The $125,000 USD Courageous Lady Stakes (Grade 3) for three-year-old filly pacers this Saturday, Oct. 11 at MGM Northfield Park will feature some familiar faces from the Grand Circuit and some newcomers to the big stage looking to make a name for themselves.

Ohio Sires Stakes champion Prolific Fire may be newer to the Grand Circuit, having faced the top competition in just one of her previous races, but her connections have the utmost confidence in their top filly.

“The Nadia Lobell was her first real test against big stakes horses,” said trainer Todd Luther, referencing her Aug. 23 effort at Scioto Downs four starts ago. "Despite finishing sixth, we felt she raced good that night."

Early in Prolific Fire’s career, brothers Todd and Greg Luther knew they had a special filly. In her first career start as a two-year-old, they entered the Catch The Fire filly in the Next Generation at Scioto. Sent off as the betting favourite, Prolific Fire followed The Word Is Out off the wings. The green filly didn’t want any part of sitting in the two-hole and was parked to a :26.2 opening quarter. Driver Brett Miller backed the pace down as much as he could after securing the lead but the hard trip took its toll on Prolific Fire and she faded to fourth.

After a third-place finish in her next start in the Ohio Sires Stakes at Scioto, Prolific Fire broke her maiden at Northfield Park in a division of the Sires Stakes. Her next victory wouldn’t come until September, something her team attributes to the trip in the Next Generation.

“In the Next Generation, she got roughed up, and it took a couple of starts for her to get over that,” said Todd Luther. “When we brought her to Delaware, she brought her 'A’ game and won impressively.”

The victory in the Ohio Breeders Championship was both a big win for Prolific Fire and for her sire Catch The Fire, who Luther also trained.

“For Catch The Fire to get his first big stakes win as a sire on the national stage was really cool,” said Luther. “It’s a day that we won’t soon forget.”

Prolific Fire shipped to Northfield Park to end her season in the Ohio Sires Stakes Championship. However, she drew post six and the race didn’t go in her favour, ultimately resulting in a sixth-place finish.

As a three-year-old, she qualified just once in preparation for the season, and followed that up with a race at The Meadows in which she made the lead but was collared in the final 50 yards. Luther was happy with the effort but felt maybe she wasn’t completely focused.

“I decided to get a race in her instead of qualifying her twice to let her stretch out before stakes season started,” said Luther. “She got a little lost on the front end that day. It gave me a chance to make some changes before her next start.”

Two weeks later, Prolific Fire raced in an elimination of the Hackett at Miami Valley Raceway and Luther was able to test his changes. She was very strong-willed in the race and Luther was not happy with the third-place finish.

“She wouldn’t let [Jeremy] Smith drive her that day; she just drove herself and it wasn’t good for her,” said Luther.

After a few more disappointing finishes, Luther began to do some investigating and realized she was having issues with tying up. The treatment worked and she returned to the winning form in a division of the Buckeye Stallion Series.

After another short break, Prolific Fire proved she was back in strong fashion with a pair of runner-up efforts in Sires Stakes action at Scioto. 

In September, she returned to familiar ground, the winner’s circle at Delaware. In the Ohio Breeders Championship there, Prolific Fire took no prisoners, making a mid-race move and drawing off to win by 10 lengths in 1:51. Prolific Fire won the Ohio Breeders Championship in back-to-back seasons and her connections couldn’t have been happier.

“When she made the front, she swelled up and powerfully extended her lead on the field,” said a jubilant Luther. “Wow, was I impressed with her that day.”

In the Ohio Sires Stakes Championship on Sept. 27 at Dayton Raceway, it was time to find out exactly what kind of horse they really had. After a perfect trip, Prolific Fire rolled off covered and went by Odds On Chesapeake in the stretch. The winning time was a smashing 1:50 flat.

“When she got into the two-hole, I knew we could make a race of it, but she was going to have to bring her best to get by Virgil [Morgan]’s filly,” said Luther. “She was dominant in her last two starts.”

Luther doesn’t plan to make any changes heading into Saturday’s Courageous Lady as Prolific Fire, who will start from post four with driver Austin Hanners, takes on her toughest test of the year versus Jugette winner Rodeo Drive Deo (post five, David Miller), and gets a rematch with Odds On Chesapeake (post two, Ronnie Wrenn Jr).

The Courageous Lady is one of nine stakes races on the power-packed, 15-race program. The evening also features eight $50,000 USD Ohio Fair Championships and a pair of paces with all-female drivers.

From a wagering standpoint, guests will be treated to a pair of $20,000 estimated Pick 4 pools in race eight and race 11. Both wagers feature a $1 minimum and a low 14 per cent takeout.

Post time on Saturday is 6 p.m.

(With files from Northfield Park)