by Gerry Connors
Respected Northeast Ohio horseman Jerome Osborne made two visits to the Great Geauga County Fair on Saturday afternoon, both times greeting the fastest performer on the gait at the one-day meet -– a pair of sophomore geldings he owns — and being congratulated for winning a Buckeye Super Stake at the Burton, Ohio oval.
First to the winner’s circle was the Striking Sahbra trotting gelding Striking Osborne, who rated his own pace, then sprinted home in :292 to take his $6,431 event in 2:04 for driver Greg Grismore, trainer Eric Hamlet, and Osborne.
Then it was the turn of the Nobleland Sam gelding Pegasus Osborne, winning his $7,281 Super Stake in 2:004. Todd Jones, who had a driving double, also controlled the stick in here, with a :293 kicker en route to victory for trainer Brian Mackey and owner Osborne, also the breeder of the pacer.
Two training/driving Bills also doubled in the Buckeye Sires Stakes -– Bill Irvine with Three Times Silver and R Nosey Rosey, and Bill Mt. Pleasant with CSI Lucky In Love and CSI Love Hurts.
Further investigation showed that the Mt. Pleasant duo were both freshman sons of How To Love, owned and bred by the CSI Farm of North Carolina.
Marty Wollam also had a stakes training twobagger.