Northfield: McCarthy ready for Milstein, first visit to the Ohio half-mile oval

The last time Todd McCarthy drove Prince Hal Hanover it resulted in something McCarthy had done before - win the Adios. In fact, McCarthy became the first driver to capture the race in back-to-back years since Ron Pierce did it 20 years ago.

The next time McCarthy sits behind Prince Hal Hanover it will be as part of something he's never done before - race at MGM Northfield Park. McCarthy will pilot the colt for trainer Dr. Ian Moore in the $300,000 Grade 2 Carl Milstein Memorial, an invitational for 3-year-old pacers at the northern Ohio half-mile oval.

Prince Hal Hanover, who will leave from post two, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the Milstein's nine-horse field. Twisted Destiny – who won the Grade 2 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes in June and was third, beaten by a neck, in the Grade 1 Adios - is the 5-2 second choice. The Chris Ryder-trained colt will start from the second tier's post nine with Dexter Dunn in the sulky.

"I'm looking forward to it," McCarthy said about his upcoming drive behind Prince Hal Hanover. "I was really happy with how he raced (in the Adios). I thought that was a great run. We've got a pretty good post on Saturday night, which I know is going to go a long way on that track. Hopefully, the horse is as good as he was at the Adios and we get a little bit of luck, and we'll go from there."

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Prince Hal Hanover won the 59th edition of the Adios, contested July 26 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, by a head over Swingtown (another Milstein contender) in 1:48 1/5. It was the third-fastest winning time in the event's history.

"That's such a cool race to win," McCarthy said. "It's the biggest race they have at The Meadows, and they always get a really big crowd. The racetrack does a great job with it. It's a lot of fun to go out there and race in it, for sure."

In the Adios, McCarthy used Prince Hal Hanover's gate speed to get an early lead from post eight, then settled into a pocket trip that provided a springboard to victory.

"He's pretty versatile, but his gate speed is definitely one of his best qualities," McCarthy said. "If you have a good (post) draw, using it to be able to protect it. If you don't have a good draw, then you're sort of able to make something work. It's definitely handy when a horse can do that. It makes racing them a little bit easier."

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As for visiting Northfield for the first time, McCarthy is looking forward to the opportunity.

"It's a lot of travel on these (Grand Circuit stakes) weekends, but it's that time of year, and we're fortunate to be able to drive these horses," McCarthy said. "You've got to make the most of it.

"I've driven on plenty of half-mile tracks before, but I'll watch some replays and talk to a few guys and try to get a bit of local insight about the track. That's pretty much all you can really do."

The stakes-laden Milstein Memorial program will feature multiple divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes, the $100,000 Myron Charna President’s Pace, and the $100,000 Tom Aldrich President’s Trot, with nearly $1.1 million in purses.

Post time on Saturday is 6 p.m. (EDT). The Milstein is race 12.