by Kimberly Rinker, OSDF Administrator

Northfield, OH — When Tyler Smith steered Spunky Bottom Girl to victory in the first of two $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for sophomore trotting fillies on Monday night (June 11) at Northfield Park, it brought to fruition a long history of genetic luck for owner/breeder Ed Teefey.

“I bought the granddam of this filly, Princess Pan 2,2:01.1 ($14,205) some ten years ago at the Meadowlands Sale,” said Teffey, a retired banker, harness announcer and auctioneer from Mount Sterling, Ill. “She was a daughter of Supergill who was in foal to Classic Photo. I was standing next to trainer Tony Alagna, who told me he had bid on her yearling the year before for $70,000. I was just standing there and made one bid of $5,700 and she, and her unborn foal, were mine.”

The following year, Teefey christened Princess Pan’s 11th foal, a filly, Princess Addie, named after his first granddaughter. Princess Addie is a full sister to the $384,105-winning mare Firstclassprincess 6,1:53; and a half-sister to the gelding Peaceful Prince (by Lindy Lane) 7,1:56.2f ($228,909), among others.

“She really didn’t have a lot of talent and then she broke a sesamoid at three,” Teefey recalled. “But she comes from the family of Illinois champion Lady Ann Reed, who was a prolific mare some four decades ago. So, on the advice of Tony (Alagna) and Myron (Bell), I bred her to My MVP, who stands here in Ohio (at Sugar Valley Farm) in Delaware.”

The resulting foal was Spunky Bottom Girl, who, Teefey noted, is named after a bluegrass band in Teefey’s hometown.

“We raced her 10 times last year as a 2-year-old in Illinois,” Teefey explained. “She did okay for us (earning $15,225). Trainer Mike Brink had her then and I kind of thought she’d step up a bit this year and mature, and so we decided to race her mainly in Ohio. Two friends — Dean Beachy and Carl Becker — suggested I leave her with (trainer) Brent Davis in Zanesville, so that’s what we did.”

JJ Zamaiko photo

Spunky Bottom Girl drew off to win by two lengths in a career best 1:55.4.

Spunky Bottom Girl left the gate at 7-1 odds and sat quietly mid-pack, while 3-2 Sesame (Aaron Merriman) and 20-1 Alana’s Ways (Josh Sutton) slugged it out, taking the field of seven to a :28 first panel clocking. Around the final turn Spunky Bottom Girl moved three-wide, with 4-5 favorite Impinktoo (Kayne Kauffman) four-wide, with the former drawing off to win by two lengths in a career best 1:55.4. Impinktoo held on for second, while Sesame nailed down show honors.

The win upped Spunky Bottom Girl’s career earnings to $57,215 and was her first win of her 3-year-old career. She now has four wins in 17 career starts, along with four second-place finishes.

In the second $50,000 OSS division, rivals California Love (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and Non Smoker (Danny Noble) hit the finish line together, in a 1:56.2 dead-heat for the win.

California Love, a 17-1 shot trained and co-owned by Chris Beaver and Steve Zeehandelar, Marion Beachy and Moger-Delia Racing, is a Stormin Normand lass bred by Beachy who has eight wins to her credit in 20 starts, with $96,752 in career earnings. She was a solid fourth to Red Storm in leg one of this series at Miami Valley on May 4.

Non Smoker captured her OSS leg one division at Miami Valley on May 4 in 1:54 for owner Stephen Sexton. Trained by Noble, the grey daughter by My MVP has a career bankroll of $76,601 from five wins in 12 starts.

Leaving the gate at 7-2, Non Smoker repelled challenges by 1-2 Looking For Zelda (Tony Hall) and 9-2 Red Storm (Aaron Merriman), before getting caught by California Love at the wire. Red Storm held on for third, three-quarters of a length behind the two winners.