After his 1:51.3 victory on opening day, Low Rider will face a tougher test in this week's $30,000 USD Open Pace at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday, March 31 as Midwestern stalwart Muskateer Hanover is primed for his five-year-old debut.
Muskateer Hanover last year won Running Aces' Dan Patch, took his 1:48.3 lifetime mark in an Open Pace at Harrah's Hoosier Park and ended his season with respectable third-place efforts in the Dayton Pacing Derby and a division of the Allerage. The Sweet Lou-Marinade Hanover gelding will make his seasonal bow off a pair of victorious qualifiers over the Oak Grove oval. Veteran reinsman Peter Wrenn has been tapped to drive Muskateer Hanover, who has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favourite, for trainer Wayne Oke.
Low Rider, who used a steady grind to edge Later Dudes by a half length in last week's Open, is the 5-2 second choice with Marvin Luna once again enlisted to drive the five-year-old Downbytheseaside-Warrawee Kay gelding for trainer Walter Haynes Jr.
Ron Burke trainee Later Dudes, who was just edged as the even-money favourite, retains Trace Tetrick and is the 3-1 third choice.
Completing Monday's Open field are Congressional, Tip Top Cat and This Kit Rocks.
The Open kicks off a $1 Pick-4, comprising races eight through 11 on the 12-race program.
In the sub-featured $22,000 USD Open 2 Pace, Nuclear will step up from a high-level conditioned win to take on six rivals for the Tetrick-Burke tandem. The four-year-old Always B Miki-Cantgetenuffofyou gelding has been installed as the 5-2 morning line choice.
Through the first week of the meet, Burke sits atop the training standings with three wins. Trey Brinson, David Brooks, Tony Dinges and Nikki Kosciolek have two apiece. There is a three-way tie atop the driving standings as Tetrick, Brandon Bates and Pat Curtin all have four wins apiece.
A pair of 12-race cards, slated for both Monday and Tuesday, April 1, will kick off at 1:45 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Oak Grove; photo of Low Rider winning on March 24)