by Kimberly A. Rinker, Administrator, Ohio Standardbred Development Fund

Columbus, OH — Sixty-eight 2-year-old Ohio-bred pacing and trotting fillies are set to wage war on Saturday night (July 25) at Scioto Downs in the second leg of Ohio Sires Stakes competition.

Of the 68 distaffs that passed the entry box, 38 are of the pacing gait and 30 are diagonally-gaited Standardbreds, all of whom will vie for a $40,000 purse in each of the seven divisions. Post time is 6:30 p.m. (EDT) for the first race.

Miss Me Yet looks to be a definitive choice in the first (race one) of four OSS divisions for pacers. The daughter of I’m Gorgeous-Live Inspired is an all-around family filly, as she was bred by Fannin Racing and George Teague, Jr. and is co-owned by Teague. George’s sister Brenda trains the filly and his son Montrell drives her.

Miss Me Yet finished third in the first leg of OSS action on July 3 at Northfield Park, when she was timed in 1:57.2. However, she won her qualifying debut on June 23 at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:56.2 and again in a qualifying test at this same venue on July 14 in 1:57. She leaves from post five against eight rivals.

John’s Jessi Bird brings a trio of solid Ohio Fair Stake tries into her first OSS test for trainer Pierce Henry, who co-owns the filly with James Heiing. The daughter of Big Bad John won her career debut at Paulding on June 9, was second at Ottawa on June 23 and was third at London in OFS competition on July 12. She hails from post two with Ryan Stahl at the lines. She was bred by Ada M. Jacobs.

The second OSS division (race five) of pacing fillies finds three daughters of Ohio stallion and Little Brown Jug winner Big Bad John squaring off. John’s Sunny Girl, Big Bad Bretta and Big Bad Ashley all captured their respective OSS divisions on July 3 at Northfield Park.

Doug Hinklin trains John’s Sunny Girl, who won her OSS leg in a blistering, gate-to-wire effort in 1:55.4 with Greg Grismore in the sulky for owners Parent Racing Stable LLC. Bred by Midland Acres, John’s Sunny Girl starts from post two with Grismore up.

Also bred by Midland Acres, Big Bad Bretta, a Steve Carter trainee, won her OSS leg in 1:57 for Ohio owners Chuck Grubbs, Robert Reid, Sheila Hummel and Jacob Beard. She’ll start from post two with Chris Page up.

Jim Arledge, Jr. harnesses Big Bad Ashley, who scored in 1:56 with Dan Noble in the sulky. Bred by Ohio’s Winchester Baye Acres, Inc., she won her OSS first leg in 1:56 after winning an OFS on June 21 at Circleville by 7-1/2 lengths.

Awakening headlines the third division (race seven) of OSS freshman fillies. Trained by Mike Polhamus and owned and bred by Marjorie Polhamus, this daughter of Feelin Friskie-Sidewalk Sleeper romped to a 1:57, wire-to-wire victory at Northfield on July 3 in the first leg of this series. Awakening also has a pair of OFS victories on her resume, having won at Paulding on June 9 and at Ottawa on July 23. Regular driver Kayne Kauffman will be in the sulky from post seven for this winner of $23,076 lifetime.

Queen Ann M, who was bred by Jay Mossbarger, starts from post nine for driver Chris Page and trainer Mike Roth. This daughter of Big Bad John-Full Fledged stopped the clock in 1:56.4 in a come-from-behind effort with Page at the lines on July 3 at Northfield in OSS leg one. Alan Keith owns the speedy bay filly.

The fourth and final division (race 11) for pacing fillies will see first leg winner My Tweed Heart leave from the rail with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the sulky for trainer Jim Dailey. This daughter of Manhardt-Tweedle D captured her first OSS leg handily in 1:59.1 at Northfield on July 3. Owned by Carl Atley, My Tweed Heart was bred by Stanley Swango III.

Challenger NPR Nine will have Aaron Merriman in the sulky from post three. This daughter of Big Bad John-Illegally Parked was third to Big Bad Ashley in the first leg of this series, clocked in 1:56.3 for this same driver. She then scored a solid victory on July 16 in a Scioto Downs maiden, in 1:56.4. Ran Russo owns and bred NPR Nine, who has $8,800 in career earnings.

Trainer Chris Beaver sends out a formidable pair of fillies in the first division (race two) for OSS trotters. Both Kestrel (Triumphant Caviar-Blackrock) and Evanora (Pilgrim’s Taj-Nessa Rose) come off solid victories in leg one of this series at Northfield Park on July 3. Kestrel scored a 1:59 front-stepping clocking with Aaron Merriman in the sulky to record her first career win, while Evanora used similar tactics for this same driver, timed in 2:01. Evanora, who is owned and was bred by Sandra Burnett, has the rail and Ken Holliday in the sulky for this event, while Kestrel will get Merriman in the bike from post eight for breeder and co-owner Wilbur Lang and Beaver.

Count On Kami, from post ten with Kurt Sugg up, will be trying for career victory number one. Harnessed by Marty Wollam, this daughter of Full Count-Joys Second Call was second in her OSS debut at Northfield on July 3, timed in 1:58.4. She was bred by David Vannatta and is co-owned by Vannatta, Wollam and Acadia Farms Inc.

Kerfuffle Cookie, another Beaver trainee, looks to be the solid choice in the second division (race three) of OSS trotting fillies. This daughter of Chip Chip Hooray-Minor Skirmish romped in a wire-to-wire triumph on July 3 at Northfield Park in 2:00.1 unchallenged. Owned by the Synerco Ventures, Inc., Kerfuffle Cookie was bred by the LMN Bred Stables, Inc. Aaron Merriman will steer from post one against nine foes.

If she can mind her manners, Shut Up And Dance will be Kerfuffle Cookie’s main threat from post six. The Dirk Simpson trainee posted a 1:58 solid, wire-to-wire effort in the first OSS leg at Northfield on July 3, drawing off by four lengths. However, she could not stay on gait in either of her previous or last efforts prior to that OSS win. Owned by James Bafia, the daughter of Triumphant Caviar-Passport To Love was bred by Steve Stewart and Kemppi Stable.

The third and final division (race nine) of trotting distaffs features a slightly more open group of ten than the previous two groups. Still Sizzling, who is trained, driven and co-owned by Dale Decker, along with Douglas Vandergrift, is the only filly in the field to have captured the first leg of this OSS series at Northfield on July 3. The daughter of Trainforthefuture-Spotty Too Hotty led from every post to nail down her win in 1:59.4 as the public’s choice. Bred by Florence J. Wallace, Still Sizzling will have her trainer back in the sulky from post seven.

Leavinonajettrain failed to nail a check in her OSS debut at Northfield on July 3, but since has posted a 2:03.2 clocking in a runaway effort in a Meadows qualifier on July 16. Driven by Mike Wilder, the daughter of Trainforthefuture-Loire won that effort by 18-1/4 lengths for trainer Ronnie Burke — who co-owns her along with partners Weaver Bruscemi, Jason Melilo and Phillip Collura. Chris Page will drive Leavinonajettrain — who was bred by Steve Bateson and Jeff Shafer — from post three.

The third leg of this Ohio Sires Stakes for freshman pacing and trotting fillies will commence on Aug. 21 at Northfield Park.