Grove City, OH — The top two 3-year-old male trotters in Ohio have set their sights on a showdown in the Ohio Sires Stakes finals Oct. 1.

Longshot and Rose Run Xtra won again in Sires Stakes action Sunday night (Sept. 4) at a rainy MGM Northfield Park. Longshot won for the third time in the series, while Rose Run Xtra won for the second time.

Longshot fought off a challenge from The Mighty Hill, drawing away to win in 1:54.4. Casalinova Photography.

In the first of two $55,000 divisions across a sloppy track, Chris Lems took the 2-5 favorite Longshot to the lead and controlled the pace through the first half with fractions of :28.3 and :57.3. What The Blaze and Dan Noble challenged the leader heading to three-quarters but could get no closer than a head. As the field turned for home, the son of Long Tom fought off a challenge from The Mighty Hill and Aaron Merriman, drawing away to win in 1:54.4. What The Blaze finished third.

Scott Cox trains Longshot for owners Wayne Mast Jr. and Callam Racing. The win is the sixth of the year in 11 starts for Longshot and raises his earnings this year to $118,270.

In the second division, co-even money favorites Caviar Gold and Rose Run Xtra battled through the rain with Rose Run Xtra firing down the passing lane to win by a half-length. Aaron Merriman took Caviar Gold to the lead with Chris Page and Rose Run Xtra taking the pocket trip through the first three quarters in :27,3, :55.4, and 1:24.4. At the top of the stretch Page shot the son of Cash Hall to the inside, beating Caviar Gold to the wire in 1:55.1. Bamboo finished third.

Trained by Ron Burke and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services, and Jason Melillo, Rose Run Xtra has hit the board in all 12 season’s starts, winning four. The victory raised his lifetime earnings to $344,694.

Longshot and Rose Run Xtra will meet in the Sires Stakes finals scheduled for Oct. 1 at Hollywood Dayton Raceway.

Ohio Sires Stakes action continues Tuesday (Sept. 6) when two divisions of 2-year-old filly pacers take to the MGM Northfield track. First race post time is 6 p.m.