by Kimberly Rinker, Administrator, Ohio Standardbred Development Fund

Columbus, OH — The 2016 Ohio Sires Stakes have received 1,091 nominations for 2- and 3-year-old Ohio-bred trotters and pacers this year via the March 15 deadline — up 41 percent from last season, which had a total of 774 nominations in those divisions.

The 2016 figures have tripled from 2013, which totaled in at just 387 nominations and as well, up substantially from 2014, which had 457 freshman and sophomore Ohio-bred Standardbreds nominated to the program.

This season, a total of 751 freshmen have been nominated, with 447 in the 2-year-old pacing division, (237 colts and 210 fillies). Last year 117 freshman pacing colts and 157 pacing fillies were nominated.

On the trotting side, 144 freshman colts and 160 freshman fillies have been nominated, for a total of 304. In 2015 those figures were 124 (colts) and 133 (fillies), respectively.

Among Ohio-sired 3-year-olds, a total of 340 have been nominated to the 2016 program, including 95 colt pacers and 91 filly pacers for a total of 186 in the side-wheeling division. Among the 154 diagonally-gaited sophomores nominated, there are 84 colts and 70 fillies.

Interestingly, well over 200 of the 1,091 nominated by the March 15 deadline came from stables and individuals from outside the Buckeye State, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, West Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.