by Kimberly Rinker, OSDF Administrator

Columbus, OH — Two $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions for 3-year-old trotting fillies will be contested on Monday evening (June 11) at Northfield Park, in the second of four legs of the rich series for Ohio-sired foals. First race post time is 6 p.m. (EDT).

Leg one winners Red Storm and Non Smoker are set to battle in the second division (race five, post time 7:20 p.m.) and will be joined by Looking For Zelda, who captured a $24,455 Currier & Ives filly division at The Meadows in 1:54.1 on June 5.

Conrad photo

Red Storm thundered to victory in a $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes leg on May 4 at Miami Valley.

Red Storm, a Chris Beaver trainee owned by breeder Sandra Burnett, won OSS leg one decisively in a career best 1:55.4 on May 4 at Miami Valley Raceway. The chestnut daughter by Stormin Normand earned $109,975 as a freshman and has returned to her winning ways this season with three triumphs and a second in four starts and $65,000 in seasonal earnings. Aaron Merriman pilots Red Storm from the rail.

Non Smoker was equally as decisive, with a 1:54 clocking in her OSS leg one victory via a wire-to-wire performance, where she held off the hard-trying Risky Deal (also in this same division) by a half-length at the wire. The daughter of My MVP, who is owned by Stephen Sexton and was bred by Stephanie Smith-Rothaug, has seasonal earnings of $37,300 and a career bankroll of $57,851 from four wins, one second and one third in 11 lifetime trips postward. Danny Noble trains and drives.

Robert Key’s Looking For Zelda is no stranger to the OSS program, having earned $228,675 at two for her owner/breeder during her freshman campaign. Though she was third in her OSS leg one division, she rebounded smartly to take a Currier & Ives filly division earlier this week under the watchful eye of trainer Norm Parker. From three starts this season she has two wins and $43,227 in the bank. Tony Hall steers this rugged filly.

In the first OSS division (race three, post time 6:40 p.m.) Impinktoo gets the benefit of the rail for the ownership troika of Billy Walters, Joe McLead and Rtk Racing. Formerly trained by Jim and Kim Dailey and now starting for trainer Ron Burke for the first time, this Manofmanymissions filly banked $167,040 at 2 and most recently captured a Scioto overnight in 1:55.3 as the public’s choice on June 1. Jay Mossbarger bred this diagonally-gaited distaff. Kayne Kauffman gets the driving nod.