Miami Valley Raceway was host for some stellar performances on a relatively warm Friday (April 5) evening in southwest Ohio. Among the highlights were an all-time track record for trotters (also a North American seasonal trotting mark on any size oval), the crowning of harness racing’s newest millionaire, a thrilling stretch drive in the $27,500 final of the Dr. Don Mossbarger Memorial Series, and a new face capturing the weekly Mares Open Pace.
Insomniac, a seven-year-old Crazed gelding racing for a $15,000 tag, went a jaw-dropping trip for trainer/driver Brady Galliers in the night’s fourth race, a condition and optional claiming trot.
After allowing Mikey Hanover (Brett Miller) to clear to the front at the :27.1 first quarter pole, Galliers insisted on retaking the lead which lead to a :54.4 half. Without throttling back, Insomniac sped to the three-quarter beam in 1:22.2, which had fellow horsemen and patrons gasping. But they hadn’t seen the best yet as Galliers asked Insomniac for more throughout the lane... and got it!
The final 1:51.4 clocking was the fastest trot in the six-year history of Miami Valley, lowering the 1:52.1 standard set by Ladys Dude in 2016 and equalled by Kestrel in 2017.
Insomniac is no stranger to winning races as the score was his 20th in a 105-race career that has yielded $289,777 in purses for a handful of owners over the past five seasons. He is currently owned by Galliers Racing LLC, which is comprised of Galliers and his parents.
As a result of a fifth-place finish in the $22,500 Mares Open Pace, 10-year-old American Girl became a millionaire having now banked $1,000,145.
Aaron Merriman had the phenomenal daughter of Arts Chip on the lead through the first half of the race but reluctantly relented to four other exceptional mares during the taxing final half-mile. Still American Girl was only 3-1/4 lengths back at the end of the 1:51 affair.
Following the race, American Girl returned to the Miami Valley winner’s circle where she and trainer Tyler George were presented with a commemorative blanket by her sire’s owners Mark Evers and Sylvia Norris. It was the final race for American Girl, who is owned by Darla Gaskin and Stanley Rosenblatt and is booked to the court of Downbytheseaside in the coming weeks.
The winner of American Girl’s last dance was Up Front Flor Ida (Brett Miller), who topped Rosemary Rose (Chris Page), JDs Chancey Gal (Tyler Smith) and Big Bad Jane (Dan Noble). The four-year-old Ohio-sired daughter of Woodstock won over $100,000 at age three and is now four-for-six in 2019, adding $42,000 to her coffers. Although this was her first try against Open Mares at the top level, trainer Tim McKoy is contemplating a start in the $100,000 Sam ‘Chip’ Noble Memorial Grand Circuit stakes for older mares on Miami Valley’s closing day (Monday, May 6). She is owned by Kevin McKinney and Virginia McKoy.
Heart Of The Ocean (Chris Page) and Bad Girls Rule (Brett Miller) battled stride for stride the length of the stretch in the Mossbarger Memorial championship. Heart Of The Ocean prevailed by a neck in 1:52.3 to earn the lion’s share of the lucrative purse. Kathleen Marotta conditions the four-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight for Marotta Investments. The winner now sports seven wins and seven place finishes in just 19 lifetime starts.
“I had to miss the first leg of this series,” exclaimed a jubilant Marotta, “and was worried she might not be tight enough to tackle these nice mares this soon. But she has returned to the races at the top of her game after five months off. She’s a sweetheart.”
Badlilvelocity (Kyle Ater) got up for the show dough.
Racing resumes Saturday night at Miami Valley including a pair of Open Paces and the $27,500 championship of the Tom Tharps Memorial Series. Post time is 6:05 p.m.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)