Loutenant barely held off GD Western Joe to continue his remarkable ascent since being claimed for $37,500 during closing week at Hollywood Dayton Raceway in late December.

The five-year-old son of Sweet Lou now sports a three-race win streak at Miami Valley including a top conditioned pace, an Open II and now a $22,000 Open I. Loutenant’s earnings in just the last six weeks is $33,950 for a quite-nice immediate return on investment.

Loutenant got a three-hole trip throughout most of the mile behind favoured Voracity and Drawing Dragons. After launching a first-over attack just prior to the three-quarters station, Loutenant finally wore down the two speedsters about 100 yards from the finish and then had to stave off the relentless late charge of GD Western Joe. The winning time of 1:50.1 represents a lifetime mark.

Bobbie Jo Brewer trains the winner for September Six, who thought enough of Loutenant to submit the largest claim at the Dayton meet. His resume now includes 13 wins and $194,144 in purse bounty. Tyler Smith drove the winner.

The second leg of the Bill Dailey Memorial Medley Series on Saturday (Feb. 13) at Miami Valley produced a couple of mild upsets, both engineered by driver Chris Page. With no repeat winners after the two preliminary legs—one a dash at five-eighths of a mile and the other at the standard one mile distance—the conclusion of the series, a $25,000 championship leg at one-and-a-quarter miles, seems like a wide open affair.

The first division was won by The First Step, who topped Crimson And Chrome and Goldinthebadlands in 1:51.3, returning $16.80 to his faithful. After a fourth-place finish in the first leg five-eighths mile dash, the five-year-old son of Betterthancheddar showed his true form in the mile test, notching his 12th victory and raising his lifetime bounty to almost $150,000.

Trainer Ron Burke shipped The First Step in to Miami Valley for the Dailey Series from the east coast, where he was also a winner at Yonkers and Philadelphia in recent months. Runner-up Crimson And Chrome, owned by Tim Tetrick, was also shipped west to Miami Valley and has responded with a win in the dash prior to this near miss. Goldinthebadlands raced primarily at Woodbine last season, but has also found the Dailey odd distance medley to his liking with a pair of show finishes to earn a berth in the lucrative final.

Snowballs Romeo captured the second split in the identical 1:51.3 clocking, paying $17.80 to win. Coupled with his second-place finish in the dash, the noted quick gate leaver topped the 18 original combatants in series earnings to gain the No. 1 seed toward the final. The resurgent eight-year-old son of McArdle, trained by Phil Belanger, has 17 wins, but just two in the last two seasons. Wild Bill, who was purchased by trainer Kris Hinchcliff and partners for the Dailey Series after a prolonged stint at Yonkers, disappointed in the dash but rebounded with a strong place finish at the traditional mile. Bold And Brassy’s show finish coupled with a fourth in the initial dash was also enough to advance.

Joining the top Leg 2 finishers in the $25,000 championship next week will be first leg winner Shagnwiththedragon, Shane Adams (who was scratched Saturday after a runner-up finish in Week 1) and Prince Bayard. Dave And Dennis will have the first option to move in if any of the top nine earners fail to declare.

(Miami Valley Raceway)