The Ray Paver Sr. Memorial Series, for non-winners of four races or $40,000 lifetime, swung into action with two full divisions at Miami Valley Raceway on Wednesday (March 2). Boom Dynamite (Tony Hall) won the first $15,000 split; Sly Little Fox (Brett Miller) was best in the second.
Boom Dynamite pushed his career earnings over $100,000 with a half-length win over Orions Star (Kayne Kauffman) and Real Diamonds K (Brandon Bates). The four-year-old son of Broadway Hall sat third along the pylons in the early going then launched a successful prolonged first-over attack just past the halfway point of his lifetime-best 1:56.3 mile. He now has hit the board in seven out of eight 2022 starts, including three victories, for trainer Kim Dailey, who shares ownership with Randy Leopard and Todd Woodruff.
Sly Little Fox’s 1:55 triumph for driver was also a lifetime best effort as the four-year-old mare defeated Cheesy Hanover (Tyler Smith) and Heavenly Hope (Austin Hanners). A recent winner of a similar series at Hawthorne, Sly Little Fox has now won five of six starts this season and pushed her 2022 earnings to $37,425 for owner Bambi Fox and trainer Mike Hollenbeck. Miller adeptly maneuvered the daughter of Swan For All through traffic from a second-tier start to secure the lead early and coast to a comfortable win from there.
Trotters in the Ray Paver Sr. Memorial, one of eight “Lebanon Legends” events featured from February through April, will gather again next Wednesday (March 9) for second-round action featuring $17,500 purses. The top money earners will then chase a $25,000 final purse on March 16.
Racing at Miami Valley resumes on Thursday (March 3) with the standard 4:05 p.m. post time.
(Miami Valley Raceway)