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 28^th 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