by Ayers Ratliff

Northfield, OH — The Cleveland Trotting Classic, Northeast Ohio’s newest premier race, will go to post Friday (July 3) at Northfield Park. The Classic carries a $170,000 purse for its inaugural edition and has attracted some of the best veteran trotters in North America. The Grand Circuit race is the featured event of a stakes-laden program that offers total purses of $647,500.

1 – Count Me In is one of two starters from the powerful barn of Ron Burke. Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, M1 Stable and Michelle Yanek, he has won 30 and been on the board in 64 of 95 career races. His lifetime mark is 1:53.2 (Mea 5/8) with a career bankroll of $427,919. The 6 year-old has already posted four wins this year and has been racing against the best trotters at Scioto Downs. Burke has named Josh Sutton to drive this 9-2 morning-line competitor.

2 – Obrigado, the 2-1 morning line favorite, has the highest win percentage of any starter in this inaugural edition. He has been victorious in 31 of 50 career races, including a 21 race win streak earlier in his career. He has earnings of $421,164 and a 1:51.3 (M 1) mark in his most recent race in the $50,000 TVG Free-for-All Trot. The 5 year-old is owned by Paul Kelley, Linwood Higgens, William Weaver III and Stable 45. He is conditioned by Paul Kelley. Canadian native Mark MacDonald has been named to steer.

3 – DW’s NY Yank sports career earnings of $855,914. He has 103 lifetime starts and 37 career victories. He is a 6 year-old son of Dilbert Hanover with a lifetime mark of 1:51.3 (PcD 5/8). DW’s NY Yank, one of two entrants in this field by trainer Ron Burke, is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Howard Taylor and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. He has won five of 13 starts this year and has been made the 7-2 second favorite. Chris Page has been given the driving assignment.

4 – Awesome Valley will start for the Trust of Barbara Boese. With 27 career victories, he has been a model of consistency, finishing in the top three 62 of his 100 lifetime starts. He has already won four starts this year with three second and third place finishes in 16 starts. This 6-year-old son of Valley Victor has career earnings of $365,863 and sports a 1:53 (DD 5/8) lifetime mark. This 20-1 morning line selection is trained by Joseph Hundertpfund Jr. and will be driven by Montrell Teague.

5 – Datsyuk enters this race for owners Leonard Buckner and Charlie Norris. He is also conditioned and usually driven by Norris, but Don Irvine, Jr. gets the reins for tonight’s outing. The 4-year-old has garnered five career victories in 21 starts, earning a mark of 1:53.1 (TgDn 5/8) and $454,253 in earnings. The son of Explosive Matter was unraced as a freshman but had a stellar sophomore campaign last year, winning three legs of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes and a Tompkins Geers Stake. He carries a 15-1 morning line.

6 – Rompaway Galaxy is owned by Rompaway Farms and trained by Krista Harmon. The 4-year-old has raced over Northfield Park’s Flying Turns three times, posting two wins and a third place finish. He has a total of 29 career starts with 14 triumphs. He earned a 1:52 (M 1) lifetime mark just two races ago and has career earnings of $423,981. He was the Ohio Sire Stakes Champion as a freshman and won the Ohio State Fair Stakes and Ohio Breeders’ Championship as a sophomore. Mike Micallef has been named to drive this 12-1 morning-line starter.

7 – Daylon Magician, 6-1 is the richest horse in the inaugural Classic field with $1,849,527 in earnings. This son of Kadabra has five wins in eight starts this year and 30 lifetime scores to his credit, the richest being the $1,020,000 Canadian Trotting Classic at Mohawk Racetrack in 2011. Jack Moiseyev is the 7-year-old’s trainer and driver for owner Daylon Farms LTD. Moiseyev posted a win at Northfield Park in the Cleveland Classic with 3-year-old pacing star Precious Bunny in 1991. Daylon Magician has a 1:51.1 mark at Mohawk Racetrack, trotted in 2012.

8 – Il Sogno Dream, 8-1, just won two weekends ago by open lengths in an impressive effort from post eight at Scioto Downs. He has a 1:52.2 (ScD 5/8) lifetime mark, trotted this year, and career earnings of $488,101. This son of Cantab Hall has won 10 of 33 career starts and is two for four so far this year. Christopher Beaver trains Il Sogno Dream for owners Bill Manes, Dan Manes, Leonard Christopher and Randy Christopher. Aaron Merriman has been given the driving assignment. Merriman, the current leading driver in North America, has won more local races than any other driver over the Flying Turns.

This year’s Classic program undercard is highlighted by 11 $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes races featuring the best freshman filly pacers and trotters in the Buckeye State. There will be six divisions of filly pacers and five filly trot stakes races going to post.

Superfecta wagering has been added to Friday’s 11th race, the Classic feature. A $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 has also been added and covers races eight through 11. First race post time is 6 p.m.