by Kimberly A. Rinker, Administrator, Ohio Standardbred Development Fund

Columbus, OH — The first leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes for freshman pacing and trotting colts will be contested Saturday (July 4) afternoon at Scioto Downs, with a first post scheduled for 2 p.m., ET.

A total of 92 youngsters passed through the entry box, necessitating five $40,000 pacing divisions and five $40,000 trotting divisions. All but a handful of these colts and geldings will be making their career debuts.

Trotters vie early on the program, beginning with the first race. Lone Valley Sam and Lionbacker Kidd both appear ready for their respective connections. Lone Valley Sam, a bay son of Iron Duke, scored a pair of solid qualifiers—the first a winning 2:06 clocking at Delaware on June 10 and the second a second-place finish in 2:01.3 at Scioto on June 22. Trained and driven by Chris Page, Lone Valley Sam was a $2,000 yearling purchase at the 2014 Blooded Horse Sale.

Rival Lionbacker Kidd’s credentials include back-to-back winning qualifying efforts at Northfield Park—on June 11 (2:05.2) and on June 25 (2:03). This gelded son of Lionhunter will be harnessed by Joseph Kramp for owner Jeffrey Kidd of Hartville, OH.

In the second OSS division (Race 2) Forever Worth It just might be, as he comes into this event with back-to-back winning Northfield qualifiers to his credit. The first, on June 18, saw him score in 2:00.1 and the second, on June 25, saw him pace in 1:58.1, with an impressive :28 final brush. Trained by Scot Cox, this son of Stand Forever is owned by Miracle Meadows LLC of Columbus, OH and Jason Ash of Delaware, OH. As well, Kathleen Prickett’s Budman, a son of Manhardt, also has a pair of winning qualifiers to his name. On June 15 he tripped the timer in 1:58.1 and on June 22 he was clocked in 1:56.2 with his trainer Jeff Nisonger in the bike.

In the third $40,000 OSS division (Race 3), two of the ten entrants will be looking for their second career victories. Kanthaka comes off a maiden victory in a Meadow’s $7,500 overnight on June 23, when he paced in 1:58, besting his rivals by 3¼ lengths. The son of Triumphant Caviar is trained and co-owned by Chris Beaver and Wilbur Lang of Jamestown, OH.

Also looking for his second straight triumph in this race is Esther Crownover’s Nobletucky Joe, a son of Victory Sam who scored an impressive, 33-¾ length victory in a $4,440 Ohio Fair Stake on June 21 at Circleville. This bay gelding is trained by Steve Carter.

Chips So Fast headlines the fourth OSS division (Race 5) from post six for trainer Ryan Angus. This Chip Chip Hooray youngster brings a trio of Northfield Park qualifying efforts into this $40,000 test. Owned by Mark Moger of New Hope, PA and Albert Delta, Jr. of Newtown, PA, Chips So Fast has been clocked in 2:05.1, 2:02.3 and 2:01—finishing a strong second each time. This same event sees Triumphant’s Chip trying for his second straight victory, having won a $4,440 Ohio Fair Stake at Circleville on June 21 in 2:07.2 for driver Tyler Smith and trainer Steve Carter.

Conditioner Scott Cox will harness War College in the fifth $40,000 OSS division (Race 13) for the Parent Racing Stable LLC of Holland, OH and G. Peters of Akron. This Trainforthefuture gelding has a trio of qualifiers to his credit—the last on June 25 in a respectable 2:02.2 clocking. Also impressive in his recent qualifiers was Another Breath, who paced to a pair of winning miles at Scioto Downs on June 15 (in 2:03) and June 22 (in 2:01.2).

The five, $40,000 pacing divisions get started later on the card, beginning with Race 10. First time starter Beligerent, a son of Mantacular who is owned and trained by Fred Huff, Jr. of Jackson, OH, posted a 1:58.2 qualifier at Scioto Downs on June 15, the fastest winning clocking of any youngster in this nine-horse field. Karen McGraw’s Whiskey Friskie, a son of Feelin Friskie, also posted a winning time of 2:05.1 en route to winning a $4,440 Ohio Fair Stake at Circleville on June 21, while Miller Racing Stable’s Donald Doc won a similar stake at Ottawa on June 24, timed in 2:04.2 for the one mile test.

Trainer John Oliverio sends out Feelin Lucky in rein to Josh Sutton in the second $40,000 OSS division (Race 11) for pacing colts from post five. This Feelin Friskie gelding scored a winning 1:56.3 score on June 25 at the Meadows. Whataboy, who hails from the Virgil Morgan, Jr. Stable, posted a 1:57.3 winning effort in a Scioto Downs qualifier on June 22. This son of Big Bad John will have Chris Page at the lines for his pari-mutuel debut.

Morgan will then harness Primo Giovanni, another Big Bad John colt, in the third $40,000 OSS division (Race 12). Owned by Carl Howard of Hilliard, OH, Primo Giovanni will start from post eight and most recently was timed in 1:58.3 when finishing third in a Scioto qualifier on June 22. Prior to that effort, he had won his qualifying debut on June 15 in a sporty 2:02.3, with an impressive: 27.4 final brush. Another son of Big Bad John, Aloha John won a Northfield qualifier on June 25 in 1:59 for trainer Eric Hamlet, who owns the gelding in partnership with Michael Osborne, of Mentor, OH.

Three sons of Big Bad John have winning scores to their credit in the fourth $40,000 OSS division (Race 14). Big Bad Cam and Prince Giovanni both took marks in their qualifiers—the former at Hoosier Park in 1:58.2 on June 13 and the latter on June 15 at Scioto Downs in 2:00.3, while Au Naturel was timed in 1:58.4 in his qualifier at Scioto on June 8. World Of Gaming, a son of World of Rocknroll, brings a pair of solid tries into this race, with a victory on June 21 at Circleville in 2:04.1 and on June 29 in a Scioto qualifier when he paced in 1:58.3 after drawing away from his rivals by four lengths.

The final $40,000 division for OSS pacing colts (Race 15) sees Dash Of Grace looking for his second straight pari-mutuel victory. The son of Feelin Friskie captured a Northfield Park $3,000 overnight on June 24 in 1:58, winning by four lengths in a near wire-to-wire triumph. Kurt Sugg drives for trainer-owner Kurt Lepley of Mt. Vernon, OH.

Trainer Jeff Nisonger will be in the sulky behind his Rockys World, a son of World Of Rocknroll who scored a 1:58.2 qualifier on June 15 before posting a 1:57.2 score on June 22—both at Scioto Downs. Friskie Cruiser, who hails from the powerful Brian Brown Stable, will make his pari-mutuel debut against these from post two. This son of Feelin Friskie paced to a winning 1:59.4 in a Delaware qualifier on June 19.

OSS action continues for 2-year-old trotting colts with the second leg of this series set for Northfield Park on July 24. Pacing colts will vie on July 25 at Scioto. Third leg action for both gaits will be raced Aug. 21 at Northfield Park, while fourth leg contests will be held Sept. 5 at Scioto Downs.

The $225,000 Championship events for all the 2- and 3-year-old divisions will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, during Scioto Down’s Super Night.