by Keith Gisser, director of publicity, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — While most of the talk at Northfield lately has been about 19-year-old sensation Matt Kakaley and two-time driving champ Aaron Merriman, Ryan Stahl, last year’s top Ohio Sires Stakes pilot, has quietly put together a solid January as well.

On Monday, Jan. 28, Stahl drove seven winners in 12 drives on the 13-race card, also picking up two seconds and a third, for a UDR of .703. The seven wins moved him back into third place in the local driver standings.

Stahl scored three legs of the Pick Five, leaving a carryover for Tuesday of $17,443. The Pick Five is contested nightly on races three through seven at Northfield.

He won the fourth with Spirit Of Osborne ($12.40), the sixth with Dark Scene ($3.80) and the seventh with Linn-side Louis ($8.20).

He also picked up thre of the four legs of a $1,343 Pick Four, winning with Rocky Bay ($21.20), Cabana Kid ($4.80) and Honorable Guy ($4.00).

He wrapped up his winning evening with Liftoff Bayama ($6.00) in the 12th.

The seven wins were for six different trainers, as Cabana Kid and Dark Scene are both conditioned by Brian Loney.