Dayton, OH – Christmas came early to Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway Saturday night (Dec. 20). The night featured a toy drive, a Santa/Grinch match race, fan appreciation giveaways and some great efforts on the track.
Oakwood Heymiki IR (Brett Miller) used a three-wide move around the final turn to score a narrow victory in the $28,000 Open Pace.
There was a mad scramble at the start, but Little Rocket Man (David Miller) was on top during the opening quarter in :27. Gorgeous Big Guy (Chris Page), who was caught on the outside, was moved to the front before the half-mile station in :56.2. Joelsyy Hanover (Sam Widger) was the first to move on the outside and provided live cover for the eventual winner. The field passed the three-quarters in 1:24.2.
As his cover began to tire, Oakwood Heymiki IR was sent three-wide in the final turn to get into position. The top trio – Gorgeous Big Guy on the inside, Little Rocket Man on the outside and Oakwood Heymiki IR in the middle – paced as a team in the lane. The Irish bred got up in the final strides to record the nose victory over Little Rocket Man and Gorgeous Big Guy in 1:52.2. The 5-year-old son of Always B Miki has now won five straight races for the Royal Wire Products and trainer Robert Cleary.
In the $24,000 Open II Pace, Naturally Gifted A (David Miller) went gate-to-wire to score a 1:52 victory.
Racing Rebel (Chris Page) tried to protect his rail position at the start, but Naturally Gifted A was a couple of steps better and was in the lead at the quarter and half in :27.2 and :57, respectively. Around Midnight (Trace Tetrick) and Alta Revelry N (Trevor Smith) were the first to challenge as the field passed the three-quarters in 1:24.4.
Around Midnight faded in the final turn, allowing Racing Rebel to pull the pocket rather than waiting for the passing lane, but Naturally Gifted A crossed the line 1-3/4 lengths ahead of his challenger. Gem Quality (Luke Hanners) photoed out Downbythedanceclub (Brett Miller) for third.
The Australian-bred Naturally Gifted A is owned by the Every Day Stable and is conditioned by Ken Rucker.
David Miller recorded six wins during the 14-race card. Trainer Rucker had four wins.
Before the races, representatives from the Dayton Fire Department picked up toys and donations collected by the Dayton Raceway racing community. Between races, Santa defeated the Grinch in special match race. The results of that event will surely make many area children happy.
Racing resumes on Monday (Dec. 22) with a 4 p.m. (EST) post time. Just six racing cards remain in Dayton Raceway’s 2025 season.