Mystical Dew captured his first local Hollywood Dayton Raceway victory Saturday night in the $10,000 Open Trot while Lucky Lime triumphed for the fourth time in the last eight weeks in the companion $10,000 Open Pace feature.
Mystical Dew was campaigned successfully at Hoosier Park all summer but managed to get his tenth seasonal win in just his second local start in Dayton. The four-year-old Deweycheatumnhowe-sired gelding, owned by the Mystical Marker Farm and trained by Jeff Smith, equalled the track record for four-year-old geldings which was set by Final Breath in October in a $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes championship race.
Tyler Smith got away third from the inside post position with Mystical Dew and moved first-over on the outside prior to the half. Racing uncovered the balance of the way Mystical Dew managed to get within a head of frontrunner Rehab Mountain at the head of the stretch then cleared and held off the other closers to win by three-quarters of a length. Mr Web Page finished a strong second with Touchmymuscles getting third money. The winner returned $6.20.
Kyle Ater, who has been red-hot of late, guided Lucky Lime for the first time and the five-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover responded the way he always does, grinding it out from start to finish with a winner’s determination.
The Dean Glispie-trainee never saw a pylon in this outing as he was placed sixth on the outside at the quarter, fourth on the rim at the half, up to third at the next station, second at the top of the stretch by a neck and finally prevailing at the wire by a neck. Fractions for the overland journey were :27.1, :56, 1:24 and 1:52.1.
It was the eighth win of the year and increased Lucky Lime’s bounty to $81,000 in 2014. Owned by Kirk Nichols, he bested Valentino and Rockin Finish.
(Hollywood Dayton Raceway)