You could say trainer Chris Oakes is on the “Hunt” for a green October. The trainer of Homicide Hunter, last week’s upset winner in the Centaur Trot at Hoosier Park, hopes for positive results on Friday in the $160,000 Dayton Trotting Classic. “He’s been invited to the $250,000 Invitational at Yonkers,” said Oakes. “We’ll see what happens, maybe he can get into the International.” There is one spot left of the 10 that will go in the October 14 $1 million Yonkers International Trot and Homicide Hunter, a track record holder at Yonkers and a horse that has consistently gone the mile and a quarter distance with little issue, could be a perfect fit in the global spectacle. “He’s been great around that track and the added distance doesn’t bother him at all,” said Oakes. First things first and that means September, as Homicide Hunter again finds himself on the outside looking in for the Dayton Trotting Derby. “If you’ll notice he’s drawn outside in almost every big race this year,” said Oakes, lamenting the starting position but hardly giving up hope. “I was surprised when he beat Hannelore Hanover last week. She’s a great horse,” said Oakes. The two will pair off again on Friday and both will have to start from the outside with Hannelore Hanover landing post seven and Homicide Hunter post eight. The Dayton Derby is race 10 on the Dayton program and it has all the elements of a great race, with speedster JL Cruze drawing the pole position and the imported mare Pasithea Face S starting from post four. JL Cruze was the pacemaker in the Centaur and finished fifth, but the veteran of these trotting wars has had much success over the five-eighths mile tracks in the past. Pasithea Face S is also scheduled for the $250,000 Invitational at Yonkers and she enters the Dayton Derby off a solid third-place finish, albeit at a distance behind Hannelore Hanover in the Maple Leaf Trot. Yannick Gingras will be in Lexington on Friday for Grand Circuit action leaving Matt Kakaley to guide Hannelore Hanover. “She’s been very sharp,” said Gingras. “She went a big trip out at Hoosier and was strong in the Maple Leaf.” The Dayton Derby field is rounded out by Musical Rhythm (post 2), Warrawee Roo (post 3), Centurion ATM (post 5) and Crazy Wow (post 6). Co-featured on the card is the $140,000 Dayton Pacing Derby and trainer Oakes is well represented with Luck Be Withyou in this division. The veteran speedster landed the pole position among nine and Oakes sees the race going one way. “He’ll be on the front end,” Oakes said, declaring intentions that appear to fit the horse perfectly. “In the Ewart (Scioto Downs) he gave up the lead to Mel Mara and then Mel Mara stopped and he choked down. We had to re-qualify him. He’s a horse that can leave the gate faster than the starting car.” Of the nine top aged pacers in the Pacing Derby, Luck Be Withyou has the fewest number of starts this season. “That’s by design. He’s a little older now and I’ve been trying to find spots for him,” said Oakes. Brett Miller will drive Luck Be Withyou on Friday. The last time the driver and horse were paired, Luck Be Withyou scorched the Saratoga Harness half-mile track in 1:49 2/5 in September. Mcwicked, the winner in the contested Ewart at Scioto, returns to the five-eighths mile track after a disappointing effort at Hoosier last week. A winner of $2.1 million lifetime, Mcwicked drew post four in race 12 of 14 slated for Dayton on Friday night, with a first post of 6:15 p.m. Early season star Missile J appears on the comeback trail for trainer Scott DiDomenico. The 4-year-old went a big mile finishing second behind All Bets Off in the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby last Friday. Missile J will start from post five in Friday’s race. Rounding out the field for the Dayton Pacing Derby is from the inside out: Easy Lover Hanover, Dealt A Winner, Rockin Ron, Boston Red Rocks, Check Six and Mach It So.