Trainer Todd Luther and owner Greg Luther snagged the pair of Open events at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday, May 18 with a repeat victory at long odds by Burnout in the $41,096 Open Handicap Pace and a comfortable victory in the $41,096 Fillies & Mares Open Handicap Pace by Breeders Crown winner Always B Naughty.
Leaving from post eight with a scratch in the race, Burnout and driver Josert Fonseca landed in last while Funtime Bayama (Marcus Miller), Muskateer Hanover (Geremy Bobbitt) and Swaggy Cal (Austin Hanners) skirmished for the lead to a :25.4 first quarter. Swaggy Cal settled for the pocket to Funtime Bayama while Muskateer Hanover persisted on the outside to eventually clear command just passing a :54 half. At that point, Admiral Hill (Atlee Bender), the 7-5 favourite, floated off the pylons from fifth and flushed cover from Night Hawk (Devon Tharps) heading for the backstretch. Burnout remained last as Night Hawk pressed forward to challenge Muskateer Hanover to three-quarters in 1:21.3.
The pair stayed embroiled in battle around the last turn while Tip Top Cat (Marvin Luna) lunged three-wide to lead the backfield charge spinning for home. A Cool Moment (Joey Putnam) soon surfaced off his back to dart for the lead in the stretch until Fonseca ripped down the center of the track with Burnout, building ample momentum to strike a nose blow on A Cool Moment at the finish in 1:50.2 with Admiral Hill weaving through traffic for third and Tip Top Cat settling for fourth.
Burnout, a six-year-old gelding by Racing Hill-Sangaal, won his fifth race from 12 starts this season and his 22nd race from 80 starts in his career, putting his earnings at $556,047. He paid $28.20 to win.
Always B Naughty, driven by Austin Hanners, hit the track a few races later for her dominant 1:50.2 win at odds of 2-5. Hanners hustled the Luther pupil to the lead through a :25.4 first quarter and slowed the pace once in control to grab a breather to a :56 half. She quickened easily up the backstretch to three-quarters in 1:23.1 and rolled through the remainder under wraps over pocket-sitter Yankee B Something (Geremy Bobbitt). Bonitas Best Bet (Brandon Bates) forged first-over for third and Lyin Eyes (Joey Putnam) closed from second over for fourth.
A six-year-old mare by Always B Miki-Ooh Shesa Badlands, Always B Naughty won her first race in her second start of the year and her 19th race from 64 starts in her career, lifting her earnings to $1,111,381. She paid $2.82 to win.
The Luthers won one other race on the 13-race card to give them a hat trick on the day. They shipped Prolific Fire ($3.30) down from Ohio to take a comfortable 1:50.2 win in a $27,397 conditioned pace with Hanners in the bike.
The Monday Pick 4 put together a lucrative experience for horseplayers with a $17,000 USD carryover from the Oak Grove Trotting Derby card on Saturday, May 16 that drew $66,060.36 USD in new money -- a record amount bet in a single pool at Oak Grove. A sequence with winners at odds of 1-1, 8-5, 7-2 and 18-1 resulted in a payoff of $1,202.91 USD for a $1 mutuel, nearly two-and-a-half times better than the dollar parlay.
Live racing resumes at Oak Grove on Tuesday, May 19 with a 14-race card headlined by a $30,000 USD Open Handicap Trot, carded as race seven. First-race post time is 1:10 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Oak Grove; photo of Burnout winning on May 18)