Go Daddy, The Rev, BBJ, Caviar And Taj

John Campbell drove Go Daddy Go in his first five starts of 2015. The son of Ponder had been rated sixth in Hoof Beats’ Predictive Rankings and was number four behind Artspeak, Wiggle and In The Arsenal in the early Cup odds. Diamond Creek, where his sire stands, thought so highly of him that they bought a piece after he finished fifth in the 2014 BC.

Daddy won his first start of the year, a $70,000 OSS Gold leg, but he faded to seventh in his Cup elimination and was subsequently fifth in the consolation at 9/1 from the nine post. Two weeks ago he broke in the Milstein, finishing eighth for Peter Wrenn, while last night he was an uninspiring sixth in a $105,000 Gold leg at Georgian Downs for Mike Saftic.

Go Daddy Go has no open stakes win, so he doesn’t have the sort of resume Father Patrick, another troubled Diamond Creek stallion prospect,  has to fall back on. At the very least, he needs to get his house in order within the OSS program.

Casie Coleman’s highly touted Sportswriter colt, Reverend Hanover, was a handy winner of his Gold split at Georgian. The 3/5 favorite won in 1:51.4 for Stephen Condren. He was placed second in the initial NA Cup Spring Book, behind only division champ Artspeak. He made just four late season starts, but wowed them in the OSS. Hoof Beats had him at number twelve.

Reverend Hanover is staked to the Jug and the BC; he is not eligible to the Tattersalls Pace, Bluegrass, Circle City, Matron or Jenna’s Beach Boy.

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First year Ohio stallion Big Bad John keeps rolling along. On Friday night at Northfield two of his colts and two fillies won splits of the Ohio Sire Stakes. His freshmen have now won 84 races and banked more than a million dollars.

His top earning colt, Pimo Giovanni, who is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare JK Reunited, upped his record to a perfect five with a late charge around the last turn. The even money shot won in 1:55.1 for Chris Page and Virgil Morgan Jr. Chris Page also won with the Western Hanover stallion’s top grossing daughter, Queen Ann M, in a handy 1:55.2 at odds of 1/2.

The black filly, Save My Tootsie, who cost Ron Potter, who campaigned Big Bad John, $64,000 at the sales, set a 1:54.4 track record for Aaron Merriman. And Page and Morgan also surprised with the 13/1 BBJ colt Whataboy.

Big Bad John has 108 registered foals in his current crop and will have almost as many in the mix next year. The rapidly expanding Ohio Sire Stakes still offers relatively modest purses as compared with Pennsylvania and New York, but five of the Jug winner’s offspring have passed the $50,000 mark, and eight have sub-1:55 marks to their credit—a couple of them taken over the half at Northfield.

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The first year Ohio trotting stallion Triumphant Caviar doesn’t have nearly as many feet on the ground as Big Bad John; this year’s crop numbers 41, and more than 60% of them are fillies. Still, they’ve chalked up 39 wins and earned more than a half million dollars.

He also had four winners on Friday. Kestrel, his riches and fastest offspring, remained perfect as she scored her fourth win, from gate to wire, in 1:58.2 for Aaaron Merriman and Chris Beaver. The daughter of the Credit Winner mare Blackrock has earned more than $90,000.

The SJ Caviar stallion’s top son Kanthaka set a track record of 1:57.1 for his age and sex as he worked to make the top for Dave Palone, then gapped the field, ultimately drawing off to a four length triumph—his fifth in as many tries.

And another Triumphant Caviar filly, Consolidated, out of the Muscles mare Muscle Toy, broke her maiden in 1:58.3 for Chris Page.

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The Broadway Hall stallion Pilgrims Taj, who is racing a small initial Ohio crop of 24, after standing his first season in Ontario, saw his filly Evanora rebound from a series of breaks and scratches to win handily in 1:59.2 at 3/5 for Ronnie Wrenn Jr and Chris Beaver. Another daughter, Taj For All, was second.

Pilgrims Taj’s small sophomore crop of 29 is fourth among fillies and fifth among colts in the Ontario program. Despite his even smaller crop in Ohio, he shows a more than respectable 31 wins and $441,000 in earnings. Paternal brother Broad Bahn’s daughter Dizzy Broad, a product of his small initial New York offering, is second on the earnings and points list in New York.

Joe FitzGerald