Six $34,722 eliminations of the James K. Hackett Memorial went to post on Thursday, April 16 at Miami Valley Raceway, with three-year-olds of each sex and gait vying for spots in next Thurday's $75,000 USD finals.
First up on the docket were the pacing fillies, with two divisions of six. In the first division, Luke Hanners and Kb Wrecking Ball ($4.40) went gate-to-wire and won by 7-1/4 lengths in 1:52.2. The Deborah Swartz trainee notched her fifth win in a row for owner-breeder Bradley Delaney. Last year's favourite in the Ohio Sires Stakes final, Shacarri (Chris Page), rallied from well back for second. Platinums Rosa (LeWayne Miller) and Queen Valerie (David Miller) rounded out the automatic advancers.
In the second split of filly pacers, Seaside Shuffle ($3), a 2025 Ohio Sires Stakes champion, went gate-to-wire for Chris Page with comfortable fractions in her seasonal debut. She had to work hard for it in the stretch, holding off a charging Mingle In Dingle (David Miller) by a nose to win in 1:54. Ron Burke trains the winner, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc. and RAS Racing LLC. Eyes Up (Brett Miller) and Foolish Beetrayal (Sam Widger) completed the top four. Blood Queen, the fifth-place finisher in the first division, won a draw for the final spot, with Rose Run Bristol an also eligible after finishing fifth in split two.
The male trotters needed a single division to eliminate one horse as only 10 entered, with top-money-earner and last year's Ohio Sires Stakes champion Big Ranger taking a bye to the final. The 3-5 favourite Rose Run Banker ($3.20) used a pocket trip and popped out at the top of the stretch to cruise to a three-length win for Page in 1:55. The Burke trainee won his sophomore debut for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Hatfield Stables, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Knox Services Inc. The top eight finishers moved on to the final: Water Slide (Aaron Merriman), Max The Mighty (Chris Lems), Special Moni (Tyler Smith), Grape Crush (David Miller), Jackie Jann (Wilbur Yoder), Come N Get Me (Brett Miller) and Lt Will Be Awesome (Peter Wrenn).
There was also a single elimination for trotting fillies, with Rose Run Brooke, last year's runner up in the Ohio Sires Stakes final, advancing straight to the final. Charlies Moni ($17) sat the pocket for Chris Lems and used a fortunately timed break from second-over Mooter Tooter (Page), to go from pinned in to circling three-wide at the top of the stretch. The Vernon Beachy trainee fired to the front and cruised home a four-length winner in 1:55.3 for owners 518 Group LLC, Ryan Smith, Gitup Racing and Hayden Myers. Also qualifying for the final, in order of finish, were Speedbewithyou (Austin Hanners), Faster Horses (Aaron Merriman), Cast No Stones (Trevor Smith), A Long Breeze (David Miller), Divvy It Up (Brett Miller), Range The Wish (Luke Hanners) and Sarahs Mission (Tyler Smith).
The male pacers required two divisions, with fields of nine and eight going forward in the first and second eliminations, respectively. In the first contest, Crocodile Station ($7.80) got away third, moved second-over, and then brushed to the lead before three-quarters and took it home from there, winning by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:52. David Miller piloted the gelding for trainer Mike Hitchcock and owner William Hartt. Prolific Blend (Austin Hanners) was second, with last year's Ohio Sires Stakes champion Lindy Dragonwater (Page) third and When Is Parade (Tyler Smith) fourth. Thunder Jam (Aaron Merriman) was fifth and will be an also eligible.
Austin Hanners and Sparks N Fire ($7.20) made things look easy in the second split, with no one able to advance to the Todd Luther pupil's wheel as he went wire-to-wire in 1:52.2 for Greg Luther Racing LLC. Swelce (Trevor Smith) sat in the pocket and finished second by 1-1/2 lengths with Backninebar (Page) and U Cant Catch This (Aaron Merriman) rounding out the automatic advancers. Fifth-place finisher Yacht Rock (Tyler Smith) drew into the final.
In addition to his Hackett elim double of Seaside Shuffle and Rose Run Banker, Burke sent out the winner of the $44,444 Fillies and Mares Open II Pace, Goo Goo Won ($4.80). The seven-year-old charged out of post six and was unstoppable on the lead, marching to a one-length, 1:52 victory with Page aboard for owner Judith Taylor. Time Of The Season (Aaron Merriman) was second from the pocket, followed by Racing For Three (Kayne Kauffman). Burke, North America's leading trainer, is atop the Miami Valley standings with 70 victories. Virgil Morgan Jr. is second with 46, followed by Heather France with 45.
David Miller and Mike Hitchcock teamed up for a double on the 11-race card.
Racing action returns with a rare Friday program at Miami Valley, a make-up day for an earlier weather cancellation, with a post time of 4 p.m.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)