Grove City, OH – Sweet Rose’ picked up her second Buckeye Stallion Series win of the season on Monday (Aug. 11) as MGM Northfield Park hosted four $20,000 divisions of the fourth leg for 3-year-old filly trotters.
Sweet Rose’ (Chris Lems) came out on top in the second division, which included two other winners from prior legs in Iwillmakeuproud As and Wild As You. The Matthew Burkholder trainee moved to the front just past the :28 first quarter and led the rest of the way with fractions of :57.4 and 1:26.3 en route to winning by 1-1/4 lengths in a lifetime-best 1:56.3. Freedom Hill (Aaron Merriman) was second followed by Bb’s Kanson Lady (Luke Ebersole) in third. Sweet Rose’ has hit the board in all four legs of the BSS with two wins, one second, and one third and has four total victories on the season. The daughter of Marseille has seven wins and $67,600 in earnings in 16 career starts and is owned by Courtney Burkholder.
Another Marseille filly, Pretty Lil Penny (Trevor Smith), won the third division. The Jeremy Miller trainee led wire to wire and crossed the line in 1:56.1. Up (Lems) was three lengths back in second with Count On Kenna (Merriman) in third. Pretty Lil Penny posted fractions of :27.1, :57.3, and 1:26.4 en route to picking up her third win in eight seasonal starts. She has four career victories and earnings of $54,438 in 11 starts and is owned by Miller and Wayne Mast Jr.
Travel Nurse (Luke Hanners), who posted second-place finishes in the second and third legs, got her first win of the season, taking the first division in 1:57.2. She led the whole way, posting fractions of :28.3, :58.2, and 1:27.2, and won by 2-1/2 lengths. Miss Side Gig (Justin Irvine) and Countn On Cc (Kurt Sugg) were second and third, respectively. Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr., Travel Nurse has four wins and $106,885 in earnings in 21 lifetime starts. The Enterprise filly is owned by Joyce A McClelland Stable.
Volstarita (Irvine) rallied from sixth place at the halfway mark to win the fourth division in 1:56.3 for her second seasonal victory. The Volstead filly was five lengths back of leader Aunt Lilly (Merriman) as the field crossed the half in :57.4. She went three wide going to the three-quarter pole and took the lead entering the final turn. The Cassandra Lecourt trainee held off a challenge from Tankfullaluck (Sugg) down the stretch to win by a length. Sudsnritz (Tyler Smith) was third. Volstarita has five wins and $58,886 in earnings in 19 career starts. She is owned by M3 Racing Stable.
Monday’s 15-race card at MGM Northfield Park also included the Great Lakes Amateur Driving Series trot, which was won by Johnnyreds Victory in 1:58.1 with trainer Edward Miller in the sulky.
The Buckeye Stallion Series for sophomore filly trotters continues with the fifth leg on Sept. 15 at Delaware.