Grace Hill makes it look easy in $250,000 Dayton Distaff
To no one’s surprise, Grace Hill (Always B Miki) made it look easy with a near front-stepping journey to prevail in the $250,000 Dayton Distaff Derby for harness racing 3-year-olds and up, at Hollywood at Dayton Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Driven by Doug McNair for trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr., Grace Hill stopped the timer in a solid 1:49.2, besting the hard trying 2-1 choice, Prohibition Legal (Louis Roy) by a length.
Silver Label, who sat in the 2-hole throughout most of the mile, was third for driver Scott Zeron, while 70-1 longshot Marloe Hanover did well to get up for fourth with driver Sam Widger in the sulky.
Owned by Tom Hill of Lancashire, UK, the 5-year-old mare is out of the Western Terror mare Western Silk p, 3, 1:50.1s ($1,679,347), and upped her career earnings to $1,714, 616 with this triumph, the 28th of her career in 58 starts and the third this year in nine tries.
Zeron hustled Silver Label quickly away from the gate to take command, leading the field to a :26.1 opening panel, before being overtaken by Grace Hill, who paced easily through mid-section panels of :54.2 and 1:22, before brushing home.
GRACE HILL REPLAY
Grace Hill, who was a $75,000 yearling purchase at the 2021 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, is the fourth of seven foals out of Western Silk, and is a full sister to Banus Hill p, 3, 1:53.4 ($31,544), and has half-siblings in Annie Hill (Captaintreacherous) p, 3, 1:50.3f ($217,984) and Cherrio Hill (Captaintreacherous) p, 2, 1:51.2f ($59,378).
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink
Comments