Drink Up Drink Up comfortably took control past the quarter and moseyed through much of the mile under a confident hold from Brandon Bates to clinch a 1:55.3 win in the featured $41,096 Open Trot on Tuesday, March 24 at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel.

Bates floated forward with the Walter Haynes Jr. trainee to settle for the pocket briefly behind Dp Freedoms Chrome (Marcus Miller) heading to a :27.2 first quarter. Drink Up Drink Up edged outside and brushed to the front before the second turn and slowed the tempo to the half in :57.1. Prince Of Honor (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), the even-money favourite, tipped off the pylons from third and pushed uncovered up the rim on the backstretch, but he idled past three-quarters in 1:26.4. Bates kept a snug grip on his charge entering the last turn, then let the leader loose spinning for home. My Man Peter (Marvin Luna) launched off cover from second-over to close ground late but had to settle for second beaten three-quarters of a length. Dp Freedoms Chrome finished third off the pocket trip.

A six-year-old gelding by Trixton-Homefortheholidays, Drink Up Drink Up took his third win from four starts this season and his 22nd from 84 starts overall, good for $527,312 in earnings. He competes for owners Adam Friedland and Brian Carsey. The gelding paid $5.72 to win as the 9-5 second choice.

Live racing resumes at Oak Grove on Monday, March 30. First-race post time is 1:10 p.m. (CDT). 

(Oak Grove)