Hollywood Dayton Raceway will proudly present the fourth annual Dayton Trotting and Pacing Derbies this Friday night (September 29). The 17 horses entered in the track’s signature events have combined earnings of $19.6-million and 347 wins, including most of the major stakes throughout North America.
Hannelore Hanover has been tabbed as the 2-1 morning line favourite in the $167,000 Dayton Trotting Derby, despite having drawn the seven-hole for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Ron Burke. The five-year-old mare (one of two in the field) has earned over $2 million and recently beat her male counterparts in the Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk Racetrack. Homicide Hunter (Brett Miller) is the 3-1 second choice, despite being saddled with the outside Post 8, on the merits of a track record 1:51.2 score in the Centaur Trot at Hoosier Park in Indiana last Friday. JL Cruze (David Miller) has been installed as the third choice on the morning line (9-2 odds) from the coveted Post 1.
Completing the talented trotting field will be Musical Rhythm (Jason Brewer), Warrawee Roo (Daniel Dube), Pasithea Face S (Tim Tetrick), Centurion ATM (Aaron Merriman) and Crazy Wow (Chris Page).
McWicked (David Miller) has been named the lukewarm early favourite in the $140,000 Dayton Pacing Derby. The $2 million winner, conditioned by Casie Coleman, scored an impressive victory in Scioto Downs’ Jim Ewart Memorial earlier this month. Rockin Ron (Matt Kakaley) will open at 3-1 as the fastest record horse in the field — a 1:47.2 triumph in an elimination of the Canadian Pacing Derby in late August. Check Six (Chris Page) and Missile J (Tim Tetrick) will also get support at the betting windows. They have been installed as 4-1 and 9-2 choices on the morning line, respectively.
Other competitors in the pacing feature will be Luck Be Withyou (Brett Miller), Easy Lover Hanover (Doug McNair), Dealt A Winner (Aaron Merriman), Boston Red Rocks (Brett Miller also listed) and Mach It So (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.)
Final driver changes are due by noon on Tuesday (Sept. 26).
Post time for the 14-race program on Friday is 6:15 p.m. The Dayton Trotting Derby will be Race 10 with an estimated 9:30 p.m. post time; while the Dayton Pacing Derby will be two races later at approximately 10:15 p.m.
$167,000 Dayton Trotting Derby
(Post – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer)
1 – JL Cruze – David Miller – Eric Ell
2 – Musical Rhythm – Jason Brewer – Ben Baillargeon
3 – Warrawee Roo – Dan Dube – Luc Blais
4 – Pasithea Face S – Tim Tetrick – Jimmy Takter
5 – Centurion ATM – Aaron Merriman – Ake Svanstedt
6 – Crazy Wow – Matt Kakaley – Ron Burke
7 – Hannelore Hanover – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke
8 – Homicide Hunter – Brett Miller – Chris Oakes
$140,000 Dayton Pacing Derby
(Post – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer)
1 – Luck Be Withyou – Brett Miller – Chris Oakes
2 – Easy Lover Hanover – Doug McNair – Ben Wallace
3 – Dealt A Winner – Aaron Merriman – Mark Silva
4 – McWicked – David Miller – Casie Coleman
5 – Missile J – Tim Tetrick – Scott DiDomenico
6 – Rockin Ron – Matt Kakaley – Ron Burke
7 – Boston Red Rocks – Brett Miller – Steve Elliott
8 – Check Six – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke
9 – Mach It So – Ron Wrenn Jr. – Jeff Bamond Jr.
AE1 – Manhattan Beach – Sam Widger – Walter Haynes Jr.
(Hollywood Dayton Raceway)