Party Up recorded the fastest mile of three $70,423 divisions of the first leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes for freshman filly pacers on Monday, July 13 at Northfield Park.

Driven by Dan Noble, debutante Party Up led gate to wire with fractions of :27.4, :57.2, and 1:25.3 and crossed the finish line half a length ahead of betting favourite Tempting Flames (Tony Hall) to win the evening's second division in 1:53.1. Yourgonaloveme (Brett Miller) was third. Party Up, a Lather Up-Artchitecture filly purchased for $23,944 from last fall's Standardbred Horse Sale, won at first asking for trainer Joe Bongiorno and owner Morrison Racing Stable of Indiana, Pennsylvania. 

Noble scored a second Sires Stakes driving win with Breadnbutterz, taking the third division in gate-to-wire fashion. The Downbytheseaside-Music Ros filly recorded fractions of :29, :58.1 and 1:26 and won by two lengths in 1:54.2 to break her maiden. Demons Angel (Miller) and Venus Laude (Carson Conrad) rounded out the top three. Breadnbutterz was coming off a third-place finish behind Real Classy and Tempting Flames in the Next Generation at Eldorado Scioto Downs on July 4 and now has a 1-1-1 record in three seasonal starts. The $106,944 yearling buy from the Lexington Selected Sale is trained by Cory Deyermand for owner Kapp Equine Estates of Youngstown, Ohio. Real Classy (Chris Page), the betting favourite in this division, broke stride and finished last in the seven-horse field.

Making her first career start, Moni N The Safe won the first division in 1:55 with Miller in the sulky. Delightful Tammie (Tyler Smith) led the field past the first two calls in :28 and :57.4 before Moni N The Safe came from fourth place at the halfway mark to take the lead at the 1:26.4 three-quarter pole en route to winning by 2-1/2 lengths. Favourite Dancin Miki (Page) was second followed by her fellow Ron Burke stablemate Summa Summa (Justin Irvine) in third. Moni N The Safe is a Monte Miki-Safe From Terror filly trained by Steve Carter for owners Jay Mossbarger and Jacob Mossbarger of Washington Court House, Ohio. She was a $34,722 acquisition from the Ohio Selected Jug Yearling Sale.

Celebrating its 50th season, the Ohio Sires Stakes continues Monday, July 20, with the second leg for freshman trotters at Northfield.

(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association; photo of Party Up winning on July 13)