Grove City, OH — Three-year-old filly and colt pacers and trotters will close the curtain on the 2024 stakes season in the Buckeye State as MGM Northfield Park hosts eight $50,000 divisions of the Ohio Fairs Championships on Saturday night (Oct. 19).
Sophomores will wrap up the evening in style. Two starters, male pacer Dance In Style and filly trotter Desert Hayz, have the chance to repeat as Ohio Fairs champions.
Dance In Style is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line for colt pacers. The Steve Novak trainee will look for his tenth win this year. He has earned $46,629 in 20 seasonal starts. Marc St. Louis Jr. will leave from the fourth post position with the Dancin Yankee gelding.
Drinkinmybabygdby is the 9-5 favorite. The gelded son of Big Bad John was a winner in his last fair stake at Dayton Raceway in a lifetime mark of 1:53. He has earned $47,963 with nine wins in 17 starts this year. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. will be in the bike for trainer Daniel Hale.
It will be a battle amongst filly trotters. Desert Hayz, last year’s champion, is 25-1. She has bankrolled $37,370 with 10 seasonal victories. Billy Davis Jr. is slated to drive the daughter of Uncle Peter for trainer Greg Bateson.
Home Run Queen is the 3-2 favorite. The black filly by Full Count is coming off a win in the $25,000 Buckeye Stallion Series Consolation. Home Run Queen has hit the board in 19 of 23 seasonal tries and earned $68,752 under trainer Wes Hershberger. Daren Harvey will guide.
All About Faith and Flip Five Stones are the 5-2 co-second choices on the morning line. All About Faith drew the second post position. The daughter of What The Hill has scored 10 wins, including her last start at the Fairfield County Fair. She has bankrolled $52,584 in 29 seasonal starts. Jason Beattie will drive for trainer Tyler Tinch.
Although leaving from the seventh post position, Flip Five Stones should not be overlooked. With $44,842 in the bank, the brown filly by Lane Of Stone has hit the board 16 times this year. Jeff Nisonger will drive for trainer Mark Winters.
In the filly pace championship, Lady Bridgerton is the 9-5 favorite. The daughter of Bit Of A Legend N has notched nine victories and earned $53,089 in 21 seasonal starts. Lady Bridgerton lowered her lifetime mark earlier this year to 1:52.4. Wrenn will guide Lady Bridgerton from the third post position for trainer Brian Georges.
The 2-1 second choice, Cruiser Cancelled, will leave directly outside the favorite. Trained by Ryan Deaton, Cruiser Cancelled will look for her tenth seasonal win. She has earned $40,104 in 30 starts this year. Elliott Deaton will handle the daughter of Yankee Cruiser.
Driver-trainer Hank LeVan will try to capture the championship title with Jogging Bankshot in the colt trot division. Leaving from the third post, Jogging Bankshot is the 2-1 favorite. The Break The Bank K gelding has earned $43,423 in 17 board hits this season. He is coming off a victory in his last start at the Fairfield County Fair.
As the 7-2 second choice, A Line Of Stone will look for his fourth win in a row. The son of Lane Of Stone has notched 13 wins in 21 starts this year, earning $41,247. The Nisonger-Winters duo will team back up to send A Line Of Stone from the seventh post position.
The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association will livestream the Ohio Fairs Championships from Northfield Park as part of Saturday Night at the Races. Saturday Night at the Races is presented by The Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center and sponsored by Dublin Valley Farms, Big Dee’s Tack and Vet Supply, Midland Acres, The Stable.ca, and Cool Winds Farm. Coverage of the eight finals will begin at 6:10 p.m. on the OHHA Facebook page, YouTube channel, and HarnessRacingOhio.com.
First race post time at MGM Northfield Park is 6 p.m.