by Kimberly Rinker, Administrator, Ohio Standardbred Development Fund

Columbus, OH — A quartet of $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions are set to be contested Saturday night (July 2) at Scioto Downs, featuring 32 side-wheeling sophomore fillies that were born and bred in the Buckeye State, vying in the third leg of this series. First race post time at the five-eighths-mile oval is 6:30 p.m. Each Ohio Sires Stakes event features a field of eight fillies.

She Gone and Johnsbadgirl square off in the first OSS division (race two). Both of these Ohio-breds each captured an earlier leg of this series. She Gone, who hails from the Brian Brown stable, won her first leg smartly in 1:55.1 at Miami Valley Raceway on May 6, while Johnsbadgirl won by a nose over Big Bad Ashley in 1:54 in a second leg battle at Scioto Downs on May 30.

Trained by Mike Polhamus for owner/breeder Julie Farley, Johnsbadgirl is a daughter of Big Bad John-Remembered Promise, who has career earnings of $46,730. She Gone, a daughter of Feelin Friskie bred by Midland Acres, is co-owned by Jennifer and Beau Brown, Cameron McCown and Richard Lombardo. She’s recorded seven wins in 18 starts and $41,775 in career earnings for her connections.

Conrad photo

Clarebear, a winner of $46,450 this year, tries for her third straight victory in Ohio Sires Stakes competition on Saturday night at Scioto Downs.

The second $40,000 OSS division (race three) appears to be the most competitive, with leg one and two victress Clarebear heading up the group. The homebred World Of Rocknroll filly has done nothing less than sweep her OSS contests with ease, pacing to three wins and $46,450 this year in just seven starts. Conditioned and co-owned by AJ Carlo for the C2G Stable of Lebanon, Ohio, Clarebear’s class should prevail, despite being saddled with the seven-hole.

Queen Ann M — who won her OSS leg two on May 30 at Scioto Downs by a nose over Naked By Nine in 1:53.2, gets the advantage of the rail for trainer Mike Roth and owners Allan Keith and Carl and Melanie Atley. A winner of $51,600 this season and $152,877 lifetime, the Big Bad John lass was bred by Midland Acres’ Jay Mossbarger.

Naked By Nine, a daughter of Manhardt, has finished second by a neck and a nose in both of her previous OSS tests this season. Trained by Mark Winters Sr. for Dennis Shaner, Naked By Nine is still looking for her elusive first win of 2016, but did turn in an impressive, 1:54.3 qualifying effort at Scioto Downs on June 27.

OSS leg two winner It’s Your Fantasy hails from the rail in the third OSS division (race 10). The Jim Arledge Jr. trainee stopped the timer in 1:55.1 in leg one on May 6 at Miami Valley and sports two wins in six tries this year, with seasonal earnings of $32,550 for Winchester Baye Acres. The brown daughter by Big Bad John was bred by Greg and Holly Martin, and has a career bankroll of $66,755.

Gorgeous Road is the second highest money earner in this third OSS division, and will start from post seven for driver Kurt Sugg, who owns the daughter of I’m Gorgeous in partnership with trainer Cory Deyermand and Patricia Nappi. A winner of $53,401 lifetime, Gorgeous Road was fourth in leg one and a cool second in leg two of this series. She was bred by Spring Haven Farm and Doug Millard.

Trainer Jim Dailey will tighten the girth on My Tweed Heart in the fourth and final OSS division (race 11) Saturday night. The daughter of Manhardt-Tweedle D won leg one on May 6 at Miami Valley in a hasty 1:54.4, and then returned at the end of that month to just miss by a neck to rival Ohsowigglesspecial. Owned by Carl and Melanie Atley and Alan Keith, My Tweed Heart has career earnings of $186,202. Bred by Stanley Swango III, the bay filly has four wins in 2016 and has not finished off the board in six tries.

Ohsowigglesspecial will be trying to continue her sweep of the series as well. Co-owner Joe Paver will harness the daughter of Mr Wiggles from post five for regular pilot Dan Noble. Pearl Warren and Dennis Paver also co-own the brown filly, who won leg one on May 6 at Miami Valley, clocked in 1:54.4 and in 1:55.1 in leg two on May 30 at Scioto Downs. This homebred lass now has 15 wins in 22 career starts and $85,110 in her lifetime bank account.

Ohio Sires Stakes action continues Sunday night (July 3) with 65 freshman pacing and trotting fillies competing in 14 divisions (leg one) at Northfield Park. On Monday (July 4), the action returns to Scioto Downs, as freshman trotting and pacing colts wage war in OSS contests.