Seven $40,000 divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes were contested Saturday night, July 25 at Scioto Downs. This was the second in a four-leg series for Ohio-bred two-year-old trotting and pacing distaffs.

In the first (Race 1) of four pacing divisions, Montrell Teague steered Miss Me Yet to a lifetime-best 1:53.3 clocking for his aunt, trainer Brenda Teague, and his father, owner George Teague Jr. of Harrington, Delaware. Johns Jessi Bird (Ryan Stahl) was second with Gorgeous Road (Josh Sutton) third.

The daughter of Im Gorgeous, out of the Western Hanover mare Live Inspired, was bred by her owner and Fannin Racing Inc., and now has $24,800 in career earnings. Miss Me Yet finished third in the first leg of sires stakes action on July 3 at Northfield Park, timed in 1:57.2, but had won her qualifying debut on June 23 at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:56.2 and again on July 14 in 1:57 at that same oval.

Big Bad Ashley got a perfect steer from driver Dan Noble to prevail by one and a quarter lengths over Johns Sunny Girl (Greg Grismore) in the second sires stakes pacing division (Race 5), timed in a lifetime-best 1:54.2. Jim Arledge Jr. trains Big Bad Ashley, who was bred and is owned by Winchester Baye Acres Inc. of Powell, Ohio. This daughter of Big Bad John-Cruise On Ashley-Yankee Cruiser won her first sires stakes leg at Northfield Park on July 3 in 1:56 and now has $41,657 in her career bankroll.

Queen Ann M had to work a bit to nail down her triumph in the third sires stakes pacing division for driver Chris page. Trained by Mike Roth, this daughter of Big Bad John-Full Fledged-Grinfromeartoear recorded her second sires stakes victory in a career-best 1:55, finishing two and a half lengths in front of the hard-trying Its Your Fantasy (Dan Noble). Upfortydevensgirl (Aaron Merriman) notched third-place money.

Bred by Jay Mossbarger of Bloomington, Ohio, Queen Ann M had won the first leg of this series in 1:56.4 in a come-from-behind effort with Page at the lines on July 3 at Northfield for owner Alan Keith of Pataskala, Ohio.

Last, but not least, Give No Lip scored a front-stepping 1:54.3 triumph in the fourth (Race 11) pacing division with Jeremy Smith at the lines. The daughter of Big Bad John-Loyal To My Heart-Cole Muffler picked up career victory number three in four starts for trainer Ron Steck, who owns the young lass in partnership with JA Breece of Pataskala, Ohio and BA & P Soulsby of Powell, Ohio. Give No Lip sat comfortably through fractions of :27.4, :58 and 1:26.3 before drawing off by four and a quarter lengths over NPR Nine (Aaron Merriman). Harness The Hope (Kyle Ater) was third.

“I wanted to be on the front with the filly tonight and not get into any trouble with her,” Smith noted. “Ronnie [trainer Steck] has her figured out now and it makes it easy on the driver when she was as good as she was tonight.”

Bred by Greg and Holly Martin of Ohio, Give No Lip now has $23,195 in career earnings.

Kestrel and driver Aaron Merriman took the first sires stakes trotting division (Race 2) handily in a career-best, wire-to-wire 1:57.3, finishing three and a half lengths ahead of rival Count On Kami (Kurt Sugg) and third-place finisher Angel Cindy (Brad Hanners).

The daughter of Triumphant Caviar-Blackrock-Credit Winner had won the first leg of this series at Northfield Park on July 3 in similar style, trotting in 1:59 for trainer Chris Beaver of Delaware, Ohio and co-owner and breeder Wilbur Lang of Jamestown, Ohio.

Merriman used similar driving tactics to capture the second trotting division (Race 3) in a front-stepping 1:58 with favourite Kerfuffle Cookie, a brown daughter by Chip Chip Hooray, out of the Conway Hall mare Minor Skirmish. Trained by Chris Beaver, Kerfuffle Cookie pushed her career earnings to $40,000 in just her second lifetime start for the Synerco Ventures Inc., of Toronto, Ont. Bred by Ohio’s Lmn Bred Stables Inc., this speedy distaff had captured leg one of this series on July 3 at Northfield Park, clocked in 2:00.1 for the one mile test. Shut Up And Dance (Ryan Stahl) was second, with Buckeye Lady One (Chris Page) nabbing show honors.

Bellesvictoryring led at every call to capture the third trotting division (Race 9) in a career-best 1:58.4, easily putting distance between herself and rival Eye Just Expect It (Kayne Kauffman) in late stretch. Oneeyedmomma (Kurt Sugg) notched third. Trainer John Konesky III was in the sulky behind the daughter of Victory Sam-Belle Legrand-Striking Sahbra, who was bred by Midland Acres of Bloomingburg, Ohio. Konesky co-owns the filly in partnership with Patrick Konesky of Bowling Green, Ohio.

“Her mile at Bellefontaine was a really big mile,” Konesky noted, referring to Bellesvictoryring’s 2:06 score at that county fair oval on July 14. “She’s not a very big filly, but her heart is.”

Bellesvictoryring pushed her career earnings to $25,901 with this latest triumph, her fourth of the season in five trips postward. She also has a trio of Ohio Fair Stakes to her credit.

Leg three of Ohio Sires Stakes action for two-year-old trotting and pacing fillies and colts and geldings will commence on Aug. 21 at Northfield Park.

(Ohio Standardbred Development Fund)