by Keith Gisser, publicity director, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — Northfield Park hosted the Scarlet And Gray Stakes for veteran Ohio-breds on Saturday night (Sept. 4) and the evening started with a bang as Dave Palone steered Tom’s Ok Lady ($2.20) to a track record equaling 1:56 win in the $32,000 Mare Trot. The record she tied was her own, set in last year’s Scarlet And Gray.

B V’s Sister set the fractions, but Palone pulled the Ron Burke trainee from third at the three-quarters to collar the pacesetter in the final strides. That Fly’n Angel was third.

Tom’s Ok Lady is a 7-year-old daughter of Inquirer, owned by the partnership of Burke Racing, M1 Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Bethann Palone. She has won six of 17 starts this year, earning $99,490 of her $628,087 career bankroll this year.

The $40,000 Scarlet And Gray Horse Trot went to Dick Stillings and Rembrandt Spur ($16.60). Stillings put Roy Davis’ Pegasus Spur gelding on the front in a :27.2 opening panel and never looked back, winning in 1:55.2. Favored Master Begonia was second and Rompaway Beau earned show money.

Rembrandt Spur won for the seventh time in 17 seasonal starts and the 15th in just 41 career trips postward as he pushed his career earnings over $287,000.

The $43,000 Scarlet And Gray Horse Pace went to favored War Boots ($4.00). Trained and driven by Ray Paver, the 6-year-old Memphis Flash gelding closed from well back, bypassing Jaguar Jet, who had taken the lead from favored Valentowner, to win in 1:53. Jaguar Jet held second, while Standupandkissme finished third.

Owned by Shirley Mitchell, War Boots is now just under $400,000 in career earnings.

The final Scarlet And Gray Stake, the $37,000 Mare Pace, went to Matthew Toler’s Don’t Blame Her ($3.00). Don’t Blame Her led every step of the mile and sprinted home in 1:54.2 off a :58 opening half to defeat pocket-sitting Osborne’s Gypsy. Mattress Dancing finished third.

Virgil Morgan, Jr. trains Don’t Blame Her, a 7-year-old Village Connection mare, who went over the $400,000 career earnings mark with her 31st lifetime win.

Ohio Sires Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings were also featured on the card. The sophomore colt pacers contested one $37,200 Ohio Sires Stake and favored Doc’s Yankee ($3.20) made easy work of the competition with a 1:53.4 win, his seventh in 13 seasonal starts. Crusinfullthrottle was second and Trick Man finished third.

In the winner’s circle following the race, trainer Ron Potter said the Yankee Cruiser gelding, owned by Bay Racing of Delaware, Ohio, would take on the best in the sport in the Little Brown Jug, foregoing the Ohio Breeders Championship. Doc’s Yankee has been a remarkably consistent performer, missing the top three just once in his career.

Ohio-bred colt and gelding trotters contested three $15,000 heats. In the first, Chip Noble piloted Ron Fuller and Dee Hotton’s Buckeye Man to victory. He took the lead from My D Sammy in the last stride to tally in 1:58.1, with Jesse Fect third. The win was the seventh in 14 starts this year for the Jailhouse Jesse gelding.

Wolf Creek Ted, an Emile Angus gelding, rebounded from a couple soft efforts with a lifetime best 1:56.4 win in the second split, stopping Oh No It’s Steveo, who rebounded from an early break, and pacesetter Bookem. It was his sixth win 15 seasonal starts.

The final $15,000 trotting split went to 4-5 Sing Jesse Sing, who cruised gate-to-wire in 1:57.2. The Jailhouse Jesse colt won his fifth straight with Mike Wilder in the bike for trainer Ron Burke. Owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Frank Baldachino, he defeated Jailhouse Scorpion and Call The Warden to post his seventh win in ten seasonal starts and push his 2010 bankroll to $249,807.