Red Storm, Non Smoker are Hackett winners at Miami Valley

from Miami Valley Raceway

Lebanon, OH — The Ohio stakes season kicked off Monday afternoon (April 9) at Miami Valley Raceway when a pair of $15,000 elimination heats were contested by 3-year-old Buckeye-bred trotting fillies nominated to the James K. Hackett Memorial Series. The top four finishers in each heat plus the fastest fifth place finisher will reassemble next Monday afternoon for a $40,000 divisional championship race.

Conrad photo

Red Storm opened her sophomore campaign with an impressive track record 1:56.2 score in the first Hackett elimination.

Red Storm (Aaron Merriman), a winner of $109,975 in her freshman season, opened her sophomore campaign with an impressive track record 1:56.2 score in the first elimination. Favored Impinktoo (Peter Wrenn), a half-sister to Hambletonian winner Pinkman and last year’s Ohio Sires Stakes champion, closed well to finish second, while California Love (Trace Tetrick) advanced with a show finish. Kellie’s MVP (Ray Paver Jr.) qualified for the final with a fourth place finish, as did Spunky Bottom Girl (Tyler Smith) on the merits of the quickest fifth place finish.

Chris Beaver trains Red Storm, a chestnut daughter of Stormin Normand, for owner Sandra Burnett.

Heavily favored Non Smoker, a gray filly by My MVP, lived up to expectations with a handy 1:57.1 score for trainer-driver Dan Noble in the second split. Sesame (Merriman), Bang (Kayne Kauffman) and Bugs MVP (Tetrick) followed the winner through the wire to qualify for their lucrative final.

Steve Sexton owns Non Smoker, who was making her seasonal debut after a conservative freshman campaign that included two county fair victories.

Two Hackett Memorial eliminations for Ohio-sired trotting colts will be contested Tuesday afternoon at Miami Valley, followed by elims for pacing fillies on Friday night and pacing colts on Saturday. Each of the four Hackett championship tilts a week later will carry $40,000 purses.

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