Atta Boy Dan, a well-travelled seven-year-old gelding with 43 career wins, added Saturday (September 17) night’s $15,000 Open I Pace at Hollywood Dayton Raceway to his long list of laurels.

Content to get away third through the :26.2 opening panel, driver Chris Page moved the 6-5 favourite into second-over position by the :54.3 half and circled up to challenge pacesetter Fancy Creek Elusiv (Peter Wrenn) at the three-quarter mile beam, tripped in 1:22.3. Atta Boy Dan pulled away from the determined Fancy Creek Elusiv in deep stretch for the 1:51.4 victory. The Ron Burke trainee boosted his lifetime bounty to $623,142 for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Swing City (Josh Sutton) garnered the show dough in the feature event.

Josh Sutton, the defending dash champion at Hollywood Dayton, atoned for a moderate start in Week One of the 2016 meet by capturing five of the first nine races on the lucrative Saturday night card. Sutton visited the winner’s circle with Rockin Finish after the $12,500 Open II Pace for his third consecutive victory from races four through six. His first score came behind the trotter Marleys Guy in an $8,500 condition race, followed by a triumph behind Smiling Terror in a $9,500 condition-claiming pacing event. Two races later, Sutton guided Tinhorn Creek to an open-lengths win in a $10,000 condition race, his second tally for trainer Bobby Brower. King Harvest, a $20,000 claimer chasing a $12,000 purse, gave Sutton his fifth win—or “one for the thumb,” as announcer Barry Vicroy proclaimed as Sutton crossed the finish line.

Hollywood Dayton takes a Monday through Thursday respite from racing, in deference to Little Brown Jug Week at the Delaware, Ohio fairgrounds, and will resume its normal live racing schedule on Friday night, September 23 at 6:15 p.m.

(Dayton)