by George Starks

Greenville, OH — If it wasn’t enough that harness horse drivers had to contend with Darke County native Jeff Nisonger, now there’s a new Nisonger in town.

This past Friday (August 24), Stacey Nisonger, the bride of Jeff, who has 2,491 wins in his career, took to the track at the Darke County (Ohio) Fair. In the third race of the day, the lady climbed into the sulky behind David Finfrock’s JJs Rosie. In that race, her husband was driving Lil Miss Alibi, a horse co-owned by Cindy Austen, who once was the owner of JJs Rosie.

George Starks photo

In her debut race, Stacey Nisonger crossed the finish line with JJs Rosie for her first driving victory.

No one expected the 7-year-old mare JJs Rosie to pull off a win, knowing the mare is about four months pregnant and possibly starting in her last career race.

“When Rosie went to the gate, her ears perked up and I knew she was ready to race,” said Stacey Nisonger. “She was smooth out there and she was easy to handle.”

With it being her first race and possibly the last for JJs Rosie, Nisonger was nervous but ready.

“I was told not to miss the gate and Rosie and I were the first ones there,” Nisonger said.

With her husband on the track, Stacey had two things on her mind — winning the mile pace and beating Jeff.

“I was all smiles when I hit the finish line,” Stacey admitted. “It was a thrill. I never really knew how close the rest of the field was. When we hit the three-quarter point, I was concentrating on my horse and never felt the others. Knowing this could have been her last race, it was very special for me.”

When Jeff first took a horse out, his mother, Debbie, was a bundle of nerves. When her daughter-in-law went to the gate Friday, the nerves returned.

“I’m immune to Jeff now,” said Debbie Nisonger. “With Stacey out there for the first time, it felt like it did when Jeff was out there for the first time. It was very nerve-racking. I was worried about Stacey because I didn’t know how close the guys were going to get to her. I was very nervous.”

When the field hit the pole at the half, Stacee was leading the field by five lengths in a time of :59.3.

“At that point, I really didn’t think Stacey was going to have any horse left,” said Debbie Nisonger. “The guys just never caught up with her so it was a great feeling.”

JJs Rosie wound up a 3-1/4 length winner over Nodoz Cam in a time of of 1:59.4. Lil Miss Alibi and Jeff Nisonger were third, 3-3/4 lengths behind the winner.

In addition to winning her debut race that afternoon, Stacey Nisonger hit the track that evening in the eighth race of the night card in the ‘Ladies Only’ race. In that race, Nisonger took Cherokee Ryder to the winner’s circle in a time of 2:01.

To date, Stacey Nisonger is two-for-two when it comes to driving.