Bettor Is Nice controls the pace

Bettor Is Nice received a confident harness racing drive from Tyler Smith and captured the final $28,000 Open Pace of the 2025 Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway meet in 1:51.1 on Saturday (Dec. 27).

Smith had the four-year-old Bettor’s Wish gelding on his toes at the start and opened up some early daylight during the opening quarter of :27.3.

I Did It Myway (Luke Hanners) was in the pocket and Naturally Gifted A (Brett Miller) was on the rail in third.

Gorgeous Big Guy (Chris Page) was forced off the rail in fourth, providing cover for Downbytheocean (Josh Sutton) at the half-mile station is a pedestrian :57.1
Bettor Is Nice was able to get away from his challengers with a :54 back half to seal the deal.

Gorgeous Big Guy unleashed a frantic :26.3 final quarter to close the final gap to 1 ¼ lengths.

Naturally Gifted A was third and Alta Revelry N (Trevor Smith) round out the superfecta.

Better Is Nice is a $1.1 million earner who is trained by Michael Hitchcock for the partnership of William A. Hartt and H & H Stable.

BETTER IS NICE REPLAY

Joelsyy Hanover (Sam Widger) went gate-to-wire but had to hold off a two-prong attack in the $22,000 conditioned pace.

Joelsyy Hanover was the better of the four early leavers and controlled the pace and fractions of :26.4 and :55.3.

Skipper N (Trace Tetrick) was the first to pull to the outside providing cover to Hello Sweetie Boy (Tyler Smith) and Henry The Horse (Luke Hanners).

Driver Chris Page elected to keep the betting favorite, Racing Rebel, in the pocket and to wait for the passing lane. Joelsyy Hanover passed the three-quarters in 1:24.1. When the leader turned for home, he found an inside challenge from Racing Rebel and from the outside with Skipper N.

Joelsyy Hanover was a neck ahead of Racing Rebel and a half-length better than Skipper N in 1:51.4.

His is co-owned by trainer Jessica Millner and Andrew Coblentz.

Joelsyy Hanover closes out his seven-year-old season with 8 wins in 34 seasonal starts and nearly $170,000 in earnings.

Page finished the evening with a driving triple and five other reinsmen had doubles.

Racing returns to Dayton Raceway on Monday (Dec. 29) with just two cards remaining on the 2025 schedule. Free past performance pages are available at hollywooddaytonraceway.com.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

By Jay Wolf for Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway