lane Holding Court (Nisonger). They will leave side by side from posts 1 and 2, respectively. Out Of Range is trained by Steve Carter and has 10 wins in 20 seasonal starts. Mark Winters trainee Lane Holding Court has 10 wins in 21 starts this season.
Sophomore Male Pace
Rock On Beach (Noble) is the 5-2 morning-line favorite after drawing post 3. The Rosy Weaver trainee has 10 wins in 22 starts this year. He will leave alongside 3-1 second choice Fired Up Henry L (Page) in post 2.
Sophomore Filly Trot
Hagerman trainee Flirtin Tomi (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) is a slight morning-line favorite at 3-1 over 7-2 second choice Princess Karolyn (Braiden Rhoades). They will leave from posts 7 and 3, respectively. Flirtin Tomi has hit the board in 24 of 26 seasonal starts with nine victories, while Weaver trainee Princess Karolyn has nine wins in 23 starts on the year.
Sophomore Filly Pace
Vh Goldie (Noble) opened as the 5-2 morning-line favorite ahead of 3-1 second choice I Love Desi (Nisonger). They will leave side by side from posts 3 and 2, respectively. Trained by David Young II, Vh Goldie has eight wins in 24 seasonal starts. I Love Desi, trained by Winters, has won seven times in 19 starts this year.