by Miami Valley Raceway

Lebanon, OH — The James K. Hackett Memorial Series, the traditional kickoff to the Ohio-sired stakes season, got underway Friday night (April 14) with three $12,500 elimination divisions of sophomore pacing fillies. When the dust settled, 21 hopefuls were reduced to nine of the finest 3-year-old Buckeye fillies, who will return next Friday (April 21) for the $40,000 championship final. Three elimination heats of Hackett Memorial ‘boys’ will go postward Saturday night (April 15), hoping to earn berths in their $40,000 final on April 22.

Conrad photo

TypeA Grey captured a James K. Hackett Memorial division in 1:53.1, notching hersixth win in eight career tries and stamping herself as one of the favoritesfor next week’s $40,000 championship.

Type A Grey (Chris Page) used a pocket trip to the head of the stretch before shooting to the lead then holding off runner-up Full Body Shot (Mike Micallef) and Rosa’s Touch (Mike Wilder) in 1:53.1. The even-money favorite won five of seven starts at age two and earned $102,772 for Emerald Highlands Farm and trainer Brian Brown. A grey daughter of Art Official, Type A Grey paid $4.20.

Undefeated Rosemary Rose (Mike Wilder) cruised through a relatively unchallenged mile in 1:53 to capture the second division. Rose Run Skyler (Derek Watiker) and Zoe Ellasen (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) also hit the board and advanced to next week’s final. The winning Foreclosure N lass is now six-for-six lifetime with a pair of Ohio Sires Stakes victories in July of 2016 before being put away for the year, plus three straight condition race triumphs at The Meadows to start 2017.

Rosemary Rose is conditioned by Ron Burke for Burke Racing, Jason Melillo and Weaver Bruscemi LLC and she returned $2.80 as the prohibitive favorite.

A 1:55 mile was good enough for Glorious Intent (Chris Page) to top Ellasen (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and Won For Gigi (Peter Wrenn) and complete the nine-horse field for the $40,000 championship. The daughter of No Pan Intended is also owned by Emerald Highlands Farm and trained by Brian Brown, giving the stable a powerful pair in the final. She banked $34,250 with two wins in just five starts as a freshman. She paid $5.20 to win.

A $22,000 Open Mares Pace was also featured on the Friday night card with Jackie’s Rocket (Brady Galliers) lowering her lifetime to mark to 1:51.1. Art I Sweet (Ken Holliday) and Aniston Seelster (Brady Galliers) followed the 5-year-old daughter of American Ideal through the finish line.

Jackie’s Rocket, a diminutive mare with a big motor, has now won five times this season and increased her seasonal bankroll to just shy of $50,000 in a dozen starts, all at Miami Valley.