Ohio Sired Fillies take center stage at Northfield

Five $40,000 Ohio Sire Stakes (OSS) divisions for Ohio-bred sophomore fillies will be contested June 12 at Northfield Park as the co-featured events alongside the prestigious $175,000 Battle of Lake Erie. Post time for the evening's card is 6 pm, ET.

A total of 22 trotting fillies will go postward in races one, three and six, while 17 pacing fillies have been divided into two splits, carded as races two and eight on the program.

Heading up the first OSS field of seven diagonally-gaited distaffs in race one is Dark Roast, a daughter of Full Count who captured an OSS division on May 1 at Miami Valley Raceway in a career best 1:58. Marty Wollam conditions Dark Roast, who amassed $49,043 as a freshman with a 3-1-2 record from eight starts.

In 2015 she's added one win, a second and a third in three starts for $24,560 in seasonal earnings, upping her career bankroll to $73,603 for Acadia Farms, Inc., of Canfield, OH and G And B Racing of New Wilmington, PA.

Bred by Marvin Raber of Baltic, OH, Dark Roast is the third and most prolific foal out of the Balanced Image mare Edens Mardi Gras 4, 2:00.3f ($2,608).

Like Old Times brings a three-race win streak into the second seven-horse OSS field. Trained by Don McKirgan for owner Keith Ross of Bellfontaine, OH, the daughter of Chip Chip Hooray-Royal Two has career earnings of $91,105 and captured a trio of Northfield overnights after finishing a game second to the aforementioned Dark Roast on May 1. From 15 career starts Like Old Times has stats of 7-3-2 and a mark of 1:56.1h that she scored on May 20 at Northfield Park.

Her main competition will likely come from Sunrise Nibbles, who is still looking for her first win of the season after a successful 2-year-old campaign. A winner of $201,183 in her career, this daughter of Iron Duke is conditioned by co-owner Chris Beaver for Synerco Ventures, Inc., Toronto, ON Steven Zeehandelar of Worthington, OH and David Lang of Hilliard, OH.

Bred by Vernon Miller of Garrettsville, OH, Sunrise Nibbles was a multiple OSS winner in 2014, with the highlight of her season being her stellar triumph in the $200,000 OSS Championship at Scioto Downs on Sept. 27

Trainer Marty Wollam will harness Student Of Life-already an OSS winner this season-from post seven in the third division of eight trotting fillies. This Full Count lass has $94,006 in career earnings, and $28,900 in seasonal earnings garnered from three wins in just four 2015 starts. Her most best triumph came on May 25 at Scioto Downs, when she scored a career clocking of 1:56.4f en route to winning a $12,000 Ohio-restricted event. She followed that up with an easy, wire-to-wire 1:59.4 victory in a Northfield overnight on June 3. Student Of Life was also bred by Marvin Raber of Baltic, OH and is owned by Acadia Farms, Inc., of Canfield, OH and G And B Racing of New Wilmington, PA.

Lisa Jane-a $119,325 earner-and Little Casino look to be Student Of Life's main rivals. Lisa Jane, a daughter of Neely Dunn, was a multiple OSS and Ohio Fair Stake (OFS) winner in 2014 for owners Parent Racing Stable LLC of Holland, OH and G Peters of Akron, OH. Bred by Henry Burkholder of Holmesville, OH, Lisa Jane captured an Ohio-restricted race in 1:56.1f at Scioto Downs on May 25.

Little Casino also has solid credentials coming into this race-with two wins and a second in three attempts this season. Conditioned and driven by Hugh Beatty, the Full Count lass has $42,421 in career earnings for Duane Lowe of Malta, OH and last won an OSS test on May 1 at Miami Valley Raceway in a lifetime best 1:58.3.

Bell Flower, whose lone 2015 start and victory came in OSS action on May 1 at Miami Valley, headlines the first, eight-horse field of pacing fillies. This daughter of Fly Fly Buckeye is trained by Virgil Morgan, Jr.

Bell Flower earned $164,336 during a successful freshman campaign that saw her win seven starts and finish second once in eight trips postward. She took a 2-year-old mark of 1:54.4f in a Scioto Downs qualifier, then lowered that time to 1:53.1f in her solo triumph this season. Her career earnings now stand at $184,336 for owners Bruce & Patricia Soulsby of Powell, OH, Dean Davis of Wooster, OH and Carl Howard of Hilliard, OH.

Bred by Ohio State ATI, Bell Flower is the ninth foal out of the Artsplace mare Our Lady Countess and was an $8,000 yearling purchase at the 2013 Standardbred Horse Sale at Delaware. She is a half-sister to Wind River Cat (by Scallion Hanover) p, 1:52f ($102,159).

Friskie Lil Devil will be harnessed by Brian Brown in this same event. A winner of $212,516 lifetime, this daughter of Feelin Friskie is owned by the Lil Devil Stable of Findlay, OH and has finished no worse than second in her four seasonal starts. Her lone win this year came in the $38,000 Hackett on April 24, when she was timed in 1:55.4.

In the second and final OSS pacing division, Friskie Megan and Crosswinds Cupcake will likely vie for top honors. The former is a daughter of Feelin Friskie who lit up the board at Miami Valley on May 1 with a 1:55.3 clocking as a 99-1 longshot; and followed that up win a 1:55.1 career clocking in a Scioto Downs overnight on May 14.

Co-owner Steve Bateson trains the $35,191-winning filly for Harold Moore of Rudolph, OH. Bred by Ada Jacobs of Gambier, OH, Friskie Megan is the fifth of seven foals out of the Nobleland Sam mare Sam's Clever Babe, and is a full sister to Friskie AJ p,4,1:53.4f ($37,273) and a half-sister to CJ's Cruiser Sam (by Yankee Cruiser) p,1:54.2f ($83,607).

Crosswinds Cupcake is trained by David Elliott and will be trying for her second seasonal victory. The daughter of Stand Forever-Keystone Mulberry has career earnings of $47,172 and a mark of 3, 1:55.3f for owner-breeder Crosswinds Farm of Wayesville, OH. She was second by a nose in her last start at Scioto on June 5 and took her lone win this year on May 20 in a Scioto overnight.

Third leg OSS action shifts to Northfield Park on July 17 for the colts of both gaits, while the fillies go postward on Aug. 14 at Northfield. Fourth road contests will take place at Scioto Downs on Aug. 28 for the fillies and Aug. 29 for the colts.

The $225,000 Championship events for all the 2- and 3-year-old divisions will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, during Scioto Down's Super Night festivities.

Kimberly A. Rinker