Last season's dominant Ohio freshman trotting filly In The Grippers will get her 2014 campaign underway at Miami Valley Raceway on Friday night, as the 2014 Ohio Sires Stakes season begins with five divisions of three-year-old fillies.

All Ohio Sires Stakes races will carry a $40,000 purse.

In The Grippers is the 8-5 favourite in the fourth race and will have Chris Page in the bike for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr.

Last year she won $157,494 while winning six of her eight starts. She took her 1:58f mark winning the Ohio Sires Stakes championship at Scioto in September.

She is coming off three qualifying races at Miami Valley Raceway, including a recent 1:58.3 clocking.

Second choice in this OSS split is Anniesbluejeanbaby who was timed in 1:57.4 in her first start at Northfield Park.

Driver Page and trainer Morgan will have another strong contender in race six on Friday for three-year-old pacing fillies in Fayco Filly, a top star in OSS action last season. She drew the inside post position while her chief rival Rosy Fire will start from Post 8.

Fayco Filly was parked through a brutal opening half-mile in the James K. Hackett Memorial at Miami Valley and should get an easier trip starting from the inside. Rosy Fire was an impressive 1:57f winner in a recent qualifier at Miami Valley.

Turbochargedroxie will be trotting up a storm for trainer Danny Collins in Race 8 and Dan Noble is slated to be in the bike. In her only start of the season, she rallied from far from the pace to finish second, timed in 2:00.2, at Miami Valley.

A great duel between Crown Time Keeper and Paydaze On The Way shapes up in Race 10, as the two sophomore pacing lasses are off to a great start this season. They finished 1-2 in the Hackett Memorial with Crown Time Keeper getting the edge. Paydaze On The Way is from the powerful Ron Burke Stable and Kayne Kauffman is slated to drive while Chris Page will handle the lines on Crown Time Keeper, who is unbeaten in a pair of starts this season for trainer Steve Carter.

Rose Run Princess, a game and talented trotting filly, looms the favourite in the 12th race of the evening and final OSS event. She will be steered by Mike Wilder for trainer Devan Miller. Last year Rose Run Princess earned $116,722 with four wins and four seconds in nine starts.

Ohio Sires Stakes action continues at Miami Valley on Saturday night when the sophomore colts and geldings do battle.

(Ohio State Racing Commission)