The absence of Keg Stand from Monday's fourth and last preliminary round of the Kentucky Standardbred Development Fund Series for four-year-old male trotters has the potential to set up a showdown between Golden Wall As and Longshot in the $50,000 event at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel, one of four such preliminary splits on the card.

Keg Stand, the Nancy Takter trainee who reeled off wins in 1:54.1 and 1:52.4 while favoured odds-on in his two preliminary appearances, remains on the sidelines for the final leg, carded as the first of 13 races. As such, Monday's race seems to go through either Longshot, who rallied to miss Keg Stand by a half length in their May 9 preliminary; or Golden Wall As, who sustained a first-over attack to beat Its A Herbie in last week's Open Trot. Longhot (post seven, 8-5) will once again be driven by Chris Lems, who teamed the Scott Cox trainee to an Ohio Sires Stakes championship at three, while Tony Hall retains the drive on Golden Wall As (post two, 2-1) for trainer Anette Lorentzon.

Double preliminary winners — Boudoir Hanover, I Did It Myway and Yanaba — headline each of the other three KSDF splits.

In the mare pace (race three), Tony Alagna trainee Boudoir Hanover (driven by Todd McCarthy, post three) has been named the 6-5 early favourite after staving off Ainthesamewithoutu (Tony Hall, post nine, 4-1) by a nose in the third round, while second-leg winner Queen Of Success (Andy McCarthy, post eight) — another Alagna trainee — is the 5-1 third choice in the field of nine.

Yet another member of the Alagna Armada headlines the male pace (race six): I Did It Myway (Andy McCarthy, post seven) is the even-money morning line favourite after exacting revenge on All Or Nothing (Dave Palone, post one, 7-2) with a 1:49.2 win in round three following a narrow miss the week before.

In the mare trot (race seven), track record holder Yanaba (John MacDonald, post five), who scorched the Oak Grove oval in 1:52 in the third round, seeks her third preliminary win. The Jack Rice trainee is the 7-5 early choice over first-leg winner Eternal Lee (Andy McCarthy, post seven, 2-1), who gave futile chase to Yanaba for runner-up honours in each of the two most recent legs.

Oak Grove hosts live harness racing through July 4. Following Sunday and Monday programs this week, the weekly schedule expands to three days beginning the week of May 28-30, when Tuesdays are added. Daily first post is 3 p.m. CDT.

Off-track players are invited to visit the Oak Grove website at oakgrovegaming.com for full-card commentary from racing analyst Ray Cotolo prior to each card, along with trip notes, replays and other pertinent handicapping resources.

(Oak Grove)