Four-year-old mare Ariana G established a new trotting track record as she beat the boys in a 1:52.1 mile in the Dayton Trotting Derby.

Picking up the catch-drive, Brian Sears sent double millionairess Ariana G three-wide off cover turning for home and overtook the front-striding Guardian Angel As, who ended up third as Warrawee Roo closed for second-place.

Owned and bred by Ontario's Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, the Jimmy Takter-trained daughter of Muscle Hill took advantage of the hot early pace to earn her fifth win in 11 starts this year and 26th career victory.

"I just played it by ear. When the gate opened up, I just knew the horses I really needed to beat and I tried to put myself in a decent spot," said Sears. "They were really racing hard up front and everything worked out. Everybody told me what a sweetheart she is and she definitely was."

Longshot I Know My Chip fired off the gate from post three, with favourite Homicide Hunter leaving between horses and securing the early pocket spot while the parked out Guardian Angel As proceeded to the front. He cleared past the :26.4 opening quarter mark while Homicide Hunter tipped back out.

As Guardian Angel As led the way to the half in :54.4 with Homicide Hunter in pursuit, Tim Tetrick positioned second choice Will Take Charge second-over, but his mount rolled off stride.

Sears then moved Ariana G, who had followed in fifth early on behind the favourite, second-over and fanned three-wide past the 1:23.1 third quarter mark en route to the record victory.

Sent postward as the 9-2 third choice, Ariana G returned $11 to win.

Donttellmeagain then destroyed the all-age track record in the Dayton Pacing Derby as he blazed around the five-eighths-mile Ohio oval in 1:47.4.

With Tim Tetrick in the sulky, 4-5 favourite Donttellmeagain swept up from third once Split The House tucked into the pocket and then overtook early leaver Western Fame after a :25.2 first quarter. He blazed through a :52.3 half and three-quarters in 1:20 with a neck lead over challenger McWicked then shook clear down the stretch. The four-year-old Dragon Again gelding prevailed by one length over pocket-pursuer Western Fame, while second choice McWicked held on for third ahead of All Bets Off.

Trained by Jim King Jr. for the New Jersey-based Paton Racing Stables, Donttellmeagain shaved one full second off the previous track record, which was held by State Treasurer.

"I give credit to the track crew, they did a great job of getting it fast," said Tetrick. "Today, I kind of took it into my own hands and at the half I was kind of kicking myself in the rear end, but he's tough and he dug in and, man, he put on one heck of an effort tonight."

Donttellmeagain, who also won the Graduate Final in a career-best time of 1:47.2 at The Meadowlands in July and is five-for-13 this year, now boasts 18 career wins and earnings totalling $589,911.

He returned $3.80 to win.

A pair of record performances were also delivered on the undercard in the $18,500 Opens as Optimist Blue Chip scored in 1:53.2 to match Il Sogno Dream's fastest mile by a four-year-old trotting male while Carols Z Tam became the track's fastest four-year-old pacing mare courtesy of her 1:51 mile.