Grove City, OH — The first leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes wraps up Saturday afternoon (May 7) at Miami Valley Raceway as two divisions of 3-year-old male trotters and pacers will do battle. Thirteen trainers will send 17 trotters and 16 pacers to the post with Chris Beaver and Ron Burke leading the way with six starters each.

In the first division of trotters, Burke starts Rose Run Xtra, the morning line favorite at 5-2. Rose Run Xtra by Cash Hall was the runner-up in last year’s Sires Stakes final. Chris Page will drive the colt for the ownership group of Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services, and Jason Mellilo.

Beaver will have three starters including Gabbys Bit Coin, who finished third in last year’s Sires Stakes final. The son of Uncle Peter is owned by Beaver and his mother Johanna. Brett Miller will drive the morning line second choice at 7-2.

Also in the field is I Love My MVP, who will be looking for his fourth win of the season. The Dirk Simpson trainee did not race as a 2-year-old and ships in from The Meadows for his first Ohio start. I Love My MVP is the third choice at 4-1 and is owned by Dirk Simpson Stable.

In the second division, Beaver will send out the 2021 freshman trotting colt of the year in Ohio, The Mighty Hill. JJ Zamaiko photo.

In the second division, Beaver will send out the 2021 freshman trotting colt of the year in Ohio, The Mighty Hill. The son of What The Hill won the Ohio Sires Stakes final last year. Owned by Beaver, Donald Robinson, and VIP Internet Stable, The Mighty Hill hopes to bounce back from his ninth-place finish in the James K. Hackett Memorial where he broke stride in the stretch. Miller will get the call on the 7-2 second choice.

The Mighty Hill’s stablemate, Caviar Gold, will be the 2-1 favorite in the race. Aaron Merriman will drive the son of Triumphant Caviar, who set a new lifetime mark of 1:53.4 in winning the Hackett Memorial, Beaver co-owns Caviar Gold with Bill Manes, Leo Fleming, and Steve Zeehandelar.

Two other horses will be looking for their fourth wins of the year. Guido Di and Motto are the third and fourth choices at 9-2 and 6-1, respectively. Steve Schoeffel trains Guido Di for owners Virginia Schoeffel, Kathy Schoeffel, Lewis Falton, and Sara Zidek, while Motto, who finished second in the Hackett, is trained by Clarence Foulk for Foulk Stables and William Hartt.

On the pacing side, Burke will send out the top two choices, Seaside Way (2-1) and Barry’s Berries (5-2) in the first division.

Seaside Way has hit the board in all five starts this year and finished second in the Hackett Memorial. Page will drive for the ownership group of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services, and Slaughter Racing Stable.

Berry’s Berries held off stablemate Seaside Way to win the $50,000 Hackett Memorial colt pace in 1:50.1, just a tick off the track record. Conrad photo.

Seaside Way stablemate Barry’s Berries won the Hackett in a lifetime best of 1:50.1. Tony Hall will be back in the bike looking to win with the gelding for the third time this year. Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, and Knox Services also own Barry’s Berries along with J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby.

Also in the field is last year’s Ohio Sires Stakes Consolation winner Velocity Chaps. He will be making his first start of the year for trainer Mark Evers. The son of Well Said won four times in nine starts last year for owner Velocity Standardbreds. Josh Sutton will drive the 8-1 choice.

Seaside Way and Barry’s Berries are two of the four colts sired by Downbytheseaside in the first division. Overall, Downbytheseaside is the sire of nine of the 16 pacers racing in the first leg.

The favorite in the second division is sired by Downbytheseaside. Risenshine Seaside is 5-2 on the morning line. Trained by Brian Brown, last year’s runner-up in the Ohio Sires Stakes Consolation is looking for his fourth win of the year. Merriman will drive Risenshine Seaside for owners Hutchison Harness.

The second division will feature two Burke entries, Bythemissal, the second choice at 3-1, and 5-1 choice Terminator. Page will pilot Bythemissal who won his first start this year, while Hall will drive Terminator. Both are also sired by Downbytheseaside. Bythemissal is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing, and Weaver Bruscemi. Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi also own Terminator in partnership with Knox Services and J&T Silva Stables.

Post time for the final day of racing at Miami Valley Raceway this year is 12:05 p.m.