Both odds-on favourite Tip Top Cat and Yankee B Something, sent off as the fourth choice in the betting, returned to the Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel winner's circle in their respective $41,096 top-class affairs on Monday, April 20.
Driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. mustered speed from Tip Top Cat and kept the Ron Burke pupil to task for an authoritative 1:50.4 victory in the Open Handicap Pace. Tip Top Cat cleared to command out of post five past a :27.1 first quarter, pocketing 48-1 shot Hazardos (Brandon Bates) in front of the stands, and remained in gear as the tempo steadied slightly to a :55.3 half. Bates plotted a move out of the pocket but quickly ducked back to the pylons on the backstretch as Tip Top Cat hit the accelerator. Admiral Hill (Atlee Bender) attempted to climb into the mix uncovered on the rim marching by three-quarters in 1:23 but levelled off in his bid spinning for home while Hazardos swung out of the pocket to take an ultimately futile swing at the leader. Tip Top Cat scooted away from his competition under a firm hold by Wrenn to post a two-length victory over Hazardos with Admiral Hill holding third.
A six-year-old gelding by Always B Miki-Western Top Cat, Tip Top Cat won for the 15th time in 82 starts in his career and has now banked $821,526. He competes for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Canzone and Larry Karr. Sent off as the 2-5 favourite, he paid $2.84 to win.
Jimmy Watson trainee Yankee B Something (Geremy Bobbitt) strutted her usual speed and retained the throne against the top pacing mares on the grounds with a 1:51.4 front-stepping effort in the Fillies and Mares Open Pace. Bobbitt planted Yankee B Something on the lead out of post two to a :27.1 first quarter and got her a breather to the half in :56.2, then gradually accelerated on the backstretch. Lyin Eyes (Joey Putnam) mounted a first-over push out of fourth and charged within a length of the leader past three-quarters in 1:24.3, but Yankee B Something stayed resolute to the inside, keeping a half-length in front to win. Aintnothingucando (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) rallied late for third.
Douglas Davis owns Yankee B Something, an 18-time winner from 89 starts with $461,711 in earnings. The six-year-old daughter of Always B Miki-Somethinginawater has now won three Opens at Oak Grove this season. She paid $8.40 to win.
Live racing at Oak Grove resumes on Tuesday with a 12-race card headlined by the $30,000 USD Open Handicap Trot, carded as Race 6. First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:10 p.m. (CDT).
(Oak Grove; photo of Tip Top Cat winning on April 20)