Miami Valley Raceway brought the curtain down on its fifth and most successful season on Monday afternoon. The highlights of the final card of 2018 were a pair of Grand Circuit events that both established national season’s marks over a five-eighths mile track.
Barn Girl (Aaron Merriman) copped the extremely competitive $81,600 Miami Valley Distaff for older trotting mares, wearing down Churita (Trace Tetrick) in 1:52.4 despite a gruelling first-over trip.
The six-year-old daughter of Cash Hall, who has now won exactly half of her lifetime starts (48 wins in 96 tries), allowed Churita to lead the talented field past the :26.3 quarter but was out and rolling before the :55.1 halfway point. Up to the leader’s wheel at the 1:24 three-quarters and around the final turn, Barn Girl dug deep in the stretch to establish the new national season’s standard.
“She is a very gritty mare,” exclaimed Merriman in the winner’s circle. An elated trainer Bill Bercury and his wife-owner Renee were ecstatic. “She never disappoints,” explained Bill. “I get butterflies before every race,” beam Renee, “but she always comes through!”
The 1:52.4 clocking was also a new lifetime mark for Barn Girl, whose best previous win was in 1:53.
The super sharp Shartin N (Tim Tetrick) captured the $102,200 Sam 'Chip' Noble Memorial Pace in a blistering 1:49.3, a stakes record, a track record and a national season’s mark for the division (older mares). The five-year-old New Zealand-bred lass has captured 9 of 11 races in 2018, including three legs and the final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series at Yonkers.
Despite starting from the two-hole, Tetrick allowed the dust to settle in front of him before making the popular “quarter move” from fifth to first just after the initial timing station. The Jim King, Jr.-trained winner glided effortlessly along after reaching the front, widening the margin on the field from one length at the half to three lengths at the three-quarters. With just mild urging Tetrick guided Shartin N through the wire with longshot Medusa (Tony Hall) rallying for second and Blue Moon Stride (Corey Callahan) garnering the show dough.
A total of seven $15,000 divisions of Buckeye Stallion Series first leg action was also featured on Miami Valley’s closing card.
Winning three-year-old filly trotters were Infrontandforgetit (Kayne Kauffman, 1:57.3), Bugs MVP (Aaron Merriman, 1:58.3) and Momentsoffire (Tyler Smith, 1:57.4). Sophomore filly pacers who reached the winner’s enclosure were Osbornes Ellie (Tyler Smith, 1:54), Crosswind Butercup (Kyle Ater, 1:55.4), Velocity Gretchen (Mark Evers, 1:53.4) and Our Miss Reese (Sandy Beatty, 1:54.2).
Leading driver and trainer awards for the 2018 meet were won by Dan Noble and Dan Ater, respectively.
(Miami Valley Raceway)