Lebanon, OH – The Ohio-sired stakes season kicked off at Miami Valley Raceway on Monday (April 5) with a pair of $15,000 James K. Hackett Memorial eliminations determining the nine sophomore pacing filly finalists. They will compete next week for a $40,000 championship purse.

Katie’s Lucky Day upset Swizzle Hanover to capture the first elimination of the James K. Hackett Memorial for Ohio-sired 3YO fillies in 1:56.1. Conrad photo.

Katie’s Lucky Day (Trevor Smith) was triumphant in the first split, passing heavily favored Swizzle Hanover (Mike Wilder) mid-stretch on the way to a 1:56.1 score. Longshot Ti’ Punch (Josh Sutton) was best of the rest with Magic Credit Card (Brett Miller) grabbing the final slot from the division in next week’s championship field.

Bill Cottongim owns and trains the daughter of Uncle Peter who was making her second seasonal start. Katie’s Lucky Day earned $74,479 at age two and won the $75,000 Ohio Sires Stakes consolation final at Northfield Park.

Ozma (Aaron Merriman) was victorious in the other division, beating I Am Winning (Miller) and Incomeorexpenses (Tyler Smith) in 1:56.2. Also qualifying for the nine horse championship field were fourth place finisher Chip It In (Wilder) and the fastest fifth place finisher Imalovelylady (Trace Tetrick).

Ozma was a 1:56.2 winner in the second James K. Hackett split for Buckeye bred sophomore pacing fillies. Conrad photo.

Breeder Sandra Burnett shares ownership of Ozma with trainer Chris Beaver. A winner of $49,874 at two, the Triumphant Caviar lass was making her seasonal debut in the Hackett preliminary.

A tandem James K. Hackett Memorial division for three-year-old Ohio-sired trotting colts will go postward in two short fields as part of a Tuesday (April 6) 15-race matinee program beginning at 2:05 p.m.