Northfield: Burke holds top pair in $300,000 Milstein Memorial

The $300,000 Grade 2 Carl Milstein Memorial, set to go postward on Saturday night at Northfield Park, brings together sophomore pacers from regional programs throughout North America for the first time this summer, with nine set to do battle.

The sport's leading trainer Ron Burke will likely send out the favorite in Melillo, a Pennsylvania-sired homebred that is more than battle-tested in a series of Grade 1 events this year. Burke also has a relatively new horse in Aces And Cinches that will meet mixed company for the first time in the Milstein.

"He's a brother to Sabonis," said Burke describing Aces And Cinches, a son of Odds On Equuleus bred in Indiana. "We picked him up about five weeks ago, and he's just been getting better and better with each start."

Aces And Cinches went winless in nine starts as a freshman and had only one win when Burke's connections took over in mid-June. Since that time Aces And Cinches has captured a pair of Indiana Sire Stakes events, including a 1:48 1/5 career-best effort on July 3 at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

Yannick Gingras will pick up the driving assignment behind Aces And Cinches for the first time as the colt not only makes his half-mile track debut but must start from post nine in the second tier.

"I'm going to warm him up myself," said Burke. "I'm pretty sure he'll have no problem since I know he's trained on a half-miler in the past."

As for the potential disadvantage of starting from the second-tier, Burke said: "This is a very competitive field. You have those two on the outside (Borderline Mobby and Redland Rocket Man) that are going to be moving early. There's going to be plenty of pace."

As for Melillo, already a $271K winner this year with brilliant performances in the Adios and Meadowlands Pace, "He's been great all year long," said Burke. "He came out of the Adios in good shape and I expect him to race well again."

Melillo drew post two with regular pilot Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the bike.

"I think it's a big advantage having Ronnie behind him over his home track," said Burke.

► Get FREE PPs, analysis and watch the Northfield races LIVE!

Trainer David Menary will send out Borderline Mobby (post six) in the Milstein. The Ontario-bred comes off a huge effort in an Ontario Sire Stakes Gold division at Grand River on August 3.

"He was first-over for a long way in that race and didn't give an inch," said Menary of the second-place finish behind another Milstein entrant in Redland Rocket Man.

Menary is confident Borderline Mobby will be able to handle the track with leading driver Dan Noble in the bike. "He got around the five-eighths at Grand River well," said Menary. "He's the fastest 3-year-old in Canada this year."

Borderline Mobby has finished first or second in eight of his 10 starts as a sophomore, including his 1:48 1/5 score at Woodbine Mohawk Park on June 20.

Redland Rocket Man had gone winless in eight starts this season before his signature-race win on August 3 at Grand River. The Bulldog Hanover-sired colt trained by John Pentland perhaps put in one of the biggest miles any 3-year-old pacing colt has had in 2026. He jetted to the front in 25 4/5 that afternoon and did not stop while first encountering heavy pressure from the 2025 Horse of the Year Beau Jangles in a sizzling 52 3/5 opening-half clocking. Borderline Mobby picked up the chase the rest of the way, and the two matched strides, hitting three-quarters in 1:20 1/5 and pacing out the mile in 28 1/5, with Redland Rocket Man earning the 1:48 2/5 track record mile.

The Tony Alagna-trained Myboypank is one of three Ohio-breds in the field. A gelded son of Catch The Fire, Myboypank is riding a three-race win streak, including a victory in the Ohio State Fair Stakes at Scioto Downs on August 1 where he wired the field in a 1:50 3/5 mile. Myboypank starts from post five.

Trainer Erv Miller will be sending out another son of Catch The Fire in Fire Run (post one), with the gelding returning in just six days after competing in the contentious Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship division on August 9 at The Red Mile. The dual-eligible Fire Run finished second behind Myboypank in his prior start.

Tsunami Seas (post eight) has been first or second in seven of his eight starts this year racing within Ohio and finished second in an Ohio Sire Stakes over the Northfield surface on July 6 for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr.

C Millertimeagain has shown plenty of ability racing in the Delaware Sire Stakes program this year, with four of his five wins coming over Harrington Raceway's half-mile oval. Corey Callahan will make a rare trip to Ohio to drive for trainer Molly Gara from post four

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Ballroom Affair has been racing below the top level in Pennsylvania for trainer Joe Bongiorno this year and has managed five wins in six appearances as a sophomore. The son of Papi Rob Hanover toured the Yonkers half-mile track on August 3 in preparation for the Milstein. Ballroom Affair landed post three.

The Milstein is the highlight on the Northfield program going as race 12. One race earlier, a solid field of Ohio-Sired pacers clash in the $100,000 Myron Charna President's Pace, with Burke sending out a pair in Rick Wink (post seven) and Swingtown (post eight) in the field of nine.

Swingtown returns to Ohio following a series of races at the Meadowlands, most recently finishing fifth in the Sam McKee on Hambletonian Day. The son of Downbytheseaside has career earnings of $1.1 million.

Rick Wink needed some time to freshen up, and Burke expects him to put forth a big effort in his first race since July 18.

The 8-year-old Charlie May adds a big-name performer to the Charna field, with the now 8-year-old son of McArdle starting from post nine in the second tier following a solid victory over the Northfield surface on August 9.

First post is 6:00 p.m. (EDT) for Northfield's 15-race card on Saturday night.