Despite going off at odds of 11-1, Magic Night defeated his competition in the $24,000 Open Handicap Trot on Wednesday (Nov. 30) at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway.
After being assigned post six in the field of eight, Magic Night raced conservatively in the middle of the pack. The eight-year-old gelded son of Kadabra remained patient along the rail as fractions came in :28 and :57. Guided by leading driver Jeremy Smith, Magic Night found cover on the backside to make his move. Although still sitting fifth at the 1:25.3 three-quarter pole, the gelding stayed steady. Magic Night dug in to easily stop the clock in 1:55.3. Lockbox (Tyler Smith) was second with 3-2 favourite Kings County (Kayne Kauffman) finishing third.
The victory marked the fourth in a row for Magic Night. This year is shaping up to be the comeback year for the gelding, who is trained by Steve Carter. In 36 seasonal starts, Magic Night has scored eight wins and hit the board an additional 15 times. Magic Night has banked $116,686 this year for co-owners Rosemary Young and Tracey Russell.
Live harness racing will resume Thursday (Dec. 1) at Dayton Raceway with first post at 4 p.m.
(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association)