In what shapes up as perhaps the best Battle of Lake Erie ever for the wagering public, MGM Northfield Park's prime invitational event on the calendar for older pacers in 2025 has all the players and intrigue that money can buy. Put $200,000 on the table and four turns are not the obstacle once thought. Bring nine horses with eight on the gate and add that extra element of the second tier, and half-mile track handicappers experienced in looking for line-up numbers are suddenly finding the likelihood that the "simple math" won't apply, at least on this occasion. The big names are there, and the half-mile track talent is apparent. As always on a half-mile track, post position is a factor, but what's different about this edition of the Battle is the ample speed in the middle and to the end of the starting gate that would make it somewhat suicidal for a horse like Dunkin' to park the field and live to talk about it. For starters, let's look at the horses from the rail out to assess their current condition and overall chances. Dunkin' drew the rail and that gives him a shot to be in the mix heading into the homestretch. Extremely well-suited for the half-mile track, Dunkin' made the transition from an Ohio Fair horse to an incredible player on the biggest stages that culminated last year in a victory in the Dan Patch at Harrah's Hoosier Park where he beat future Breeders Crown champion Coach Stefanos at hefty 20-1 odds. Dunkin' enters the Battle this year with a consistent record, if not imposing numbers. That said, Dunkin' was closing faster in the Auger Memorial on May 25 than any other horse in that prestigious event. Just a length off race winner Bythemissal at the finish, Dunkin' had more pace than Borgata final champion Mossdale Ben N, one of the likely top choices in Saturday's field. Seven Colors drew post two, and it can't be lost on the Northfield faithful the epic performance he put in as a sophomore while capturing the Milstein in 2023, pacing over the slick half-mile strip in a blistering 1:48 1/5 that August. As epic a performance as that first start for the Andrew Harris stable may have been, it remains on his record as his fastest career performance. Though he did bank $324K in 2024, Seven Colors lacked the kind of consistency that made him a leading sophomore the year before. Trainer Harris suggested the 5-year-old version would be easier to drive and more versatile when we spoke earlier this year. Seven Colors did track Battle starter Desperate Man in the #Senditin invite at Harrah's Philadelphia on May 25 and was a solid second. Ken Hanover (post three) has form similar in some ways to Seven Colors. One of the better sophomores in 2023, Ken Hanover raced just a dozen times last year and only won on one occasion. He's already doubled that number this year and put in a powerhouse performance, albeit against horses not at this level, in his 1:48 3/5 score at Harrah's Philadelphia on May 25. Ken Hanover has not raced that often over a half-mile track, but he did win a heat of the Little Brown Jug in 2023 if that's a concern. Desperate Man (post four) is one of three horses in the field that returns after competing in last year's Battle of Lake Erie. Starting from the second tier in 2024, Desperate Man made a break in stride but recovered magnificently, finishing third in monumental fashion. This year he also made a break at the most inopportune time, squandering his chances in the rich Borgata final at Yonkers on May 9. Fortunately for trainer Travis Alexander, Desperate Man has bounced back from defeat with a pair of inspiring wins over the five-eighths-mile tracks in Pennsylvania. The couple of easy front-end scores should have him prepped nicely for Saturday's contest. Trainer Peter Tritton insisted when we spoke on Tuesday (June 3) that his Borgata champion Mossdale Ben N (post five) has plenty of gate speed. That said, driver Jordan Stratton has not shown the concern to leave the gate, and it's hard to fault him given the obvious results. Since arriving stateside Mossdale Ben N has raced from off-the-pace almost exclusively over the half-miler at Yonkers and has won eight of his 10 starts going four turns. Stratton kept the strategy the same in the Auger Memorial, and that left his horse compromised but undeterred as he finished powerfully in the homestretch despite the overland journey and quick final-half. "If he's surprised me at all," said Tritton of Mossdale Ben N, "It's that he's a much better horse than I thought he was going to be." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Bythemissal (post six) didn't make the Battle as a 4-year-old in 2023. He did return to Northfield, the site of an epic Milstein victory in 2022, with a signature performance in the $100,000 Myron Charna that year, overcoming post eight and winning by open lengths in 1:48 2/5. A winner of 29 races and $2.4 million during his career, Bythemissal comes into this year's edition riding a two-race win streak that includes the Auger Memorial in 1:49. The now 6-year-old son of Downbytheseaside has always had early speed, something vital to his chances on Saturday. Chase H Hanover (post seven) is in the midst of an incredible season for trainer Cory Stratton, and though he draws poorly here, has shown the capacity to get to the front. In the Camluck Classic he showed the ability to leave and was still grinding it out to the finish. Whether he can clear rivals here remains to be seen. Little Rocket Man (post eight) was last year's come-from-behind upset winner, and that's likely the path he'll need to take this year with the presence of more obstacles to his inside. There's still plenty to love about this gritty veteran winner of over $1.77 million that has somehow won 72 of his 124 career starts. While racing mostly on the seven-eighths track at Harrah's Hoosier Park and sometimes five-eighths-milers in Ohio, Little Rocket Man has no quit in him, and thus can't be counted out regardless of post or potential bad trips. Helium N (post nine) is another New Zealand-bred like Mossdale Ben N that has arrived and quickly gained a winning reputation. With four wins in five North American starts to date (one by DQ), the 6-year-old has gone faster in each race, with his 1:48 2/5 mile at Scioto on May 31 his fastest ever. No doubt Saturday's field will be the toughest he's ever faced, and with the second tier draw his trip is likely to be decided by others and not driver Dan Noble. From a handicapping perspective, the Battle of Lake Erie's dynamic will have much to do with Desperate Man's ability in the first eighth of a mile. Unlike many trips at Yonkers, Desperate Man seemed much more focused getting out of the gate in his last two races. Driver Matt Kakaley is either going to get out ahead of Bythemissal with Desperate Man or likely suffer the consequences of racing parked much of the way. While Bythemissal looked a lot like his old self winning the Auger Memorial, he was able to get a very sensible second quarter breather that kept enough in reserve to shut down the competition. Should any other horse inside of him other than Desperate Man be on the lead, Bytheimssal will have no trouble controlling this race. Dunkin' clearly has enough speed to protect his position and if lucky enough may find himself in the pocket. The only way Mossdale Ben N can benefit from his closing kick in this race would be if Desperate Man and Bythemissal duel the first three-quarters of a mile. It's not totally impossible given the short stretch that neither of the top two contenders may want to yield for a pocket trip. For me it looks like Desperate Man to avenge last year's disappointment in the 2025 Battle of Lake Erie.