Odds On Mad Hatter recorded his fifth straight victory at Dayton Raceway, winning a co-featured $25,352 condition claiming pace on Friday, Nov. 21.
Odds On Mad Hatter and driver Luke Hanners took the opener with a front-stepping 1:51.4 mile. Rockinpoppin (Tyler Smith) got the first call, but Hanners had Odds On Mad Hatter quickly on top before the opening quarter in :27.2. The field had respect for the heavy favourite and the eventual winner was allowed a comfortable :56.1 half and 1:24.2 three-quarters. Who Dey Nation (Jeremy Smith) applied mild pressure in the final turn, but Odds On Mad Hatter sprinted home in :27.2 over the fast track to defeat the pocket-sitting Rockinpoppin by 1-1/4 lengths, with Who Dey Nation another quarter-length back in third.
The homebred son of Lather Up and Arden Hanover is trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. and owned by Odds On Racing of Boca Raton, Florida. His current five-race win streak gives him a total of a dozen victories this year from 21 starts.
Another sophomore pacing gelding, Bars And Notes, used a similar trip to capture the co-featured division of the same class in an identical 1:51.4 mile. Mctorious (Trevor Smith) was the fastest off the gates wings, with Bars And Notes and Chris Page three-wide in the early stages. Bars And Notes pressed on and cleared to the lead at the quarter in :27.1. Stars Over Sydney (Tyler Smith) was the first to pull and provided needed cover for Sinatra Hanover (Brett Miller). Bars And Notes was still clear at the next two stations in :56.1 and 1:23.4. At the line, Bars And Notes was 1-3/4 lengths clear of Mctorious and 4-1/4 lengths ahead of a closing Rosetown Eclipse (Cam McCown).
The win was the seventh win of the season in 22 outings for Bars And Notes, a Racing Hill-Pure Note gelding trained by Steve Carter and owned by Caldwell Mamie Racing of Bellaire, Ohio.
Page has a driving triple on the 14-race card, as did Tyler Smith.
Dayton concludes its racing week on Saturday, Nov. 22.
(With files from Dayton Raceway)