Trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. sent out three of the four winners in $65,000 Ohio Sires Stakes tests for 3-year-old fillies of both gaits on Friday evening at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
Odds On Hialeah (Brett Miller) and Odds On Chesapeake (Dan Noble), who were first and second in last year's Ohio Sires Stakes final for the 2-year-old pacing fillies, won their respective tests on Friday in 1:50 3/5 and 1:51 1/5. Odds On Hialeah took command from first-up near the 1:22 1/5 three-quarters and won by a length and a quarter, while Odds On Chesapeake cut fractions of 28, 57 3/5 and 1:24 4/5 before she held off a rallying Skywalker Sea (Austin Hanners) by a head.
Both Morgan Jr. trainees are owned by Dana Parham's Odds On Racing and were bred by his Odds On Nourrir operation, but he does share ownership of Odds On Hialeah with Eric Cherry's Let It Ride Stables. Odds On Hialeah, who paid $3.40 to win and is by Lather Up, has a summary of 8-1-0 from nine outings and has earned $357,250, while Odds On Chesapeake, whose sire is Downbytheseaside, has six wins and two seconds from 12 tries and has pocketed $197,200. Odds On Chesapeake returned $2.60 to win.
Aunt Laura, driven by Miller, was Morgan Jr.'s other Ohio Sires Stakes winner. The champion of the Ohio Sires Stakes for 2-year-old trotting fillies in 2024, Aunt Laura took control from the pocket past the 29 second opening quarter, and after a well-rated tempo of 59 4/5 and 1:28, she came home in 28 3/5 to defeat Rose Run Allison (Chris Page) by a length in 1:56 3/5.
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A homebred for Dick McClelland and his late wife Joyce, Aunt Laura is a daughter of Uncle Peter. She made her fourth appearance in the winner's circle, has put away $261,750 and paid $8.80 to win.
In the only flight not won by Morgan Jr., Dream Something (Tyler Smith), another filly by Uncle Peter, swung out of the pocket beyond the 56 4/5 half, cleared Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) passing the 1:23 4/5 three-quarters and went on to tally by a length in 1:53 3/5. Morgan Jr. did hit the board as his Travel Nurse, driven by Miller, wound up third.
Trainer Miles Wollam also co-owns Dream Something, who was bred by Johanna Beaver, Michael Carter and Mary McLoughlin, with partner Julie Ann Sweet. Dream Something is now a seven-time victor from 11 trips behind the gate, has banked $191,883 and returned $3.60 to win.