Drivers Josh Sutton and Randy Tharps each got "one for the thumb" late on the Saturday night (September 26) program at Hollywood Dayton Raceway, scoring five victories apiece.
Based on Sutton's pari-mutuel payoffs, the defending driving champion's hot evening wasn't all that unexpected. Patrons who bet $2 on each of Sutton's five winners profited by $15 while Tharps' $2 backers reaped a $66 profit for their $10 in $2 win wagers.
Sutton started his evening off with a bang, winning the first race with Killean Cut Kid (1:51.4, $4.80). He followed that up with victories in the third behind Hobbys Hobbit (1:54, $4.40), fifth with Avalance Hanover (1:51.1, $6.80), eighth with Fudge (1:52.3) and 11th with Dress The Part (1:51.3, $4.20).
Tharps' big night didn't warm up until the fourth when R O I (1:52, $24.00) got his first win. Friskies Cheapsuit (1:53, $12.40) captured the sixth, Kaffir Kemp (1:56, $19.40) trotted home a winner for Tharps in the ninth, Harnessnitencanada (1:53.3, $7.60 copped the 10th, and Rocknroll Special (1:53.4, $12.60) capped Tharps' big night in the 13th. Tharps is the winningest African-American harness driver in history with 4,942 triumphs good for over $22 million in purse earnings.
Neither Sutton or Tharps sped the fastest mile of the night, however. That honour belonged to driver Chris Page, who captured the $12,000 Open Pace in 1:50.4 with Dedis Dragon. It was the second straight Open class victory for the five-year-old son of Dragon Again, who is owned by John E. McGill, Brian K. Carsey and the JL Benson Stables Inc., and trained by Walter Haynes Jr.
Hollywood Dayton Raceway reminds trainers of nominees to the $135,000 Dayton Pacing Derby and the $135,000 Dayton Trotting Derby, to be raced this coming Friday night, October 2, that the entry box closes at 2:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon for Friday, including these two lucrative Grand Circuit stakes.
(Dayton Raceway)