Three-Year-Old fillies shine in Maryland Sire Stakes Prelims

BERLIN, MD – A trio of $10,000 preliminary harness racing divisions for the Maryland Sire Stakes three-year-old pacing and trotting fillies delivered fireworks on a beautiful Wednesday evening at Ocean Downs, as the state’s top sophomore talent squared off in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

K J The Thirteenth Shows Command on the Trot

The card kicked off with the lone trotting division where K J The Thirteenth (Il Mago–My Kid Sister) lived up to her 0.90 favoritism with a gate-to-wire score in 1:59.3. Driver Fern Paquet Jr. floated the Gary Messenger trainee to the front by the opening quarter and never looked back, turning away a strong challenge from Yall Know Me (Russell Foster) in the stretch.

The latter, a daughter of Yall Beneath Me, finished a valiant second in 1:59.4. Casino Magic and Roger Plante Jr. rounded out the trifecta.

Trouble plagued Yall Just Love Me, another Richard Hans pupil, who broke stride after sitting a cozy trip early and faded to fifth, while Emmamay never factored after a miscue at the start.

Woody’s Girl Edges Out a Thriller in First Pacing Division

In the first division of the pacing fillies, the battle was tight from start to finish. Woody’s Girl (Rusty’s For Real–Scootin Woody) and Toys Little Tinker went toe-to-toe in the lane with Woody’s Girl prevailing by a neck in 1:56.2 for driver Russell Foster and trainer Kasey Bendix.

The daughter of Rusty’s For Real showed true grit holding off William Carter’s own Rusty’s-bred filly, who sat just off the leader and came charging late.
Post Jolene, driven by Jonathan Roberts, set the early fractions before yielding and settling for third, while Lu’s Darling and Mazal each offered mild bids to round out the top five.

Ragtime Red Returns with Authority

There was no drama in the second pacing division, as Ragtime Red (Getitoffyourchest–Red High Heels) picked up right where she left off in 2024. The dominant filly from last year’s Sire Stakes program was making her first pari-mutuel start of the season, and she made it look effortless. With Allan Davis in the bike for trainer Donald Brittingham, Ragtime Red coasted to a 1:56.0 victory, reasserting herself as the filly to beat in the division.

After tracking cover early, Ragtime Red surged to the front before the half and never looked back, opening up in the stretch with her trademark power and poise—eerily resembling the form that made her a household name last year.

Mygirlmia, a daughter of More The Better N, followed gamely for second under William Carter, while Jan’s Diamond snagged third in a solid effort. The rest of the field was left chasing shadows, as Ragtime Red’s return sent a clear message to the competition.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From Ocean Downs