Big City Pearl, the only mare in the field, reached the finish line first in the Monday (March 7) $28,000 Open Handicap Trot at Miami Valley Raceway. 

Driver Kayne Kauffman got away mid-pack with the talented four-year-old daughter of Chapter Seven, then moved to the outside just past the quarter mile marker which was reached in :27.3 by last week’s winner Pass The Vape. The early move proved to be the winning one when it flushed out odds-on favourite Pick Me Upper and provided live cover all the way to the head of the stretch.

Shortly after Pick Me Upper was able to collar Pass The Vape as the field straightened out for the stretch drive, Big City Pearl was freshest of the contenders and brushed to the lead in convincing fashion. Despite the fact Big City Pearl had two Open wins at Miami Valley in late January, the LeWayne Miller trainee was dispatched at 11-1 odds and paid $25.80 to win. Pick Me Upper held for second with Miller stablemate Two O B Wonkenobi rallied for a third place finish. 

The victory pushed Big City Pearl’s 2022 earnings at Miami Valley over the $50,000 plateau for the Miller 101 Racing Stable.

The second leg of the Bill Dailey Memorial Medley also was contested on Monday in two divisions at one mile.  Nuclear Dragon, who set a World Record of 1:07 in a first-leg five-eighths-mile dash, had no trouble extending to a mile with a 1:51.4 win over Francis Underwood and One Corona To Go. The 10-year-old winner of more than a half-million dollars, owned by Tonya Nichols and trained by Jason Brewer, will likely be favoured when the nine highest money earners in the series congregate for a $27,500 championship race at an extended 1-1/4 mile distance on Monday, March 14. Jeremy Smith piloted the winner.

Later Dudes, who won the other second leg split in 1:52.3, will also be in the field, as will Americanfirewater, who won a dash in 1:07.4 a week ago and finished third to Later Dudes this week. Chris Page piloted that winner.

The complete field of qualifers for the added distance championship is Nuclear Dragon, Later Dudes, Americanfirewater, One Corona To Go, Francis Underwood, Bet Mine, Captain Zamperini, Big Booty Rudy and Jojo’s Amadeus.

(Miami Valley Raceway)