Northfield, OH – Saturday (Oct. 11) $125,000 Grade 3 Courageous Lady Stakes for 3-year-old fillies 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, with just one of her 23 career races at the circuit, but her connections have full confidence in their top filly.
“The Nadia Lobell (Aug. 23 at Eldorado Scioto Downs) was her first real test against high-stakes horses,” said trainer Todd Luther. “Although she finished sixth, we thought she rode well 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 2-year-old, they entered the Catch the fire filly in the $150,000 Next Generation at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Prolific Fire was dismissed as betting favorite and followed The Word Is Out from the wings. The green filly did not want to sit in the two holes and was parked on an opening quarter of: 26.2. Driver Brett Miller slowed the pace as much as he could after securing the lead, but the tough ride took its toll on Prolific Fire and they dropped to fourth.
After a third-place finish in her next start, Prolific Fire broke her first-place finish at Northfield Park in a division of the Ohio Sires Stakes. Her next win wouldn’t come until September, something her team attributed to the journey in the Next Generation.
“In Next Generation, she was harassed, and it took a few starts for her to get over it,” Todd Luther said. “When we brought her to Delaware, she brought her ‘A’ game and won impressively.”
The victory in the Ohio Breeders Championship was a big victory for Prolific Fire as well as for her father Catch the firewho also trained Luther.
“For Catch the fire It was really cool to get his first high-stakes victory as a father on the national stage,” said Luther. “It’s a day we won’t soon forget.”
Prolific Fire was then shipped to Northfield Park for the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship. However, she finished in post six and the race did not go in her favor, ultimately resulting in a sixth place.
As a three-year-old she qualified only once in preparation for the season and followed that with a race in which she took the lead but was tied up in the last 50 metres. Luther was pleased with the effort, but felt that perhaps she was not fully focused.
“I decided to run a race with her instead of qualifying her twice so she could stretch out before the stakes season started,” Luther said.
“She got a little lost at the front that day. It gave me a chance to make some changes for her next start.”
Two weeks later, Prolific Fire rode in an elimination of the Hackett in Miami Valley and Luther was able to test his changes.
She had a very strong-willed race and Luther was not happy with third place.
“She didn’t let (Jeremy) Smith drive her that day; she just drove herself, and it wasn’t good for her,” Luther said.
After a few more disappointing results, Luther started doing some research and realized she was having tying issues. The treatment worked and she returned to the winner’s circle in a $20,000 division of the Buckeye Stallion Series.
After another short break, Prolific Fire proved she was strong again with a pair of second-place finishes in the Sires Stakes action at Scioto Downs. In September she returned to familiar territory, the winner’s circle in Delaware.
In the Ohio Breeders Championship, Prolific Fire took no prisoners, making a move mid-race and winning 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 got in front, she swelled and powerfully extended her lead on the field,” said a jubilant Luther. “Wow, was I impressed with her that day.”
At the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship in Dayton, it was time to find out what kind of horse they really had. After a perfect trip, Prolific Fire rolled away covered and headed past Odds On Chesapeake. The winning time was a crushing 1:50 flat.
“When she got into the two hole, I knew we could make it a race, but she was going to have to do her best to get by (Odds On Chesapeake),” Luther said. “She was dominant in her last two starts.”
Luther has no plans to make any changes ahead of Saturday’s $125,000 Courageous Lady, as Prolific Fire (post four with driver Austin Hanners) takes on its toughest test of the year against Jugette winner Rodeo Drive Deo (post five, David Miller) and gets a rematch with Odds On Chesapeake (post two, Ronnie Wrenn Jr.).
The $125,000 Grade 3 Courageous Lady is one of nine stakes races in the robust 15-race program. The evening also includes eight $50,000 Ohio Fair Championships and a pair of passes with all-female drivers.
From a betting perspective, guests are treated to a pair of Pick 4 pools worth an estimated $20,000 in race eight and race 11. Both bets have a $1 minimum and a low takeout of 14%.
Post time on Saturday is 6:00 PM
For full race entries, click here: American Trotting Entries.
Through Michael Carterin front of MGM Northfield Park
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