Millionaire heads Northville Downs opener

NORTHVILLE, MI — Night Pro, the newest millionaire in Michigan harness racing, makes his 2022 debut on Saturday’s (March 12) opening night program at Northville Downs, squaring off against eight rivals in one of three $10,500 Open events.

Night Pro, a 73-time winner about to embark on his 12-year-old season, is the 5-1 fourth choice in the Open Pace, carded as the ninth of 13 races on the card.

The son of Pro Bono Best won five times in 17 tries last year and eclipsed $1 million in career earnings with a 1:55.4 win — just one-fifth of a second short of his seasonal mark — on Oct. 2. Owner-trainer Dale Decker will drive the veteran campaigner, who drew the second-row post nine.

Oh K Man (post two, Lindsay Moen), who also makes his seasonal debut after concluding 2021 with a hard-earned second-place finish behind Lying In Cash, has been installed as the lukewarm 4-1 favorite.

The Fillies and Mares Open Pace (race three) and Open Trot (race six) complete the trio of featured events on the opening program.

Fans taking in the races at Northville Downs, both on-track and via simulcast, will be treated to a new broadcaster in Ken Terpenning, who has been retained to call the spring meeting. Terpenning, a native of Long Island, now resides in Ohio, where he has called races at some of the state’s fairs since 2014 and also trains two Standardbreds currently racing at Miami Valley.

Northville Downs will host racing on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. throughout the 29-night spring meeting, which concludes on June 25.