Fresh off a redeeming victory in the Grade 1 Delvin Miller Adios at The Meadows, Prince Hal Hanover will lead a loaded field of sophomore pacers in the Grade 2 Carl Milstein Memorial going for a purse of $300,000 USD on Saturday, Aug. 9 at MGM Northfield Park.
“I am very pleased with the field for this year’s Carl Milstein Memorial," said Dave Bianconi, Director of Racing Operations at Northfield Park. "It is a great mix of top horses from different circuits.”
Trained by Dr. Ian Moore, Prince Hal Hanover drew post two in the field of nine with Todd McCarthy retaining the drive.
Prince Hal Hanover was purchased for $130,000 at the 2023 Lexington Selection Yearling Sale by owner Prince Hal Hanover Stable of Cambridge, Ont. He had a successful two-year-old campaign with victories in a division of the Tompkins-Geers Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park and a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs. He also had runner-up performances in the million-dollar Metro Stakes and division of the Nassagaweya Stakes at Mohawk.
As a three-year-old, Prince Hal Hanover has proven he belongs in the upper echelon of his division. A Somebeachsomewhere Stakes win was followed by a disappointing effort in the Grade 1 million-dollar Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk before the Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip colt tuned up for the Meadowlands Pace. At The Meadowlands, Prince Hal Hanover crossed the wire first in the Grade 1 Meadowlands Pace but was deemed to have caused interference with Madden Oaks in the stretch and was placed second. Following that effort, the connections shipped him to The Meadows for the Adios win by a head over Swingtown and Twisted Destiny in a career-best clocking of 1:48.1.
“He came out of the Adios really well,” said Moore. “We were very impressed with his mile at The Meadows.”
Heading into Saturday’s Milstein Memorial, Moore is confident that his colt will be up to the task.
“He will train on Wednesday, but it is all systems go. He has been jogging very well and we are very happy with him.”
Prince Hal Hanover, who is on the verge of becoming a millionaire with $591,536 banked in his sophomore season so far, will meet eight other foes on Saturday -- a few familiar faces and some new shooters looking to make a name for themselves in the glamour boy division.
MGM Grand Messenger champion Twisted Destiny is one of the colts he will meet again. Twisted Destiny’s trainer, Chris Ryder, won the 2019 Carl Milstein Memorial with his sire Bettors Wish.
Undefeated in nine starts in 2025, the Noel Daley-trained Smooth Dream will be one of the fresh faces awaiting Prince Hal Hanover. With victories in the New Jersey Sire Stakes final, Homegrown Stakes, New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund Stakes and Tompkins-Geers, the talented Cattlewash gelding has more than $300,000 in earnings this season with a mark of 1:49.2 taken at The Meadowlands.
New York Sire Stakes star Fast Choice will also look to dethrone Prince Hal Hanover on Saturday, entering with two straight powerhouse victories in the state-bred program, including a divisional track record-setting performance at Batavia Downs in his last start. Trained by Jared Bako, the Courtly Choice gelding has earned more than $200,000 in 2025.
The Milstein field also includes Delaware Standardbred Development Fund champion Primo Maschio from the Kevin Lare stable; the stakes-debuting Odds On Wildfire, an eight-time winner in his debut season this year for trainer Geovany Hernandez; the Ron Burke-trained Ohio State Fair champion and Adios runner-up Swingtown; the Ohio Sires Stakes competitor Extra Suds, conditioned by Virgil Morgan Jr.; and multiple Ohio Sires Stakes winner Rick Wink, also trained by Burke.
$300,000 USD Carl Milstein Memorial Pace (Grade 2)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Primo Maschio - Trae Porter - Kevin Lare
2. Prince Hal Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Dr. Ian Moore
3. Odds On Wildfire - Tim Tetrick - Geovany Hernandez
4. Smooth Dream - Andrew McCarthy - Noel Daley
5. Fast Choice - Scott Zeron - Jared Bako
6. Swingtown - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke
7. Extra Suds - Aaron Merriman - Virgil Morgan Jr.
8. Rick Wink - Chris Page - Ron Burke
[9. Twisted Destiny - Dexter Dunn - Chris Ryder
The stakes-laden program will also feature the $100,000 USD Myron Charna President’s Pace and the $100,000 USD Tom Aldrich President’s Trot, in addition to multiple divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes, with total purses at nearly $1.1 million USD.
The Tom Aldrich President’s Trot is named for the former President and COO of Northfield Park who was inducted into the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2025. The event has featured harness racing’s best trotters, including world record holder Weslynn Quest, Dan Patch Award winner Its Academic and Ohio Open star Smoking Jet.
The 2025 edition promises to be one of the most loaded and competitive ever. The event features the best Ohio-sired older trotters.
Ferretti, trained by Travis Alexander, has been named the morning line favourite in the President's Trot. A past $32,000 Ohio Select Sale yearling purchase, the son of Creatine-Ferrari Of has more than $350,000 in career earnings. As a six-year-old, Ferretti has hit the board in 10 of 16 starts this year, including new lifetime mark of 1:51.3 in mid-June at Pocono.
The 2024 Ohio Horse of the Year, millionaire mare Sugar Instead, has been facing some of the toughest competitors Ohio has to offer this season. Virgil Morgan Jr. trains the four-year-old Volstead-Sugar Pop mare, who won back-to-back Ohio Sires Stakes Championships at two and three. Morgan will also send out another millionairess, 50-time career winner Refined, a nine-year-old daughter of Uncle Peter out of Reinvent.
The President’s Trot also includes trainer Larry Stalbaum's Big Box Hanover; Longshot for trainer Scott Cox; Legacy Affair, trained by Duke Sugg; Jurassic Hattie from the Stacey Van Huizen stable; and the Chris Beaver-trained Caviar Gold.
The Myron Charna President’s Pace is named for former Northfield Park President and previous winners include double millionaires Bythemissal, Charlie May and Dancin Yankee.
This year's President’s Pace features several familiar faces in Ohio, but none more so than Scott Di Domenico trainee Dunkin.
Dunkin is no stranger to fans of Northfield Park, a place he called home for most of his two and three-year-old seasons. A former $7,000 yearling purchase from the Standardbred Horse Sale, the five-year-old gelding by Pet Rock out of Skinny Dip has taken his owners on a ride of a lifetime, one they won’t soon forget. With earnings topping seven figures, Dunkin has taken a shot at stakes company at Northfield this year in the Grade 2 Battle of Lake Erie, where he finished a very strong third.
Racing Rampage will take another shot in the President’s Pace for trainer Travis Alexander after coming up a nose short to Act Fast last year. Despite only having three wins in 16 starts this year, the five-year-old Racing Hill-Sebring Blue Chip gelding paced in 1:48.3 in his last start at Pocono, elevated to victory via disqualification.
The field also includes Pariss Dragon for trainer Christi Noble; Wicked Character from the Ron Burke barn; the Randy Bendis trainee The Real Way; Clever Cody, campaigned by Dr. Ian Moore; Quick Trick for trainer Jeff Conger; Low Rider for the Walter Haynes Jr. stable; and Burke trainee Racing Rebel.
The Carl Milstein Memorial program will have several great wagering opportunities, including a $25,000 estimated Pick-4 pool beginning in Race 9, a $10,000 estimated Pick-4 beginning in Race 12 and a $10,000 estimated Super High-5 in Race 13.
Lady Luck’s Clubhouse will be open on Saturday and will offer a buffet for $27.95 USD. Reservations can be made by calling 330-467-4101.
Post time on Saturday is 6 p.m.
(With files from Northfield Park)