Buckette to Helpoftheseason
Indiana invader Helpoftheseason took advantage of a late break in stride by Bella Macchiato (Dexter Dunn) to take the $88,000 Buckette for sophomore trotting fillies in 1:54.2 on the Jugette Day undercard on Wednesday (September 20) at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Pride N Joy (Todd McCarthy) finished 2 1/2 lengths back in second. Stella Rose (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) crossed the finish line in third but was disqualified and placed 6th for interference. Bravo Angel S (Andrew McCarthy) was elevated to third.
Helpoftheseason is co-owned by John Schmucker, Wrenn Racing and Running Wild Stables. She is trained by Melanie Wrenn.
With the win, she has been first or second in eight of ten starts in 2023.
Sweet victory for Sugar Instead in $131,200 (div.) OBC 2FT
Sugar Instead continued her dominance in the state of Ohio for the two-year-old filly division.
The Volstead filly overcame the outside post #7 and was sitting third at the quarter and half mile stations in :27.3 and :56.3.
Driver Ronnie Gillespie tipped Sugar Instead off the rail at the three-quarter pole in 1:26.1 and cruised home in :29.4 to score the 6 ¼ length win in :1:56. My Rory (Tony Hall) was second and Westfiftyfive (Dexter Dunn) was third.
Virgil Morgan, Jr. conditions the winner for co-owners Joyce McClelland and Larry Wills.
The win was her seventh in nine seasonal starts and pushed her earnings to $363,925.
The second $65,600 division, Roxanna (Aaron Merriman) held off Chulita (Tyler Smith) and She’s Spicy (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) in 1:57.
Chris Beaver trains and co-owns Roxanna with Sandra Burnett.
The What The Hill filly was unraced at two, but has made $200,500 this season.
Refined Takes OBC Aged Trot
Refined (Tyler Smith) took the $34,400 Ohio Breeders Championship for aged trotters beating the boys in 1:54.1.
Caviar Gold (Aaron Merriman) rallied within a neck for second and Rose Run Valor (Kayne Kauffman) was third.
Refined is owned by the partnership of Joyce McClelland and Larry Wills. Virgil Morgan, Jr. trains the seven-year-old Uncle Peter mare. Her career earnings are approaching the $1 million mark.
Standardbred (Two-Year-Old Filly Trot)
Thanks to a patient drive by Brett Miller, Cantab’s Joy took the $40,000 Standardbred for two-year-old filly trotters in 2:00.1.
Cantab ‘s Joy was 2 ½ lengths ahead of Fiya (Tyler Smith) and Heavenly Heart (Dexter Dunn).
The winner is owned by Greg Luther Racing and trained by Todd Luther.
It was her third career win in nine seasonal starts
Standardbred (Two-Year-Old Filly Pace)
A Few Choice Words (Yannick Gingras) went gate-to-wire to take the $40,000 Standardbred for two-year-old filly pacers over Track’n Field (Chris Page) and Fresh Legs (Tim Tetrick) by 2 ½ lengths.
The Courtly Choice filly is trained by Blake MacIntosh for the Clancy Farms. She has won four of her nine 2023 starts and earned $73,222.
The final time of 1:54.3 was a new lifetime mark.
Photo Credit: Brad Conrad Photos