Prince Hal Hanover made it back-to-back Grand Circuit stakes victories as he followed up his Adios win with an authoritative score in the $410,959 Grade 2 Carl Milstein Memorial on Saturday, Aug. 9 at MGM Northfield Park.

Swingtown (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and Prince Hal Hanover (Todd McCarthy) were both put into play entering the first turn. Smooth Dream (Andrew McCarthy) came away in third and watched the pair duel as the field entered the backstretch. Todd McCarthy allowed Swingtown to clear before reaching the quarter in a blazing :25.4, but he was not content to sit in the pocket as he moved Prince Hal Hanover back to the lead entering the far turn for the first time.

As the field approached the half in :54.3, Smooth Dream was flushed out by Primo Maschio (Trae Porter). Porter then put Primo Maschio back on the rail, allowing Twisted Destiny (Dexter Dunn) to move into second-over position with Fast Choice (Scott Zeron) on his back third-over. Entering the backstretch, Smooth Dream kept on coming, and as they approached the three-quarters in 1:22.4, the stage was set for a duel through the final quarter of a mile.

Around the final turn, Prince Hal Hanover stepped clear of Smooth Dream. Twisted Destiny tipped off cover three-wide, but as they came through the stretch, Prince Hal Hanover’s lead was insurmountable, and he came home to win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:50.1. Twisted Destiny paced all out, but he had to settle for second. Swingtown finished third.

“Prince Hal Hanover is getting better as the season goes, he was very aggressive on me tonight,” said trainer Dr. Ian Moore. “I wasn’t a huge fan of the fractions, and the retake wasn’t that easy either. Todd was able to get a little bit of a breather, I was happy about that.”

Owned by Prince Hal Hanover Stable of Cambridge, Ont., the colt by Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip pushed his career earnings to $1,392,666 with the victory. Prince Hal Hanover, the 2024 Metro Pace runner-up, is four-for-10 this year, and he has won six of 20 career starts. He paid $3.60 to win.

Ferretti went to the engine and front-stepped to a tough victory in the $136,986 Tom Aldrich President’s Trot.

Big Box Hanover (Luke Hanners), Longshot (Chris Lems), and Ferretti (Matt Kakaley) fired off the wings, but entering the backstretch, Big Box Hanover came away with the lead. Ferretti was not content to sit, and he continued to advance on the leaders, parked through a :27.1 first quarter. Finally clearing rivals, Kakaley got a major second quarter breather, arriving at the half in :56.2.

Longshot started to apply pressure first-over entering the clubhouse turn for the final time. At three-quarters in 1:24.3, Ferretti clung to a short lead over Longshot, who continued to grind away on the outside. Turning for home, Ferretti kicked away from his rivals and won by two lengths in 1:54.2. Big Box Hanover finished second, followed by a closing Sugar Instead (Tyler Smith). The winner returned $12.60.

“I’ve always liked this horse,” said Kakaley. “He was very good, he just waited for everyone to get close and he raced them.”

Ferretti, a six-year-old son of Creatine-Ferrari Of, is now a 17-time career winner with $419,037 in earnings from 76 starts. Travis Alexander trains the gelding for David Rovine Stable LLC of Sarasota, Fla. and the CTC Stable of Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.

Pariss Dragon scored his third straight victory with an 8-1 upset in the $136,986 Myron Charna President’s Pace.

Driver Dan Noble wasted no time sending Pariss Dragon off the wings, leaving alertly and getting control of the pace entering the first turn. Racing Rampage (Matt Kakaley) took position in the pocket in front of Dunkin (Tim Tetrick) in third. Arriving at the first quarter in :26.3, Noble had a two-length lead entering the far turn for the first time. 

As the field approached the half in :55.3, Dunkin began to apply pressure first-over, with Racing Rebel (Chris Page) riding cover second-over. After the three-quarters in 1:22.1, Pariss Dragon pushed ahead of rivals, then held off a hard-changing Racing Rebel (Chris Page) to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.2. Dunkin finished third.

Pariss Dragon improved his seasonal record to four-for-nine for trainer Christi Noble and owners Dennis Owens of Hamilton, Ohio and Norman Rae Racing LLC of Xenia, Ohio. The four-year-old Fear The Dragon-Lima Ooh La La gelding has won 15 times in 39 career starts and earned $628,548.

In conjunction with the Grade 2 Carl Milstein Memorial, Northfield hosted four $89,041 divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) for sophomore trotters,  two $89,041 divisions for freshman filly pacers and three $68,493 divisions for freshman colt pacers.

After a disappointing start in the Ohio State Fair Stakes at Eldorado Scioto Downs, 4-5 Lt Loverboy redeemed himself in the first division of colt trotters, winning in 1:54.2. Driven by Brett Miller, the gelded son of Long Tom stayed patient as the dust settled during the :29.1 opening quarter. Lt Loverboy quickly moved first up, remaining there throughout the mile, challenging 2-1 Vekna (Kayne Kauffman) on the front. Vekna led the field to the half in :57.3 and to the three-quarters in 1:25.2. At the top of the stretch, Lt Loverboy showed his class, easily overtaking Vekna and winning with lengths to spare. Long Highway (Hugh Beatty) rounded out the trifecta.

Conditioned by Daren Harvey, Lt Loverboy has now won half of his eight seasonal starts, including three legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes. He has earned more than $211,072 in 2025 for owners Wayne Mast Jr. and Callam Racing.

At 8-1, Hilltop Sonar notched his first win of the season in the second division of colts in 1:55.2. Chris Page settled the What The Hill gelding in fifth as 6-5 Scrappys Love (Dan Noble) posted the opening fractions in :28 and :57.1. Page flushed cover as the field marched toward the 1:26.2 three-quarter station.. Hilltop Sonar pulled three-wide coming out of the final turn to best 4-5 favourite Jet Wings (Dexter Dunn) by a neck while Scrappys Love was third.

Ron Burke trains Hilltop Sonar for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Beasty LLC, and Rich Lombardo Racing. The gelding has bankrolled $76,593 in seasonal earnings.

Noble gave 3-2 favourite In The End a perfect pocket trip in the first division of filly trotters. The 3-1 second choice Aunt Laura (Miller) posted fractions in :27.3, :57.3, and 1:26 while In The End stayed steady on her back. In The End shifted gears and cruised down the Passing Lane to win in 1:55.1. Aunt Laura finished second with Mocha Hill (Page) in third.

Anette Lorentzon bred, owns, and trains In The End. In nine seasonal starts, the daughter of Lionhunter has scored six wins and two second-place finishes, banking $171,049.

Dream Something and Tyler Smith closed out the final OHSS division of the evening, winning by a length in 1:56.2. The 3-2 Uncle Peter filly sat in the pocket as 4-5 favourite Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) cut the mile with fractions in :28.2, :58.1, and 1:27.3. Dream Something easily took control of the field when heading into the final turn and never looked back. Brink Street (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) was second and Mega Money held on for third.

The victory pushed Dream Something to $144,470 in seasonal evenings. In seven starts, she has scored three wins for trainer and co-owner Miles Wollam and Julie Ann Sweet.

Rookie pacing filly Shesafirewoman remained perfect against OHSS competition.  With Luke Hanners in the sulky, Shesafirewoman left from post three in the second division of filly pacers and got away in fourth but quickly moved up through the field along the outside. The Catch The Fire filly was in second place, one length back of leader Rodeo Dancer (Brett Miller), at the :28.1 quarter but led the rest of the way with fractions of :57.3 and 1:26.3 en route to winning by a length in 1:54.2 for her third OHSS victory of the year. Rodeo Dancer was second followed by Vanna By The River (Austin Hanners) in third. Shesafirewoman has hit the board in all six starts this season with five wins and one second and has $152,775 in earnings. She is owned by Harry Horowitz and trained by Luke Hanners.

In the first division, Shacarri (Chris Page) picked up her first OHSS victory of the season, going wire to wire to win in 1:55. Zooom Call (Dan Noble) was more than two lengths back in second followed by Gochujang (A. Hanners) in third. Trained by Ron Burke, Shacarri has three wins and one second in five seasonal starts with earnings of $149,048 The Summa Cum Laude filly was coming off a win in the Ohio State Fair Stakes at Eldorado Scioto Downs. She is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Phillip Collura, and Zippett Racing Stable.

The driver-trainer pair of Page and Burke also teamed to win the third division of freshman colt pacers with When Is Parade taking the victory by half a length in a lifetime-best 1:53.2. The Summa Cum Laude colt settled in the pocket behind leader Thunder Jam (Mike Wilder) through the first three calls with fractions of :27.3, :56.4, and 1:25.1. Down the final stretch, When Is Parade moved into the passing lane and powered past Thunder Jam for the victory. Odds On Sugar (Dexter Dunn) was third. When Is Parade has two wins and two third-place finishes in four seasonal starts with earnings of $57,773. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Michelle Yanek, and Philip Collura.

Crocodile Station (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) won the first division, also in 1:53.2. The Michael Hitchcock trainee led wire to wire with fractions of :28.1, :57.3, and 1:26.3 en route to winning by more than a length over Sparks N Fire (A. Hanners). Maserati Marv (Miller) was third. Crocodile Station now has two career wins, adding this one to his victory in the Ohio State Fair Stakes. The Downbytheseaside gelding has $95,664 in earnings and is owned by William Hartt.

Pet Project (Trevor Smith) took the win in the second division in 1:53.3. In his first OSS victory of the season, the Pet Rock gelding came out on top of a seven-horse field that included a pair of first-leg winners in Illbetyourboots (Page) and Swelce (Wilder) and a two-time Buckeye Stallion Series winner in Heerz Corinthian (Aaron Merriman). Coming off a victory in the Ohio State Fair Stakes, Pet Project was fifth at the halfway mark. First over, the Kimberly Dailey trainee stormed to the front, moving up alongside leader Illbetyourboots going to the three-quarters and taking a three-length advantage into the final stretch. He won by more than two lengths over Fires Champ (A. Hanners) in second followed by Swelce in third. Pet Project has two wins and a third-place finish with $82,318 in earnings in four seasonal starts. He is owned by Jr Stable and Dailey.

Ohio Sires Stakes action continues at Northfield Park on Sunday, Aug. 10 with freshman trotters and sophomore filly pacers. A battle between Odds On Chesapeake and Odds On Hialeah headlines six Ohio Sires Stakes races. First-race post time is 6 p.m.

The pair of Virgil Morgan Jr. trainees are in the $100,000 USD fourth leg for three-year-old filly pacers. Odds On Chesapeake (Luke Hanners) is three-for-three in the OHSS this season and has six wins overall in seven starts. She posted a lifetime-best 1:50 in the second leg at Northfield and has 10 wins and $317,700 in earnings in 17 lifetime starts. The Downbytheseaside filly enters as the 4-1 co-third choice with Bubblles Out (Justin Irvine).

The 2-1 morning line favourite is Odds On Hialeah (Tyler Smith), who won the first two legs and was a runner-up in the third leg. Overall, the Lather Up filly has three wins and one second in four seasonal starts. She has 10 victories and two seconds in 12 career starts with $603,794 in earnings. Rose Run Aimee (Dan Noble), the only other sophomore filly pacer to score an OHSS win this season, is the 3-1 second choice. Her OHSS win came in the third leg in a lifetime-best 1:49.4. The Racing Hill filly and James Ehrsam trainee has hit the board in all seven seasonal starts with four wins. She has seven victories and $160,831 in earnings in 17 career starts.

As the lone horse who is two-for-two in the OHSS for freshman colt trotters thus far, Ready Russell (Noble) is the even-money morning line favourite in the third of three $50,000 USD divisions on Sunday and will leave from the rail. Trained by Deborah Swartz, the Ready For Moni gelding won the opening leg in a lifetime-best 1:55 and added a victory in the second leg in 1:56.4. He has three wins in four seasonal starts. Max The Mighty (Aaron Merriman) has one win and three seconds in five starts this season and is the 5-2 second choice.

Ur Ride Is Here (Chris Lems) is the early 3-2 favourite in the first division of two-year-old colt trotters. The Steve Schoeffel trainee posted a victory in the opening leg of the OHSS in 1:59. The Ready For Moni gelding also has one second- and one third-place finish in his three seasonal starts. Another son of Ready For Moni, second-leg winner Special Moni (Smith), is the 2-1 second choice and will leave from the rail. Trained by Chris Beaver, his OHSS win came in 1:58.3.

First-leg winner Rose Run Banker (Chris Page) and second-leg winner Water Slide (Merriman) are in the second division. Leaving from the rail, Super Mind (Anthony MacDonald) is the early 2-1 favorite for trainer Jason McGinnis. The Creatine gelding has one win in four seasonal starts. Rose Run Banker is the 5-2 second choice. The Ron Burke trainee’s OHSS win came in 1:56.1. The In Range colt was the runner-up to Special Moni in the second leg. Water Slide, a Beaver trainee, has 3-1 odds. The Ready For Moni gelding took his OSS win in 1:58.1.

Sunday’s card also includes two $65,000 USD divisions in the third leg of the OSS for freshman filly trotters. Both horses who are two-for-two thus far — Lucky Lady Volo and Demonic Niko — are entered.

Lucky Lady Volo (Noble) is the 5-2 morning line favourite in the first division. Her two OHSS victories came in 1:56.2 and 1:57.3, respectively. The In Range filly is trained by Erv Miller. Rose Run Brooke (Hanners) is the 3-1 second choice. The Vernon Beachy trainee has a pair of runner-up finishes in four seasonal starts.

Demonic Niko (Noble) opened as the 4-5 favourite in the second division and will leave from the rail. Another In Range filly and Miller trainee, she won her OHSS races in 1:55.4 and 1:57.1, respectively. She has four wins and one second in five starts this season.

Speedbewithyou (Austin Hanners), a winner in the first leg in 1:55.1 and the runner-up to Demonic Niko in the second leg, is the 5-2 second choice and will leave from the far outside. The Mission Accepted filly is trained by Todd Luther.

(With files from Northfield Park and the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association)