After a two month absence, Its A Herbie returned to the Miami Valley winner’s circle following Tuesday (April 6) afternoon’s $20,000 Open Trot.
Using the winner’s customary come-from-behind tactic, driver LeWayne Miller rallied him from sixth, and last, at the half and fourth at the top of the stretch to edge Lane Of Stone in 1:52.4. The clocking marked lifetime best for the five-year-old son Here Comes Herbie. Shake It Mary earned the show dough in the compact field.
Verlin Yoder owns Its A Herbie, who now has 17 victories and eclipsed the half-million earnings plateau with the win.
Ohio-sired trotting colts went postward in two $15,000 elimination divisions of the annual James K. Hackett Memorial late-closer, which kicks off the Buckeye stakes season. The $40,000 championship leg will be raced next Tuesday (April 13).
Four-year-old trotting mares blew up the toteboard at Miami Valley on Tuesday (March 9) in the $25,000 championship leg of the Ray Paver Sr. Memorial Series.
Miss Smead was the first to reach the wire in 1:55.3. The daughter of Guccio was followed across the line by fellow four-year-old mares Susie D, Swan Fashion, Just For Us and Deswanslittlelorie. The series was open to trotters of either sex that were non-winners of four races or $40,000 lifetime at the nomination deadline.
Driver Don Eash also owns and trains Miss Smead, who was winning for the third time in 2021 and increased her career earnings to $62,284. Miss Smead returned a $17 win mutual and combined with Susie D kicked back a $189.80 exacta. Swan Fashion completed a 50-cent trifecta worth $424.05; while a 10-cent superfecta with Just For Us paid a whopping $409.68.
The Friday night feature at Miami Valley was the $22,500 Mares Open Pace, won by Pace Baby Pace and driver Chris Page for the second straight week, but the most anticipated races were a pair of divisions going 5/8ths of a mile dashes in the first leg of the Howard Beissinger Memorial Medley. The second leg of the annual Beissinger Memorial will go a standard mile, then the third and final $25,000 championship leg will go 1-1/4 miles on Friday, Feb. 22. Nominated horses could not have raced for a purse over $15,000 in their last three overnight starts.
Compelling (LeWayne Miller) won the most exciting split, racing in the back half of the pack throughout most of the one lap contest before charging from sixth to first in the stretch drive. The Next Triumph (Trace Tetrick) went nose-to-nose with Compelling most of the stretch, but settled for second in the end. Pink Tulip (Jason Brewer) got up to garner the show dough.