Another matchup between Speedbewithyou and Demonic Niko is on the docket as the second leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes for freshmen kicks off with three $50,000 USD divisions of filly trotters on Sunday, July 20 at MGM Northfield Park.

Speedbewithyou is the early 8-5 favourite in the second division with Demonic Niko the 5-2 second choice. Both fillies have shown early promise with top-three finishes in the $202,703 Next Generation and first-leg victories in the OHSS already on their resumes.

Demonic Niko finished second in the Next Generation at Eldorado Scioto Downs on July 5, posting a time of 1:56.4 to edge out Speedbewithyou in third in 1:57. A week later, on July 12, they returned to Scioto and won their respective divisions in the first leg of the OHSS — Speedbewithyou in 1:55.1 and Demonic Niko in 1:55.4. Only one can add to their win total on Sunday though.

“Demonic Niko was in the Next Gen, so we’ve been head-to-head with her before,” Speedbewithyou trainer Todd Luther said. “They’re both nice fillies, but we definitely got the better end of the post draw.”

Speedbewithyou will leave from post two on Sunday while Demonic Niko drew post six in the seven-horse field. Austin Hanners returns to the sulky with Speedbewithyou after driving the Mission Accepted filly in both of her prior starts this season.

“Austin came and trained her before the Next Generation and really liked her,” Luther said. “It makes it nice when you have a driver that knows the horse. It makes it a lot easier for him to drive.”

While that driver-horse connection may prove fruitful, trainer Erv Miller has tabbed Dan Noble to be in the bike with Demonic Niko for the first time on Sunday after Atlee Bender guided the In Range filly to a pair of wins and a runner-up showing in her three starts thus far.

Noble has no concerns about making his first start with the promising filly though.

“I like being a first-time driver,” he said.

While Speedbewithyou and Demonic Niko are the headliners in this division, the competitive field also includes a pair of third-place finishers from the opening leg in Mooter Tooter (Chris Page) and Tomboy Strong (Anthony MacDonald). Based on Speedbewithyou’s win in the opening leg of the OHSS and her post draw for Sunday, Luther likes her chances of coming out on top. But he’ll enter that race with cautious optimism.

“She’s sure-footed, which is definitely going to help, but with two-year-old filly trotters, you don’t ever know what’s going to happen,” he said. “She qualified two times on a half, and she gets around that thing just as good as she does a five-eighths, so we’ll see what happens. My job will be done Sunday when they go to the gate, and then it’ll be all up to Austin.”

Miller has also tabbed Noble to drive first-leg winner Lucky Lady Volo for the first time on Sunday as the In Range filly looks to score a second OHSS victory. Lucky Lady Volo will leave from the rail as the 2-1 morning line favourite in the first division while Sarahs Mission (Page), who posted a second-place finish in the opening leg, is the 5-2 second choice. Lucky Lady Volo has hit the board in two of three starts this season, adding a third-place finish to her OHSS victory in 1:56.2.

There are no first-leg winners among the entries in the third division. However, a trio of horses will be looking to make their mark after hitting the board in the opening leg. Rose Run Brooke (Luke Hanners) is the early 8-5 favourite in the division. The Vernon Beachy trainee and daughter of In Range posted a runner-up finish in the opening leg. Another second-place finisher from the first leg, Guardian Doll, will leave from the far outside as the 7-2 second choice with trainer Ronnie Gillespie in the sulky. At 9-2, Princess Karolyn (Justin Irvine) is the third choice after finishing third in the opening leg.

First-leg winner Godusa is not entered in the second leg.

Sunday’s Ohio Sires Stakes races at MGM Northfield Park include 22 total entries and are part of a 15-race card that begins at 6 p.m.

(Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association)