A jump up in class, didn’t seem to bother King Otra as he won the $11,000 Open Pace in 1:55.4 at Buffalo Raceway Saturday night (April 6).

The win was the fourth win this year for King Otra, who registered 13 wins in 38 starts last year.

King Otra ($6.10), driven by reinsman Dan Noble, settled in second from the rail as eventual second-place finisher and last week’s Open winner Goodnite Goodluck (Kevin Cummings) set all the fractions in the race of :28.1, :58.3, and 1:28.1. Receiving a perfect pocket trip, King Otra swung to outside as the field hit the top of the stretch, and with a :27.2 last quarter-mile, nipped Goodnite Goodluck by a nose at the finish line. Spender Hanover (Ray Fisher Jr.) came in third.

The six-year-old gelded son of Western Hanover is trained by Alec Giuliani and owned by Ronald Louis and Paul Viele, both of Batavia, New York. The $5,500 share of the winning purse put King Otra’s seasonal earnings at $25,797 and lifetime bankroll at $139,370.

Noble and Jack Flanigen shared driving honours with four wins apiece on the card.

Racing will resume on Wednesday April 10, with first post scheduled for 5 p.m. eastern time. The Pick 7 will have a $16,434.63 carryover for Wednesday as no one has hit the wager since the beginning of the meet. It starts in race six.

(With files from Buffalo Raceway)