Yonkers International and Maple Leaf Trot champion Lexus Kody hopes to continue his winning ways on Saturday with Hall of Fame driver Yannick Gingras set to guide the sport's leading open trotter in the $250,000 Dayton Trotting Derby. The Dayton Raceway program features four major events for Open trotters and pacers, as well as the rich Ohio Sire Stakes finals for 2- and 3-year-olds of both gaits and sexes. For Lexus Kody, an altered son of Archangel, 2025 has been a breakout season with the 7-year-old trotting to the fastest mile in Canadian history, a 1:49 1/5 effort in the Maple Leaf Trot. He'll be looking to increase his yearly earnings above $1 million in the Dayton Derby. "He's always been a fast horse," said Gingras about his mount on Saturday. "It was just about taking the next step and not making breaks for no reason." Lately it's been Lexus Kody winning in all ways possible and Gingras being the engineer in the sulky. The Maple Leaf and International saw him dominate on the front-end, and then last week in the Caesars Trotting Classic at Hoosier Park, Lexus Kody attacked without cover and earned another major victory, despite ending up in a dead-heat with Periculum. "They (Burke stable) took their time with him and waited for him to mature," said Gingras. "They figured it would come this year, and that's why they made him eligible to these races. "Now, you can sit in a hole with him or come first-over. In the past you had to go to the front with him," Gingras said about how Lexus Kody has turned the corner this year. On Saturday, Lexus Kody landed the pole position in the field of nine with trainer Marcus Melander keeping Periculum out of the race and instead sending both Aetos Kronos S (post two) and Security Protected (post three) to compete in the Dayton Derby. The field has some other solid players, including Charlie Hill Memorial winner Hillexotic (post five) and Logan Park (post six). Up Your Deo, the recent winner of the Robert Miecuna Trot at Yonkers Raceway on International Trot Day (September 13), drew post eight for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt. On the pacing side, the post worked quite differently with Bythemissal, landing the nine-hole in the $250,000 Dayton Pacing Derby. A $2.5 million career earner, Bythemissal has been brilliant on occasion this year but at times hard to figure. In last week's Hoosier Park Pacing Derby (September 19) he finished eighth. "He was a little lazy leaving the gate," said Gingras. "He was stuck behind dull cover." Back in August, Bythemissal won in 1:46 4/5 in an elimination for the Canadian Pacing Derby but a week later had difficulty clearing pace-setter Ervin Hanover in the final and faded. "Louis Roy (driver of Ervin Hanover) was trying to let me go but he couldn't clear," Gingras said of the Canadian Pacing Derby final. In addition to the difficult outside draw, Bythemissal will also have to contend with Canadian Pacing Derby and Hoosier Park Pacing Derby champion Maximus Miki (post three), as well as the red-hot Captain Albano (post two), a recent winner in the Aria Invitational at Yonkers. Then there will be Ervin Hanover (post four) shipping over in super form for trainer Dave Menary. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter "He's undefeated on five-eighths mile tracks this year," said Menary half-jokingly about the 5-year-old son of Captaintreacherous during his biggest year on the racetrack. Ervin Hanover has won seven of his 13 starts this year, and Menary thinks the best may be yet to come. "He was vicious last year at the end of the season, pacing miles in 47 and change when the weather got colder," said Menary. A winner the last time he raced in Ohio on September 6 in the Ewart Memorial at Scioto Downs, Ervin Hanover hopes to reverse the decision that saw him lose a photo to Maximus Miki in the prestigious Canadian Pacing Derby. "That was a tough one," said Menary of the loss. "He was on go from the start and never had a breather and then to get beat a head. If you had asked me before the year, I would have been ecstatic with a second in the Canadian Pacing Derby but going in there at 8-5, it stings." Menary is hoping for a decent check in the Dayton Distaff Derby (race nine). Also going for $250,000, Menary sends out Talk Curdy To Me (post three) in the field of nine. "I'm really happy with her. She came back to me (two starts ago) in great condition, and she was solid finishing second behind Sylvia Hanover last week," Menary said of the effort on September 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. "She always gives her best and hopefully she can follow Twin B Joe Fresh and Sylvia Hanover home." Twin B Joe Fresh (post four) meets archrival Sylvia Hanover (post eight) in the Dayton Distaff. Gingras has one of the favorites in the $250,000 Dayton Oaks Derby for open trotting mares with M-M's Dream (post three) facing a solid field of nine. "She's been great when we're able to race her without shoes," said Gingras of the 6-year-old by Swan For All that enters the Dayton Oaks following a victory at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in the $95,000 Miss Versatility final where she raced shoeless. "It's a tough call; you have to have the right conditions to take the shoes off," said Gingras, noting that it's not something you can do every week. M-M's Dream drew inside her main rivals, with Call Me Goo (post seven), Bravo Angel S (post eight) and Elista Hanover (post nine) all compromised to some degree in the Dayton Oaks. In addition to the Dayton Derbys, Gingras has a great shot in the $400,000 Ohio Sire Stakes final for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, with Sippinonsearoc hoping to complete the Kentucky and Ohio Championship sweep in the process. "Outside of Louprint I wouldn't trade him for any other 3-year-old," said Gingras with high praise for the son of Downbytheseaside. A winner of five straight races, the last time Sippinonsearoc was defeated came in this year's Adios. "I really thought he had a great chance to win that day and he just came up short," said Gingras of the fourth-place finish behind Prince Hal Hanover. Sippinonsearoc is one of five finalists hailing from the Ron Burke stable in the richest sire stakes final of the eight programmed at Dayton. "I was surprised to see we were going for $400,000," said Gingras, "It turns out if there is no consolation they add that purse money to the final. I'm not complaining." With the likely post-time favorite, that makes sense. The 14-race all-stakes card at Dayton gets underway at 6:30 P.M. (EDT).