Freshmen pacers open OSS at Northfield on Sunday
At 0h54, on July 13, 2025 • By Wes Mayberry, Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association
The Ohio Sires Stakes for 2-year-old colt and filly pacers gets underway on Sunday (July 13) with the opening leg as part of a 15-race card at MGM Northfield Park.
There will be four $50,000 divisions of colt pacers with 30 total starters and two $65,000 divisions of filly pacers with 16 total starters.
I’llbetyourboots headlines this group as the winner of the $150,000 Next Generation for 2-year-old colt pacers in a stakes record 1:52 at Eldorado Scioto Downs on July 5. The Summa Cum Laude gelding is the 6-5 morning line favorite in Sunday’s second division of colt pacers. He has hit the board in all three starts this season with two wins and $79,960 in earnings. Chris Page was in the sulky for the Next Generation victory and will again drive the Ron Burke trainee on Sunday. I’llbetyourboots is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services, and Lawrence Karr. Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee Odds On Sugar (Dan Noble) is the 3-1 second choice in this division.
Swelce and Sparks N Fire finished second and third, respectively, behind I’llbetyourboots in the Next Generation and will face off in the third division of Sunday’s OSS. Swelce is the early 5-2 favorite with Sparks N Fire the 3-1 second choice leaving from the rail. Swelce has hit the board in all three starts this season with one win and two seconds. Trainer Jeff Nisonger drove her to victory at Circleville in 2:02.4 on June 15 while Mike Wilder was in the sulky for the runner-up finish in the Next Generation in 1:52. Wilder will again drive the Summa Cum Laude gelding on Sunday. He is owned by Kathy Gorby, Nisonger Stable, and Mitchell Standardbreds. This will mark the first start for Sparks N Fire since the Next Generation. Austin Hanners drove the Catch The Fire colt across the line in 1:52 in that race and will return to the sulky on Sunday for trainer Todd Luther.
At 2-1, the Ron Burke-trained Lindy Dragonwater (Page) is the morning-line favorite in the first division and will leave from post two alongside 5-2 second choice and Brian Brown trainee Maserati Marv (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.). Lindy Dragonwater finished third in his lone start this season, which came at Scioto Downs on June 28. He won a qualifier at The Meadows on June 17 in 1:55.1. The Downbytheseaside colt is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Beasty LLC, and Bradley Grant.
Gentleman’s Club (Aaron Merriman) is the early 3-1 favorite and will leave from the rail in the fourth division. He won his lone prior start this season, tripping the wire in 1:54.3 with Mark Herschberger at Pocono Downs on July 5. The Downbytheseaside colt and Aaron Lambert trainee is owned by Anthony Licastro. Rosy Weaver trainee Captain’s Dance (Justin Irvine) is the 7-2 second choice.
Shacarri stands out among the group of filly pacers entered in Sunday’s OSS. In her lone prior start, the Burke trainee won the $40,000 Ohio-Sired 2-Year-Old Filly Pace at Scioto Downs on July 5 in 1:51.1, equaling the track record for her classification. Page was in the sulky that night and is set to drive the Summa Cum Laude filly again on Sunday as the early 8-5 favorite in the second division. Shacarri is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Phillip Collura, and Zippett Racing Stable. The Christi Noble-trained Nancy Jane (Dan Noble) and Burke-trained Seaside Shuffle (Wrenn Jr.) share 4-1 odds as second choice and will leave side-by-side from posts four and five, respectively.
She’safirewoman (Luke Hanners) is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the first division. The Mark Winters trainee has hit the board in both starts this season, winning at Circleville with Nisonger in 2:01.2 on June 14 and finishing as the runner-up to Shacarri in 1:51.3 at Scioto on July 5 with Luke Hanners. Her lifetime best of 1:55.1 came in a qualifier at Scioto on June 30. The Catch The Fire filly is owned by Harry Horowitz. Steve Bauder trainee Rodeo Dancer (Brett Miller) is the 5-2 second choice in this division.
Sunday’s card at MGM Northfield Park also features a $20,500 Open Handicap Pace, $20,500 Open Handicap Trot, and a $17,000 Open II Pace. First-race post time is 6 p.m.
