Grace Hill and driver Doug McNair continued their winning ways on Saturday night, capturing the $250,000 Dayton Distaff Derby at Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway in a 1:49 2/5 clocking. The 5-year-old by Always B Miki overcame post eight while holding off Prohibition Legal in the homestretch. Silver Label and Scott Zeron blasted to the front in the opening quarter, seating Marloe Hanover on the opening bend. McNair left with purpose and was able to move into the three-hole on the first turn and sit there until the 26 1/5 quarter was cleared by Silver Label. Grace Hill made a quick move and took control passing the stands as Louis Roy and Prohibition Legal moved to the outside, followed by Boudoir Hanover and Mikala second- and third-over. Grace Hill controlled the 54 2/5 half and got strong company in the third quarter as Prohibition Legal advanced the attack and forced three-quarters in 1:22. McNair had something in reserve while attacked on both fronts by a pair of Nick Gallucci-trained mares, with Prohibition Legal on her right flank and pocket-sitter Silver Label along her left side. Neither was able to put a scare into Grace Hill, as the Virgil Morgan Jr.-trained mare kicked home in 27 2/5 to complete the mile, taking her ninth victory in 12 starts in 2023. Prohibition Legal held second with Silver Label third. "It's a terrible post at any track, especially a five-eighths, but we had the right horse to overcome it," McNair said in a post-race interview. "Louis's horse, she fought a lot harder than I thought she would. She was out a long way first-over. I pulled the plugs about halfway down the lane, and when I did that, she gave me another gear, a gear a lot of horses can't give you. She's a real special horse. "She's one of the best mares in the country for sure this year and last year. Tom Hill and I, we go way back, and I've driven a lot for Virgil in the past, too, so it's a fun bunch of connections." Tom Hill owns Grace Hill, who pushed her career bank account above $1.7 million. As the favorite Grace Hill returned $4.20 to win. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Tattoo Artist also maintained his incredible run by taking the $250,000 Dayton Pacing Derby in a track record 1:48 mile for driver Roy and trainer Dr. Ian Moore. Tattoo Artist left from post five and blitzed to the lead on the first turn ahead of Little Rocket Man. Bythemissal and driver Yannick Gingras tucked in third and Tattoo Artist had control in a relatively moderate 26 4/5 opening fraction. Roy was content to slow the action down and grabbed a pedestrian 55 1//5 first half as Charlie May, with Brett Miller, grinded up on a long uncovered mission, followed by Allywag Hanover. Roy never lever the outer tier get into the race as he pushed Tattoo Artist into overdrive, hitting three-quarters in 1:21 4/5 after a 26 3/5 third quarter sprint, and powered home impressively with a 26 1/5 final quarter to complete the mile relatively in-hand. Little Rocket Man was a solid second, with Bythemissal a well-beaten third. Fourever Boy and Linedrive Hanover followed in fourth and fifth, respectively. "He makes it feel like he's just training out there. You look at the clock at the end, and you're like 'did we really go that fast' because he just feels like he's doing it so easy," Roy remarked post-race. "He can do it from where ever. He proved that in his last five starts, so it kind of makes your job easy. He heard Charlie May coming a little bit, and he just was kind of telling me, 'let me go please.'" It was the fifth straight win for Tattoo Artist, all with Roy in the sulky. As the 1-2 favorite Tattoo Artist paid $3. Owned by Let It Ride Stable, Frank Cannon, Diamond Creek Racing and Bottom Line Racing, Tattoo Artist won for the 38th time in his career. "We broke him as a yearling and had him as a 2- and 3-year-old, trained him down in Florida in his 4-year-old year, and then because of COVID-19 there was no racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park for a couple of months, so he went to Chris Ryder's and did very well for Chris," recalled Dr. Moore. "Over the last couple of years we've just seen him intermittently, and now the owners have decided to leave him with me. This will be his last hurrah this season, so we're going to have him until the end of the season, I guess. "It used to be like that he could leave the gate like a rocket, and that was always an attribute that won a lot of races for him when he was younger. Now, with Louis here in the last month or so, he can do it any way - first-up, in a hole, on the front. He's just an amazing little animal. I've said it before. It's just unbelievable the thrills and the memories that he's left with me over the last few years." Taurasi and driver Todd McCarthy found room in deep stretch and overtook Chase H Hanover late to capture the $75,000 Dayton Derby consolation in 1:49 2/5. Trained by Tony Alagna, Taurasi is owned by Brad Grant and Victoria Howard.