Up In Place Scores Second Straight OSS Win as Northfield Hosts Third Leg for Sophomore Pacers

By Wes Mayberry

Up In Place scored his second straight Ohio Sires Stakes victory on Saturday (June 20) as Northfield Park Racino hosted the third leg for sophomore pacers.

Driven by Marvin Luna, Up In Place won the first of two $75,000 divisions of colts and geldings. The Tony Alagna trainee was a winner in the second leg in 1:50.4 at Eldorado Scioto Downs on May 25 and tripped the wire in 1:52.2 on Saturday, finishing two and three-quarters lengths ahead of second-place Catch My Dragon (Tyler Smith). Rock Son (Dan Noble) was third. Up In Place is a Lather Up colt owned by John Barnard and Alagna Racing. He is 4-for-4 overall this season and has five victories and $117,175 in earnings in 12 career starts.

Skull N Crossbones (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) won the second division of sophomore colt and gelding pacers. Trained by Ron Burke, the Downbytheseaside gelding edged Prolific Blend (Austin Hanners) by a neck at the line in a lifetime-best 1:52. He went off with 13-1 odds and paid $29 to win. Pet Project (Trevor Smith) finished third. Skull N Crossbones is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Country Club Acres, and Joe Sbrocco. He has three wins and $120,426 in earnings in 15 career starts.

Rodeo Dancer (Brett Miller) recorded the fastest mile among the three $50,000 divisions of sophomore filly pacers, taking the second division in 1:52. The Rodeo Romeo filly led gate to wire and won by one and a quarter lengths over Vanna By The River (Noble), marking her fourth victory in six seasonal starts. Shacarri (Chris Page) was third. Rodeo Dancer is trained by Steve Bauder for owners Oompa’s Farm and Robert Mondillo. She has five wins and $129,200 in earnings in 13 lifetime starts.

Laughing Two (Noble) won the first division by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4 for trainer Jim Graham, who owns the Lather Up filly with Timothy Warner and Lee Winters. Seaside Shuffle (Page) and Odds On Dividend (Luna) rounded out the top three. Laughing Two has won three of six seasonal starts and has 10 victories and earnings of $62,428 in 18 career starts.

Laude Da (Page) took the third division by a neck over Kb Wrecking Ball (Noble), matching her lifetime mark of 1:53.4. Beach Babe Hanover (Justin Irvine) was third. Laude Da is a Summa Cum Laude filly trained by Burke and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, and Knox Services. She has hit the board in 10 of 12 career starts with three wins and $185,137 in earnings.

Celebrating its 50th season, the Ohio Sires Stakes continues July 4 with the fourth leg for sophomore filly trotters and pacers at Eldorado Scioto Downs.