Trainer Jay Hochstetler ventured to Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel with a loaded trio on the Tuesday, March 31 card that all found the winner's circle including stable star Ponda Jet, who took the $41,667 Open Handicap Trot in his six-year-old bow as the even-money favourite.

Driver Kyle Wilfong launched Ponda Jet (pictured above) to the point out of post eight into a :27 first quarter and settled into rhythm heading to a :56 half. Cecil Hanover (Devon Tharps) lifted out of third for a first-up attack in the backside and applied unrelenting pressure to three-quarters in 1:23.4 and all through the last turn. Ponda Jet endured the challenge in the stretch and remained resolute to the finish in to keep a quarter-length up on Cecil Hanover in second while Big Shoes (Joey Putnam) rallied from mid-pack for third. The winning time was 1:52.3.

Ponda Jet, a gelded son of Dover Dan and Pondas Lucky Lady, collected his sixth victory in a row after winning five straight to cap his five-year-old season. The win is the 35th in his career from 77 starts and he has now amassed $946,568 in earnings for owners Connie Hochstetler of Pinehurst, North Carolina, Robert Buddig of Hinsdale, Illinois and Allen Schwartz of Chicago, Illinois.

Ponda Jet paid $4.24 to win. 

Hochstetler bookended the feature win by Ponda Jet with a 1:55.2 victory earlier on the card by Ponda Thirty ($5.18) in a conditioned pacing event and later won a conditioned trot with General Grant ($7.16) in a 1:53.4 romp. They were also driven by Wilfong.

Live harness racing at Oak Grove resumes on Monday, April 6. First-race post time is 1:10 p.m. (CDT).

(With files from Oak Grove)