Million-dollar winner Dayson made his inaugural appearance at Miami Valley Raceway on Sunday, April 28, and promptly notched his first win in the $25,000 Doug Stovall Memorial Open Trot.

Following three-straight Preferred-class victories at The Meadows to start his 2019 campaign the six-year-old son of Conway Hall was shipped by trainer Ron Burke to his Ohio contingent for his latest test. Despite being assigned the outside post position in the nine-horse field, Dayson patiently forged forward before gaining command shortly after passing the :28 first quarter station.

After getting a relative breather to the :57.1 halfway point, challengers came calling in the third quarter with Pine Dream hot on Page’s back along with Jailhouse Sam and No Whip Chip stacked in the outer flow. With Jailhouse Sam lapped on at the 1:25.4 three-quarter beam, driver Chris Page decided to let Dayson out a notch and he responded by opening daylight on the field. Pine Dream did stay in tow enough to garner runner-up laurels while longshot Pittsburgh Hanover trotted strongly through the stretch to grab the show dough.

Earlier on the card, Sumthenforthegirlz and driver Dan Noble was victorious in the Barry Langley Memorial, a condition/claiming event honoring the memory of a fellow southwest Ohio horseman lost far too soon. The local horse community was shocked and saddened by the passing of Langley, just 33 years old, earlier this year.

(with files from Miami Valley)