Driver Tyler Smith stole the show at Hollywood Dayton on Saturday (Dec. 26) by winning both co-feature events, the $18,400 Open Handicap for male pacers and the $17,800 sister event for the best distaff pacers in the region.
Despite a 41-day layoff, Smith hustled Stars Align A to an early lead in the boys event before allowing GD Western Joe to clear to the front just steps before a :26.3 first quarter. The winning 7-year-old son of Art Major enjoyed a pocket ride through middle fractions of :55.1 and 1:22.4, then swung to the outside coming off the final bend. Despite a quick :27.4 closing quarter, Stars Align A managed to collar GD Western Joe in deep stretch for his 10th win on the season and his 34th from 91 races ovearll. Havefaithinme N finished a creditable third in the 1:50.3 mile.
GD Western Joe was a repeat winner in the Saturday (Dec. 19) $17,800 Open Pace at Hollywood Dayton Raceway.
It was the eighth seasonal victory for the five-year-old son of Real Desire as well as the fourth win on the program for Page. A race later, Page revisited the winner s circle to give him five wins in the first 10 races.
Despite being handicapped to the outside of the field, GD Western Joe was able to dictate the race to his foes by stepping to the front just an eighth of a mile into the fray and never needing to look back. It is not often nowadays that you see a quicker back half than front half at Ohio s commercial tracks, but that was the case in this featured event fractions were :27, :56, 1:23 and the mile was clocked in 1:51.
Conrad Photo
DAYTON, OH. - In a thrilling race that wasn t decided until the final strides, Checks On The Way (Trace Tetrick) topped Sugar Dance (Brett Miller) in the featured harness racing $16,700 Open Mares Pace at Hollywood Dayton Raceway on Friday (Dec. 18).
The winning 5-year-old daughter of
Believeinbruiser, who eclipsed the $100,000 seasonal earnings plateau, settled in third during the opening :27 quarter, then launched a first-over attack before the :55.3 midway point in the race.
Although Checks On The Way inched closer before the third quarter beam was tripped in 1:22.3, it wasn t until the stretch was reached that she stuck her head in front. Sugar Dance, foraying into Open company for the first time, dug down deep throughout the stretch duel and the outcome wasn t obvious until the final second of the 1:51.2 battle.
In a thrilling race that wasn t decided until the final strides, Checks On The Way topped Sugar Dance in the featured $16,700 Open Mares Pace at Hollywood Dayton Raceway on Friday (December 18).
The winning five-year-old daughter of Believeinbruiser, who eclipsed the $100,000 seasonal earnings plateau, settled in third during the opening :27 quarter, then launched a first-over attack before the :55.3 midway point in the race. Although Checks On The Way (Trace Tetrick) inched closer before the third quarter beam was tripped in 1:22.3, it wasn t until the stretch was reached that she stuck her head in front. Sugar Dance (Brett Miller), foraying into Open company for the first time, dug down deep throughout the stretch duel and the outcome wasn t obvious until the final second of the 1:51.2 battle.
Pass The Vape pulled a mild upset in Hollywood Dayton s $18,400 Open Trot on Thursday, dashing through the snowflakes for a 1:55 triumph over favoured Ladys Dude, who finished a length behind.
Sutton rushed even-money favourite Ladys Dude (Josh Sutton) to the lead quickly with strong second choice Pass The Vape (Trevor Smith) finding the pocket. The two heavyweight trotters remained one-two through the first half of the mile, clocked in a moderate :57.4. It wasn t until near the third timing station that Pass The Vape was flushed from the pocket when an outer tier lead by Its A Herbie (LeWayne Miller) began to form. Pass The Vape was lapped on the front-runner when the third beam was tripped in 1:26.3, then overtook his main adversary during the :28.2 closing panel.