Lebanon, OH — Eliminations for the James K. Hackett Memorial got underway at Miami Valley on Thursday (April 16), with six divisions going to set the field for next Thursday’s (April 23) $75,000 finals.
First up on the docket were 3-year-old pacing fillies, with two divisions of six. In the first division, Luke Hanners and KB Wrecking Ball went gate-to-wire and won by 7-1/4 lengths in 1:52.2. It was her fifth win in a row. Last year’s favorite in the Ohio Sires Stakes final, Shacarri, ended up second after rallying from far back. Platinums Rosa and Queen Valerie rounded out the top four finishers.
In the second division of 3-year-old pacing fillies, Chris Page and Seaside Shuffle, a 2025 Ohio Sires Stakes Champion, went gate-to-wire with comfortable fractions but had to work hard for victory in the stretch, holding off a charging Mingle In Dingle by a nose in 1:54. Eyes Up and Foolish Beetrayal rounded out the top four.
From the two fifth-place finishers, Blood Queen drew in to join the top four finishers from each elimination in the final.
Sophomore male trotters only needed one division to eliminate just one horse as only 10 entered and top money earner and last year’s Ohio Sires Stakes champion Big Ranger took a bye to the final. The heavy 3-5 favorite, Rose Run Banker and Chris Page used a pocket trip and popped out at the top of the stretch to cruise to a 4-length win in 1:55. The top eight finishers — which also includes Water Slide, Max The Mighty, Special Moni, Grape Crush, Jackie Jann, Come N Get Me and Lt Will Be Awesome — advance to the final.
Three-year-old filly trotters were in the same boat with Rose Run Brooke, last year’s runner up in the Ohio Sires Stakes final, taking a bye to the final. Charlies Moni and Chris Lems sat in the pocket and took advantage of a break from second-over Mooter Tooter, which opened up the outside for Lems to go from pinned in to circling thre- wide at the top of the stretch to cruise home and win by 4 lengths in 1:55.3. Also qualifying for the final are Speedbewithyou, Faster Horses, Cast No Stones, A Long Breeze, Divvy It Up, Range The Wish and Sarah’s Mission.
Three-year-old male pacers required two divisions, with fields of eight and nine going postward. In the first division, Crocodile Station got away third, then was second-over, and then was left uncovered amid a lot of action on the front. He eventually use a brush up the backside to clear before the three-quarters and take it home from there, winning by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:52. Prolific Blend was second with last year’s Ohio Sires Stakes champion, Lindy Dragonwater, third and When Is Parade fourth.
In the second division, Austin Hanners and Sparks N Fire made things look easy, with no one getting to his wheel, going wire-to-wire in 1:52.2. Swelce sat in the pocket and finished second with Backninebar and U Can’t Catch This rounding out the advancers. Thunder Jam and Yacht Rock finished fifth in their respective divisions, with Yacht Rock drawing into the final.
The tandem of driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke led everyone with a driving and training triple. The duo of David Miller and Mike Hitchcock had a double on the card. Luke Hanners also had two driving wins.
Racing action at Miami Valley returns on a rare Friday (April 17), a make-up day for an earlier weather cancellation, with a post time of 4 p.m.