Driver Chris Page extended his lead as Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway’s top reinsman with seven trips to the winner’s circle during the 14-race card on Friday, Nov. 14.
Page won the first race of the day with trotter Shoot Some Hoop ($7) in 1:56.3 for trainer Ron Burke and the last race of the evening with pacer Stars Over Sydney ($4.20) in 1:53.2 for the Daniel Brewer stable.
The Delaware, Ohio resident scored three straight wins in the middle of the card in races six through eight with gate-to-wire efforts from the Teesha Symes-trained trotter Bestthingineverhad ($12) in 1:55.3 and Jason Irwin-trained pacer Flip My Chip ($11.20) in 1:50.4, plus a come-from-behind effort with another Burke starter, trotter Bravo Hill ($4.20) in 1:55.3.
Page also picked up victories with another pair of pacers in Southbeach Hanover ($6.60), a 1:51.3 winner from the Steve Carter stable, and Hecandancencruise ($2.60), who scored in 1:53 for conditioner Brian Tatham.
Page now has a 84-76 edge in the driver standings over Jeremy Smith.
One of the races that Page did not win was the night’s featured event, a $25,352 condition claiming pace, where Luke Hanners gave Odds On Mad Hatter ($2.60) a well rated effort to secure the sophomore gelding's fourth straight win. Virgil Morgan Jr. trains the winner, who improved to 11-for-20 on the year, for Odds On Racing.
Going off at 1-5, Odds On Mad Hatter led the field of 10 from the word 'go' and established the fractions of :28, :56.1 and 1:24. The solid pace prevented any real challenges and the son of Lather Up-Arden Hanover easily held off a pocket-sitting Twenty Five, driven by Page, by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:51.4. Greater Than Aces and Sam Widger held off a closing Dragon Attack and Wyatt Farmer to complete the trifecta.
Dayton Raceway wraps up its racing week on Saturday, Nov. 15 with a 14-race card scheduled for 4 p.m.
(With files from Dayton Raceway; photo of Chris Page from a previous win)