By Kenny Livengood
NORTHFIELD, OHIO — The field is officially set for the 40th edition of the prestigious Grade 2 Battle of Lake Erie, as nine accomplished pacers will line up behind the starting gate to compete for a purse of $250,000.
Celebrating its 40th renewal, the Battle of Lake Erie once again attracts a star-studded group of older pacers from some of North America’s top stables. The field features multiple stakes winners and seasoned veterans, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated races of the season.
Captain Albano, a career earner of nearly $2.5 million in purses has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for trainer Noel Daley and driver Todd McCarthy. Captain Albano’s resume includes victories in the $478,000 Borgata Series Final at Yonkers in April and the prestigious Little Brown Jug at the Delaware (OH) County Fairgrounds in 2024.
40th Battle of Lake Erie – Post Positions
| Post | Horse | Driver | Trainer |
| 1 | Women Layer | Luke Hanners | Virgil Morgan Jr. 6-1 |
| 2 | Mossdale Ben N | Jim Marohn Jr. | Peter Tritton 4-1 |
| 3 | Captain Albano | Todd McCarthy | Noel Daley 3-1 |
| 4 | Helium N | Dan Noble | Christi Noble 12-1 |
| 5 | Prince Hal Hanover | Matt Kakaley | Ian Moore 9/2 |
| 6 | Ken Hanover | Brett Miller | Roland Mallar 7/2 |
| 7 | For Once Inmy Life | Jordan Stratton | Cory Stratton 15-1 |
| 8 | Bythemissal | Chris Page | Ron Burke 20-1 |
| 9 | Huntinthelastdollar | Tyler Smith | Per Engblom 10-1 |
With the richest purse in the history of the event, a quarter of a million dollars and a field packed with talent, the 40th Battle of Lake Erie promises to deliver another memorable chapter in the history books.
The Co-featured event the Buckeye Distaff will also go for its first six figure purse of $100,000. That field attracted nine of the top Ohio-Sired mares in the country.
5th Buckeye Distaff – Post Positions
| Post | Horse | Driver | Trainer |
| 1 | Real Star | Trevor Smith | Scott Mogan |
| 2 | Hey Hey Mama | Luke Hanners | Virgil Morgan Jr |
| 3 | Naked On A Hill | Chris Page | Ron Burke |
| 4 | High Flyin Filly | Dan Noble | Ron Burke |
| 5 | Prolific Fire | Mike Wilder | Todd Luther |
| 6 | Factory Girl | Dan Noble | Scott Di Domenico |
| 7 | Odds on Chesapeake | Todd McCarthy | Virgil Morgan Jr |
| 8 | Tarapasta | Matt Kakaley | Todd Luther |
| 9 | No Foolin April | Brett Miller | Adam Short |
The 16-race program is loaded with stakes throughout as there are five divisions of Buckeye Stallion Series Pacers for 3-year-old colts and geldings as well as five divisions on the trot side. There will also be four divisions of Buckeye Claiming Series 3-year-old colts and gelding pacers.
Live racing kicks off at 6:00pm, which also starts the first of five consecutive nights of live racing at the “home of the flying turns”.
