Ken Weingartner

Hightstown, NJ — Prohibition Legal was an O’Brien Award-winner at age 2 in 2021, when her only loss in nine starts was a second-place finish behind Dan Patch Award-recipient Niki Hill in the She’s A Great Lady Stakes. Following a one-win campaign last year, trainer Nick Gallucci gave the female pacer an extended rest before sending her into action this season.

As the 4-year-old mare prepares for Saturday’s Dayton Distaff Derby, so far so good. In three races since her August return, Prohibition Legal has posted a win and two seconds. She finished behind Silver Label, a Gallucci trainee who earlier this season spent four weeks ranked in the sport’s Top 10, in a fillies-and-mares FFA at Woodbine Mohawk Park before turning the tables on her stablemate two weeks later.

Most recently, Prohibition Legal finished second to Grace Hill, another former Top 10-ranked horse, in the Milton Stakes on Sept. 16 at Mohawk. Grace Hill won the Milton in a stakes-record 1:48, just one-fifth of a second off the Canadian record she set in June.

Prohibition Legal was an O’Brien Award-winner at age 2 in 2021. New Image Media photo.

Prohibition Legal’s effort gave the Ontario-based Gallucci reason to be pleased.

“She really impressed me in the Milton,” Gallucci said. “That was only her third start back from a big layoff. I’m really excited to see what she does (Saturday). We’ll see how she can do moving forward against the best mares in North America.”

As for her extended break, Gallucci said, “She didn’t really have the best year and she had a couple little issues that were ailing her. It seems like time is a big healer. I’m really happy how she came back. I just think she needed a little extra time going from 3 to 4. It seems like we’re moving in the right direction.”

Is Prohibition Legal back to being her former self?

“She’s like a better version of her 2-year-old self,” Gallucci said. “I hope, anyway.”

Prohibition Legal, Silver Label, and Grace Hill all will meet again in the $250,000 Dayton Distaff Derby for pacing mares. Grace Hill, a 5-year-old, will start from post nine and is the 9-5 morning-line favorite for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and driver Doug McNair.

Silver Label, who is 4, will leave from post two with driver Scott Zeron and is the 3-1 second choice. Prohibition Legal, also 4, starts from post three with driver Louis-Phillippe Roy and is next on the morning line, at 9-2.

Saturday’s card also features the Dayton Derby for older male pacers, Dayton Trotting Derby for older male trotters, and Dayton Oaks Derby for older female trotters. Each of those three races also go for a purse of $250,000. First-race post time is 5 p.m. (EDT). The derbies are the final four events on the 14-race card.

Grace Hill has finished no worse than third in all 11 of her races this year, winning eight and earning $411,526. New Image Media photo.

Grace Hill has finished no worse than third in all 11 of her races this year, winning eight and earning $411,526. The daughter of Always B Miki-Western Silk has missed the board only once since August 2022, a span of 21 starts. For her career, she has won 27 times in 57 races and banked $1.57 million for owner Tom Hill.

Silver Label has hit the board in 13 of 15 races this season, winning eight and earning $336,920. Her triumphs include the Lady Liberty and Perfect Sting stakes, both against fields that included Grace Hill.

The homebred daughter of Bettor’s Delight-Hidden Gem has won 20 of 37 lifetime races, including an Ontario Sire Stakes championship, and earned $1.23 million Canadian ($988,168 U.S.) for owner Millar Farms.

She finished fifth in the Milton after setting the early pace.

“She kind of threw in a clunker in her last race,” Gallucci said. “She’s never really been the best mare to race on the front. It seemed like, especially when she was at The Meadowlands, that off the pace was more her forte.

Silver Label has hit the board in 13 of 15 races this season, winning eight and earning $336,920. Lisa photo.

“But she’s been such a pleasant surprise. I was just hoping she would be a nice preferred (level) horse to race around at Mohawk. She’s really turned herself into one of the Grand Circuit mares. She’s just a sweetheart to drive, does whatever you want her to do, and it seems like she’s got a nice turn of foot to her. I couldn’t be happier with the year she’s had.”

Millar Farms also bred and owns Prohibition Legal, a daughter of Big Jim-Catch A Wish. She has won 10 of 20 career races and earned nearly $900,000 Canadian ($697,865 U.S.). Her trip to Dayton will be her first away from Ontario and only her second away from Mohawk.

“Hopefully that doesn’t bother her too much,” Gallucci said. “I was really happy with the draw, and it seems like both horses are coming into the race pretty good. Hopefully they both get themselves set up early in the race and have a good shot turning for home.”

Tattoo Artist, the winner of four consecutive starts including the Canadian Pacing Derby and Jim Ewart Memorial, is the 2-1 favorite in the Dayton Derby. The field also includes Hoosier Park Pacing Derby champ Allywag Hanover and multiple Grand Circuit-winners Charlie May and Bythemissal. Alrajah One IT is the 5-2 favorite in the Dayton Trotting Derby and M-M’s Dream gets the 9-5 nod in the Dayton Oaks.

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