Mission Accepted is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the Trotting Derby and the fabled McWicked is the 5-2 top pick in the Pacing Derby.
Piloted by Yannick Gingras, the Dan Patch Driver of the Year in 2014, the 4-year-old Mission Accepted is a former Ohio Sires Stakes Champion by Manofmanymissions. He’s trained by Ron Burke and last Friday night had an impressive late rally to finish second in the record-setting Caesars Trotting Classic at Hoosier Park.
Manchego, driven by Dexter Dunn and one of two mares in the elite field, will open at 7-2 odds for trainer Nancy Johansson. The 4-year-old by Music Hill has $1.7 million in career earnings. She was a Breeders Crown winner at two and a Hambletonian Oaks champion at three.
Speeding Spur N, driven by Brian Spears, is the oldest horse in the race at eight, The third pick in the morning line at 4-1, he captured the $148,000 Crawford Farms stake at Tioga six weeks ago for trainer Linda Toscano.
Rounding out the field at the Dayton Trotting Derby are: Custom Cantab (Aaron Merriman, 9-2); Fiftydallarbill (Tim Tetrick, 6-1); Two O B Wonkenobi (Brett Miller, 8-1); Bridge To Jesse’s (David Miller, 10-1); I Know My Chip (Jeremy Smith, 12-1) and Elmo Blatch (Jason Beattie, 15-1).
In the Dayton Pacing Derby, McWicked, with Brian Spears in the sulky, is the slight favorite over 3-1 This Is The Plan, who’s driven by Yannick Gingras and 4-1 Western Fame, piloted by Xenia’s Dan Noble.
McWicked, an 8-year old trained by Casie Coleman, has $4.6 million in lifetime earnings and has won several of the sport’s most prestigious races including the Breeders Crown, Canadian Pacing Derby, William Haughton Memorial, Progress Pace and the Adios. His 2019 victories include the Jim Ewart Memorial, the Roll With Joe and the Gerrity Memorial.
The field, which has five other $1 million career winners, includes: This Is The Plan, who won the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby in his most recent start; Western Fame, who paced the second-fastest mile in Dayton Raceway history (1:48.1); Courtly Choice, the 2018 Little Brown Jug winner who’ll be driven by Brett Miller and is a 9-2 pick; Filibuster Hanover (Matt Kakaley, 6-1); defending champion and Dayton track record holder Donttellmeagain (Tim Tetrick, 8-1); Jimmy Freight (Scott Zeron, 10-1) and Endeavor (Sam Widger, 12-1).
Friday post time is 6:15 p.m. The Dayton Trotting Derby has an estimated 9 p.m. start and the Dayton Pacing Derby will be two races later at approximately 9:40 p.m.
About the Author