Oh Look Magic quickly separated to a class of his own in taking the top-class trot -- the $41,096 Open -- at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Tuesday, April 30.
The demolition started with a :27.1 first quarter, where Oh Look Magic (Devon Tharps) forged to the lead and stayed on the muscle. He cruised to a :56.3 half chased by straggling The Fast Lane (Brandon Bates) before hitting the throttle up the backside. Oh Look Magic opened four lengths on his competition by three-quarters in 1:24.2 and stayed to task through the lane to register a 5-3/4-length win in 1:52.2, matching his lifetime best. Sweet Mr Pinetucky (Marvin Luna) overtook second off a pylon trip with Usosweet Blue Chip (Atlee Bender) snagging third and Its A Herbie (Verlin Yoder) finishing fourth.
A four-year-old gelding by Lookslikeachpndale, Oh Look Magic won his ninth race from 29 starts and has now banked $287,925 for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Ron Burke trains the winner, who was sent off as the second choice in the betting and paid $5.50 to win.
Country Dagger (Brandon Bates) bagged a measured 1:54.4 win while keeping his stride together just through the line in the $24,658 Open 2 Trot. The Melvin Schmucker trainee seized the lead after a :27.4 first quarter and travelled smoothly through a :57.1 half and 1:26.1 three-quarters to then come for home under minimal encouragement and hold off The Hazelton (Devon Tharps) by a half length as he tried to charge through the inside. Schmucker owns the winning four-year-old stallion by Crazy Wow who won for the sixth time from 31 starts and has now earned $95,815. He paid $5.66 to win.
A pair of $13,699 Open 3 Trots also went postward on the card, one a mild upset and one taken by the favourite. Lous Andiamo (Jamaal Denson) popped pocket to a 1:56.4 win in the first division for co-owner Flacco Family Farms LLC and trainer Roshun Trigg to spoil the chalk party with a $17.80 return. But later on the card, the chalk exacted revenge when 4-5 choice Threepointbluechip (Ernie Hendry) followed a similar trip to victory in 1:56.1 for trainer Julie Miller and owners Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., Thestable Three Point Group and Charles Do Bronx Racing. He paid $3.96 to win.
Live racing resumes at Oak Grove next Monday, May 6 at 3 p.m. (CDT) when the track hosts the second preliminary of the Kentucky Sire Stakes for four-year-olds, which will go to their respective $100,000 USD finals on Monday, May 13. Free program pages for every race day, courtesy of TrackMaster, are available on the Oak Grove Racing website.
(Oak Grove Racing)