Dayton: Fields drawn for Ohio Championships, Dayton Derby races

The biggest day in Ohio's racing history is quickly approaching. On Saturday (Oct. 1) Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway will boast the Buckeye State's richest card with $3.4 million in purses for eight Ohio Sires Stakes Championship finals and four Dayton Derby Grand Circuit events. First post is 6:30PM.

The $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championships will take the stage first. Four horses will make their last dash to earn the elusive Ohio Triple Crown title. After winning the Ohio State Fair at Eldorado Scioto Downs and Ohio Breeders Championship at the Delaware County Fair, Fear Of Sports, Rose Run Yolanda, Racing Rampage and Gabbys C Note will eye the crown in their respective divisions.

The recent 2022 Little Brown Jug winner Bythemissal will also try to claim the OSS Championship in race 11. Driven by Chris Page, the Downbytheseaside gelding will leave from post two. Despite being lightly raced his freshman year, Bythemissal has bankrolled over $830,000 in lifetime earnings in just 13 starts. The Ron Burke trainee will look toward four in-a-row with the OSS victory.

A quartet of $250,000 Grand Circuit events will round out the top-notch program. The nation's top performers will meet in the Dayton Oaks Derby for older trotting mares, the Dayton Trotting Derby for older horses and geldings, the Dayton Distaff for older pacing mares, and the Dayton Derby for older horse and gelding pacers.

To no one's surprise, Bulldog Hanover will highlight the card in the Dayton Derby from post eight. The start at Hollywood Dayton will be a test to the 4-year-old pacer's ability as he visits a smaller 5/8ths track from an outside post. Bulldog Hanover has sat as the unanimous No. 1 choice in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll for two weeks straight for trainer Jack Darling.

Following will be the complete Dayton Derby draws. Horses will be given in post order with listed driver and trainer.

Race #8 -- Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway $250,000 Dayton Oaks Derby Grand Circuit Stake

1. Refined (Mitchell Cushing/Virgil Morgan Jr)
2. Ghostintheshell S (Ake Svanstedt/Ake Svanstedt)
3. When Dovescry (David Miller/Brett Pelling)
4. Atlanta (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
5. Herculisa (Brett Miller/Virgil Morgan Jr)
6. Weslynn Quest (Ronnie Wrenn Jr/Per Engblom)
7. Impulse Buy (Aaron Merriman/Bill Rhoades)
8. Sorella (Dexter Dunn/Nancy Takter)
9. Bella Bellini (Dexter Dunn/R. Nifty Norman)

Race #9 -- Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway $250,000 Dayton Trotting Derby Grand Circuit Stake

1. Winning Ticket (Todd McCarthy/Chris Beaver)
2. Balenciaga (Todd McCarthy/Paul Kelly)
3. Lovedbythemasses (Tim Tetrick/Jeff Cullipher)
4. Rattle My Cage (Ake Svanstedt/Ake Svanstedt)
5. Jujubee (Andrew McCarthy/Greg Wright Jr)
6. Back Of The Neck (Tim Tetrick/Ake Svanstedt)
7. It's Academic (David Miller/Ron Burke)
8. Amigo Volo (Dexter Dunn/R. Nifty Norman)
9. Kildare King (Aaron Merriman/Chris Beaver)

Race #10 -- Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway $250,000 Dayton Distaff Derby Grand Circuit Stake

1. Rockin Nola (Joey Putnam/Joe Putnam)
2. Kobe's Gigi (TBA/Melissa Essig)
3. Test Of Faith (David Miller/Brett Pelling)
4. Chase Lounge (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
5. Amazing Dream N (Yannick Gingras/Linda Toscano)
6. No Win No Feed A (Trace Tetrick/Erv Miller)
7. Fire Start Hanover (Dexter Dunn/R. Nifty Norman)
8. Gia's Surreal (Aaron Merriman/Jim Graham)

Race #12 -- Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway $250,000 Dayton Derby Grand Circuit Stake

1. Sandbetweenmytoes (Trevor Smith/Todd Luther)
2. Chase H Hanover (Mitchell Cushing/Virgil Morgan Jr)
3. American Courage (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)
4. This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
5. Workin Ona Mystery (David Miller/Ron Burke)
6. Catch The Fire (Andrew McCarthy/Todd Luther)
7. Allywag Hanover (Todd McCarthy/Brett Pelling)
8. Bulldog Hanover (Dexter Dunn/Jack Darling)
9. Charlie May (Brett Miller/Steve Carter)

-edited release (OHHA)