A big afternoon of harness racing is coming up Saturday, with the Ohio Sires Stakes Championships at Ohio's Lebanon Raceway and $6 million in Breeders Crown races at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania.
In addition to harness racing, you can watch simulcast racing at Northfield Park.
All of the races are being simulcast at Northfield Park. The Ohio Sires Stakes action kicks off at 3:30 p.m. The first race on the Breeders Crown card goes to post at 5:05 p.m.
With $6 million in purses attracting the country's top young trotters and pacers, getting most of the Breeders Crown attention will be the $500,000 miles for the 3-year-olds. Lucky Chucky is the early favorite in the sophomore trot, with Muscle Massive rated the second choice. In the pace, Rock N Roll Heaven and One More Laugh will meet after winning elimination heats last Saturday.
Rock N Roll Heaven, driven by Daniel Dube, won the 65th edition of the $604,100 Little Brown Jug in straight heats on Sept. 23. The horse paced a world record to take the Triple Crown race at the Delaware County Fair.
With purses estimated at $75,000 for each of the eight Ohio Sires Stakes Championships, it will be a rich afternoon of racing at Lebanon. The 3-year-old pace will draw attention, with Doc's Yankee leading the point standings going into the championship. A winner at Northfield Park recently, trainer Ron Potter tested Doc's Yankee in the Little Brown Jug. Dan Noble reined Doc's Yankee to a third-place elimination-race finish behind Classic Rock Nroll to make the finals, but couldn't match red-hot winner Rock N Roll Heaven.
To liven up the day, Northfield will have drawings from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday for $50 betting vouchers and Breeders Crown caps.
Cam's kid is racing: Cam's Valentine was a top-notch pacer for owners Ken Kohut of Independence and Mike Drury and Chris Arold of Strongsville, winning more than $300,000 in her career.
The Horse of the Year at Northfield in 2002, she was matched with sire Real Artist by her owners four years ago. The partners kept her offspring, Cams Van Go, and she is making her Northfield debut in Saturday's first race.
Coaches' choice: Kent State men's basketball coach Geno Ford and longtime Akron high school basketball coach Jerry Laria will be cheering for their pacer, Rosie Caribia, racing in Friday's 10th race at Northfield. Also a co-owner is Elliot Deaton, who will be in the sulky for trainer Rachel Kaneoka.
Senior citizen: No one is willing to do the research, but Ohio racing experts generally agree Catlaunch, who won last Saturday's $75,000 Best of Ohio Endurance on a rain-soaked track, is the oldest winner ever in the Best of Ohio series. Catlaunch is 9 years old, but still as frisky as a colt.
Owned and bred by Ron Fields of Scioto Farms in Chillicothe, Catlaunch has $883,554 in career earnings. Fields thinks his old-timer can defend his crown in 2011.
"It's hard to tell that he's nine," said Fields. "Catlaunch is built like a rock, has never been injured and doesn't like to lose."
Wagering slips: The total pari-mutuel wagering at race tracks around the United States slipped in 2010 by 10.2 percent.
The track handles for the first nine months totaled $8.96 billion, down from $9.66 billion. One cause for the decline was a 7.4 percent drop in racing dates at tracks around the country to 4,315.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: degan@plaind.com, 216-999-5158