Lebanon, OH — Wednesday’s (Jan. 18) $30,000 Open Handicap Trot at Miami Valley produced a major upset as Rose Run Valor (Kayne Kauffman) took full advantage of his inside post position to win at 31-1.

Kauffman left the gate with alacrity, allowing only Pick Me Upper (Sam Widger) to front him when the field passed the quarter-mile marker in :28.2. Coveting the pocket journey, Kauffman and Rose Run Valor sat chilly through the half in :58 and three-quarters in 1:26.2. After being briefly boxed in around the final bend by the uncovered Sweet Mr Pinetucky (Brandon Bates), Rose Run Valor found enough room in the stretch to collar pacesetting Pick Me Upper and then hold off a fast-charging Angel Nation (Trace Tetrick) by a neck.

Rose Run Valor blew up the toteboard with a 31-1 upset win in Miami Valley’s $30,000 Open Trot. Conrad photo.

Kauffman’s wife, Natalie, owns the winning 6-year-old son of Uncle Peter, who narrowly missed a $100,000 season in 2022 and has banked $28,400 already this year.

Rose Run Valor returned $65.40 for a win ticket and led a $203.60 exacta. The feature race was the final leg of a Pick-4 wager, and the winning long shot result knocked out all live tickets, triggering a carryover of over $1,400 on the first 50-cent Pick-4 on Thursday (Jan. 19), which begins in the fourth race. First post is 4 p.m.