Hollywood Dayton: Obrigado victorious in Dayton Trotting Derby

Second choice Obrigado and driver Mark MacDonald captured the $160,000 Dayton Trotting Derby at Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway on Friday night in a 1:53 2/5 mile over a track rated "good."

Obrigado and MacDonald were alert from the gate, getting the top quickly before yielding to Homicide Hunter in a 26 3/5 opening quarter. Homicide Hunter cut the pace under rating, hitting the half in 56 2/5 and three-quarters in 1:24 2/5 but by the last turn, with Wind Of The North threatening on the outside, MacDonald was able to angle from the pocket and into the stretch rallied wide and exploded off that cover to an easy score.

Obrigado returned $5.40 in winning for the sixth time in 14 starts this season.

Trainer Paul Kelley, who co-owns Obrigado along with SRF Stable, L. Higgins and Stable 45, perhaps had more angst getting to Dayton on Friday than he did during the race.

We got stuck in traffic coming through Cincinnati, and that pushed my blood pressure pretty high," said Kelley after the race discussing the ship in from Lexington.

"He's a horse that just never lets us down," said Kelley,

Centurion ATM made it up the inside for second with Wind Of The North third in the mile. Favored Shake It Cerry left well enough to get a trip tracking the winner but in the homestretch lacked her normal kick.