Saturday’s (August 9) stakes-filled Grade 2 $300,000 Carl Milstein Memorial program is set to be highlighted by multiple divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes, the $100,000 Tom Aldrich President’s Trot, and the $100,000 Myron Charna President’s Pace.
The Tom Aldrich President’s Trot is named for former President and COO of Northfield Park, Tom Aldrich, who was inducted into the illustrious Harness Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2025.
The event has featured harness racing’s best trotters, including world-record holder Weslynn Quest, multiple stakes winner It’s Academic, and overnight star Smoking Jet.
The 2025 edition promises to be one of the most loaded and competitive ever. The event features the best Ohio-sired 4-year-old and up trotters.
Ferretti, trained by Travis Alexander, has been installed as the 3/1 favorite in the $100,000 Tom Aldrich President’s Trot. A $32,000 Ohio Select yearling purchase, the son of Creatine has $289,840 in career earnings.
As a now 6-year-old, Ferretti has hit the board in 10 of 16 starts this year, and set a new lifetime mark of 1:51 3/5 in mid-June at Pocono.
The 2024 Ohio Horse of the Year, Sugar Instead (Volstead), has been facing some of the toughest Ohio has to offer this season. She will leave from post nine.
Sugar Instead, who has career earnings of $964,944, put together dazzling 2 and 3-year-old campaigns. She won the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship in back to back seasons.
Also competing in the President’s Trot is 59-time winner Big Box Hanover, Sires Stakes standout Longshot, $1.2 million earner Refined, back to back Open winner Legacy Affair, $511,594 earner Jurassic Hattie, and an earner of $696,158, Caviar Gold.
The Myron Charna President’s Pace is named for former Northfield Park President Myron Charna and previous winners include Bythemissal, Charlie May, and Dancin Yankee, who won the first four editions.
The $100,000 Myron Charna President’s Pace features several familiar faces, but none more so than Scott Di Domenico trainee Dunkin’.
Dunkin’ is no stranger to fans of Northfield Park, a place he called home for most of his 2 and 3-year-old seasons. A $7,000 yearling purchase, the gelding by Pet Rock has taken his owners on a ride of a lifetime, one they won’t soon forget.
With earnings of $814,292, Dunkin’ has taken a shot at stakes company at Northfield Park this year in the Grade 2 $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie, where he finished a very strong third.
Racing Rampage will take another shot in the President’s Pace after coming up a nose short to Act Fast last year. Despite only having three wins in 16 starts this year, he paced in 1:48 3/5 in his last start at Pocono, elevated to victory via disqualification.
The field, which features horses with just shy of $4.5 million in career earnings, also includes $449,747 earner Paris’s Dragon, an earner of $472,785 Wicked Character, 21-time winner The Real Way, two-time Ohio Sires Stakes Champion Clever Cody, 17-time winner Quick Trick, an earner of $354,335 Low Rider, and an earner of $320,742 Racing Rebel.
The Carl Milstein Memorial program will have several great wagering opportunities including a $25,000 estimated Pick-4 pool beginning in Race 9, a $10,000 estimated Pick-4 beginning in Race 12, and a $10,000 estimated Super High-5 in Race 13.
Post Time on Saturday is 6:00 p.m.
-edited release (MGM Northfield Park)