Northfield: Bythemissal headlines Saturday's Milstein Memorial

This year's Adios victor Bythemissal has been named the 7-5 morning-line favorite in Saturday's (August 13) $300,000 Carl Milstein Memorial at MGM Northfield Park. The Buckeye-bred headlines an accomplished group of nine 3-year-old pacers in Northfield Park's premier event.

The Milstein, a race by invitation only, is slated as race 10 on an impressive 16-race program with purses more than $700,000. First-race post time is 6PM.

A son of Downbytheseaside (winner of the 2017 Milstein), Bythemissal would make consecutive years that an Ohio-bred was victorious against open company in this event. Charlie May won the Milstein last year and will race as the prohibitive favorite in the $100,000 President's Pace, a race for older Ohio-sired pacers (by invitation only) on the undercard.

Bythemissal has won seven of eight career races and enters off scores in the $350,000 Adios at The Meadows and $65,000 Ohio State Fair at Scioto Downs. The Ron Burke trainee has banked $285,250 in purses throughout his young career and drew post five in Saturday's main event for owners Burke Racing Stable, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Bythemissal's regular pilot Chris Page will drive.

Night Hawk drew the rail and is the 4-1 second choice. He has won three of nine races this year and just finished third in the $258,300 Cane Pace at The Meadowlands. The 3-year-old has finished in-the-money seven times this year and owns a 1:48 4/5 career mark set at Pocono Downs winning his division of the $46,386 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes. Night Hawk has earned $193,653 this year for owners Leeman Lombardo Stable, Joe Sbrocco, In The Gym Partners and Acadia Farms. He is trained at the historic Delaware County Fairgrounds by Brian Brown, who called upon David Miller to drive.

JK Victory, winner of this year's $70,000 Hoosier Cup, drew post four and is the 9-2 third choice. JK Victory has been first or second in each of his seven starts this year and has earned $134,750. This is the second entry for Ron Burke, harness racing's all-time leading trainer, who conditions the horse for 3 Brothers Stables and Caviart Farms. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. will drive.

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Delaware standout Heinikin Bythebay (Tim Tetrick, 10-1), Indiana heavy-hitters Soaring Now (Joey Putnam, 8-1) and Ponda Warrior (Jimmy Whittemore 20-1), New York standouts Pleaseletmeknow (Matt Kakaley, 6-1) and Layton Hanover (Chris Lems, 15-1) and exceptional Canadian Sport Secret (Douglas Mcnair, 12-1) are also slated starters in the impressive field.

The complete field is as follows:

HN HORSE DRIVER TRAINER M/L

1 Night Hawk David Miller Brian Brown 4-1

2 Heinikin Bythebay Tim Tetrick Kevin Switzer 10-1

3 Soaring Now Joey Putman Aaron Stutzman 8-1

4 JK Victory Ronnie Wrenn Jr Ron Burke 9-2

5 Bythemissal Chris Page Ron Burke 7-5

6 Ponda Warrior Jimmy Whittemore Jay Hochstetler 20-1

7 Pleaseletmeknow Matt Kakaley Travis Alexander 6-1

8 Layton Hanover Chris Lems Travis Alexander 15-1

9 Sport Secret Douglas McNair Gregg McNair 12-1

The race is named in honor of Carl Milstein, who owned Northfield Park from 1984 until his death in 1999. Brock Milstein and the Milstein family operated Northfield Park until July 2018, when MGM Growth Properties purchased the racetrack from Milstein Entertainment, LLC.

The 16-race program includes the $100,000 Myron Charna President's Pace, a race for older Ohio-sired pacers (by invitation only), the $100,000 Tom Aldrich President's Trot, a race for older Ohio-sired trotters (by invitation only) and two $55,000 divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

Saturday's wagering menu includes a $20,000 guaranteed all-stakes $1.00 Pick 5 (Race 6), a $15,000 guaranteed $1.00 Late Pick 4 (Race 11) and a $15,000 guaranteed 20-cent Super High-5 (Race 13). All guaranteed wagers are in conjunction with the USTA's Strategic Wagering Program.

-edited release (Ayers Ratliff for Northfield)