Lebanon, OH — Driver Dan Noble enjoyed quite a night at Miami Valley Raceway on Saturday (April 17) by racking up six wins including two feature races.  Heart Of Chewbacca claimed the title in the $40,000 James K. Hackett Memorial Final for three-year-old Ohio-sired pacing colts; while Springsteen barely triumphed in the $24,000 Open I Handicap while making his first start at the southwest Ohio five-eighths mile oval.

Heart Of Chewbacca reigned supreme Saturday afternoon taking down the Hackett in 1:51.1. Conrad Photo.

Charlie May (Brett Miller), who narrowly defeated Heart Of Chewbacca in an elimination heat last week, was sent to the front from the outside post position in :27.4.  Miller tapped the breaks in the second quarter and stopped the halfway timer in :58.  The much-anticipated showdown between Ohio’s best two Ohio Sires Stakes freshmen was on during the third quarter when Noble tipped his charge out from third and moved quickly alongside his rival.  The third quarter was clocked in an amazing :25.2.   The pair rounded the final bend nose-to-nose until Charlie May made a speed break, the first of his career, as the pair entered the stretch.

That allowed Heart Of Chewbacca to cruise home an easy-open lengths winner over Laughagain Hanover (Kayne Kauffman) and Just Playing (Josh Sutton).  Siri Said (Mitch Cushing) finished fourth to also advance to next week’s $50,000 Scarlet & Gray Invitational at Miami Valley.

 Noble’s Norman Rae Racing Stable of Xenia co-owns the winner with Dennis Owens, although the son of Bring On The Beach was put under trainer Ron Burke’s care early in his outstanding freshman season.

Springsteen gave new owner Josh Graber a victory Saturday with a powerful 1:50.1 performance. Conrad Photo.

Christi Noble, Dan’s wife, recently began training Springsteen, who was purchased by Joshua Graber of Quincy, Michigan.  In his first start for the new connections, the six-year-old son of Rock N Roll Heaven took full advantage of an advantageous inside draw to front a full field of accomplished Open pacers through fractions of :26.1, :53.2 and 1:20.3 before barely holding off fast closers My Hero Ron (Josh Sutton) and American Dreamer (Trevor Smith) in a close photo finish.  Unfortunately, My Hero Ron went inside a pair of pylons in the stretch and was placed third behind American Dreamer in the official order of finish.

Springsteen’s share of the $24,000 purse pushed his earnings to $698,572 with 17 wins in 68-lifetime starts.

A $20,000 Open II Pace went to Havefaithinme N (Trevor Smith) who pulled a mild upset over Grantmeawish (Sutton) and Drawing Dragons (Noble).  J. D. Perrin trains the ten-year-old for his wife Tessa.  The son of Bettor’s Delight has scored 34 times and earning $1,433,593 in 108 starts.

In addition to Dan Noble’s six wins, Brett Miller managed a Grand Slam with four tallies on the 14-race card.

Racing resumes Sunday afternoon at Miami Valley with a 2:05 p.m. post time.