Three $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes events for harness racing older Buckeye-bred trotters and pacers will be contested Saturday night, Oct. 15 at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway.
The trio of stakes for 4-year-olds and up will feature one nine-horse field of male trotters; one eight-horse division for male pacers; and one eight-horse field of distaff trotters. Unfortunately, there were not enough entries to constitute a division for pacing mares.
In the aged trotting division (Race 6) four of the nine contestants have earnings either over or close to the half a million dollar mark. Rompaway Galaxy is the clear standout, having earned $559,771 lifetime for breeder-owner the Rompaway Farm LLC of Battle Creek, MI.
This 5-year-old son of Rompaway Wally has been battling the top trotters in the Midwest and elsewhere for the past three seasons, and to date has 22 wins, 12 seconds and four thirds in 72 career outings. He took a mark of 1:52 at The Meadowlands in 2016 as a 4-year-old, en route to a season that saw him add $111,932 into his bank account. Conditioned by Miles Wollam, Rompaway Galaxy is the fourth and most prolific foal out of the Mr Vic mare Rompaway Wynona 2, 2:00 ($63,665).
Richard Lombardo and L&J Racing's Dancin Yankee headlines the OSS division for aged pacing horses and geldings (Race 7). Conditioned by Josh Green, this 8-year-old son of Yankee Cruiser has amassed over $1.4 million lifetime for these connections, consistently winning in the open and conditioned ranks at both East Coast and Midwestern ovals.
This season, the bay stallion has garnered seven wins, seven seconds and a trio of thirds in 25 starts, rarely missing a purse check. His 2016 bankroll stands at a healthy $102,329. Bred by Elizabeth Yontz of Georgetown, KY, Dancin Yankee is the first foal out of the Cambest mare Dancewiththebest p, 4, 1:54.4f ($40,922) and was a $17,000 yearling purchase at the 2009 Ohio Select Sale.
Victory Is Coming, the grande dame of the Ohio-bred distaff ranks, hails from post two in the OSS championship for trotting mares. Ammon Hershberger will bridle up this 9-year-old daughter of Victory Sam-Norse Comer-Overcomer, who has earned $673,659 for owners Betty & Red Shaw of Mount Vernon, OH.
This uber-consistent mare has a five-race win streak coming into this OSS test, having battled over the county fair ovals for the past month and a half. Lifetime, Victory Is Coming has 66 wins, 27 seconds and 14 thirds to her credit in 154 trips postward and is the second foal out of Norse Comer, 3, 2:00h ($69,675). Bred by Success Acres Inc., of Berlin, OH, Victory Is Coming too her career mark of 1:51f as a 7-year-old at Scioto Downs.
By Kimberly Rinker…………………………..Administrator, Ohio Standardbred Development Fund
