Five rookie pacers seek third BSS win Friday
At 0h05, on August 22, 2025 • By Ohio Harness Horsemen 's Association
Five different horses have two wins apiece through the first three legs of the Buckeye Stallion Series for freshman colt pacers. They’ll all be going for win number three as Eldorado Scioto Downs hosts five $20,000 divisions of the fourth leg on Friday (Aug. 22).
All 14 horses who have at least one win in this year’s BSS are entered in Friday’s fourth leg. Those entries are highlighted by two-time winners Heerz Corinthian, Hunka Hunka, Odds On RPJ, Stoke The Fire, and Wagon Day.
Hunka Hunka and Odds On RPJ are in the first division along with first-leg winner Catch My Dragon. Odds On RPJ (Dan Noble) is the early 5-2 favorite over 3-1 second choice Catch My Dragon (Trevor Smith), who will leave from the rail. Hunka Hunka (Brett Miller) opened with 5-1 odds and will leave from post two. Odds On RPJ is a Downbytheseaside gelding trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. His two BSS wins came in the first leg at MGM Northfield Park in a lifetime-best 1:55.3 and the third leg at Urbana, Ohio, in 1:57.1. He placed third in the second leg at Scioto. Trained by Jeff Smith, Catch The Fire gelding Catch My Dragon took a division of the opening leg in 1:55. Hunka Hunka is a Daren Harvey trainee and Catch The Fire colt with three wins and one second in five seasonal starts. His BSS wins came in the opening leg in 1:56 and the third leg in 1:55.4.
The fourth division also features a pair of two-time winners in Stoke The Fire and Wagon Day in addition to second-leg winners Odds On Sugar and The Ebony Dragon. Morgan trainee Odds On Sugar (Noble) will leave from the rail as the 6-5 morning line favorite. The Downbytheseaside colt’s second-leg win came in 1:52.1. Stoke The Fire (Chris Lems) is the 3-1 second choice and will leave from post two. Trained by Scott Cox, the Catch The Fire gelding’s BSS wins came in the second leg in a lifetime-best 1:53.1 and the third leg in 1:56. Wagon Day (Kayne Kauffman), a winner in the second leg in a lifetime-best 1:53.3 and the third leg in 1:57, opened with 7-1 odds. The Summa Cum Laude gelding is trained by Mike Polhamus. Tyler Bates trainee The Ebony Dragon (Luke Hanners) opened with 10-1 odds. The Fear The Dragon colt took a division of the second leg in a lifetime-best 1:52.3 and has seven wins and two thirds in 10 seasonal starts.
Heerz Corinthian (Cameron McCown) will be going for his third BSS win of the season as the 9-2 second choice behind 9-5 morning line favorite Odds On Phil (Chris Page) in the third division. Trained by Morgan, Odds On Phil has hit the board in all three legs of the BSS, including a win in the second leg in a lifetime-best 1:53. The Lather Up colt was the runner-up to Heerz Corinthian in the first leg and Hunka Hunka in the third leg. He will leave from the rail. Heerz Corinthian, a winner in the first two legs in 1:56 and a lifetime-best 1:53.2, respectively, is a Downbytheseaside gelding trained by Jessica McCown. This division also features first-leg winner Cipher and third-leg winner Ain’t No Fire with respective morning line odds of 5-1 and 8-1. Aaron Merriman will drive Cipher for trainer Brian Brown, and Sam Widger will be in the sulky with Ain’t No Fire for Thomas Litt.
First-leg winner Barcelona Legend and third-leg winner Summa’s Legacy are in the fifth division with early 5-2 favorite Solid Rock. Pet Rock colt Solid Rock (Miller) is trained by Dan O’Mara. He has two seconds and two thirds in seven seasonal starts and will leave from the rail. Summa’s Legacy (Page) will leave from the far outside as the 5-1 second choice. Trained by Brown, the Summa Cum Laude gelding took a division of the third leg in 1:57.1, marking his first career victory. Trainer Darren Dowler will drive Barcelona Legend, who posted a win in the first leg in a lifetime-best 1:55.3 and opened with 6-1 odds. The Bit Of A Legend N gelding has hit the board in six of eight seasonal starts with four victories.
Heerzadiamondstud (McCown), who won a division of the opening leg in 1:55.4 for his lone seasonal victory, opened with 7-1 odds in the second division. He is trained by Jessica McCown. Odds On Ray (Page), who finished second and third in the second and third legs, respectively, is the 6-5 morning line favorite. Trained by Morgan Jr., the Downbytheseaside colt has one win this season. Captain’s Dance (Widger) is the 9-2 second choice. The Dancin Yankee gelding and Rosy Weaver trainee was the runner-up to Stoke The Fire in the second leg and has two wins and two seconds in seven seasonal starts.
The Buckeye Stallion Series is part of a 16-race card at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Friday. The card also includes a $26,000 Open Trot and $25,000 Filles and Mares Open Pace. First-race post time is 5:45 p.m.
