A pair of prospects for TheStable and the team of trainer Eric Patalan and driver Anthony MacDonald visited the winner's circle for the second preliminary of Kentucky Sire Stakes for freshmen on Sunday (June 25) at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel.
Pick Pocket (pictured above) opened the card with a near front-stepping tour of the Southwest Kentucky oval to take the $25,000 division for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings in 1:56.2. Driver Anthony MacDonald circled the colt by Walner to the top past a :30.1 first quarter and strolled through middle fractions of :58.3 and 1:28.1 to win under wraps by 1-3/4 lengths over pocket-sitter Lupin K (driven by Andy Miller). G O A T (Atlee Bender) rallied down the center of the track for third and Yo Monty (Verlin Yoder) finished fourth.
Eric Patalan conditions Pick Pocket for TheStable Pick Pocket Group and Hutchison Harness LLC. The colt rebounded from a second-place finish in leg one to deliver on a 1-9 promise and return $2.36 to win.
Arson became the lone freshman to sweep their Kentucky Sire Stakes preliminaries with a 1:53.4 victory in the $25,000 division for pacing colts and geldings. Anthony MacDonald took over the lead with the Eric Patalan pupil after a :27.2 first quarter and stole a breather to a :57 half. Snap Count (John MacDonald) came charging as the tempo quickened up the backside and drew to equal terms with Arson after three-quarters in 1:25.4. Arson held his ground through the lane to maintain a quarter-length lead to the finish over Snap Count. Pocket-sitter Tua Many Captains (Andy Miller) tried to slip through a seam at the inside but settled for third and My Legend (Devon Tharps) took fourth.
A colt by Captaintreacherous, Arson is unbeaten from two starts and races for owners TheStable Arson Group and Hutchison Harness LLC. He paid $2.82 to win.
Trainer-driver Vernon Beachy decimated with his Tactical Landing filly Allegiant in the $25,000 division for trotting fillies. Sent off as the 4-5 favourite, Allegiant slid to the lead and strolled through a clip of :30.2, 1:01.2 and 1:30.1 before saying goodbye to her competition. Allegiant hit the finish 6-1/4 lengths better than pocket-sitter Savannah Sound (Ernie Hendry) while stopping the clock in 1:58.1. Miss Dior (Verlin Yoder) levelled off from a first-over grind to finish third and ABC Letmebe (Joey Putnam) finished fourth.
Ryan Smith owns Allegiant, now unbeaten from one start. She paid $3.74 to win.
Team Miller landed a similar "Orange Crush" job in the $25,000 filly pace with Queen B And Me (Andy Miller), who clocked a 1:55.2 mile and won by five lengths. The daughter of Yankee Cruiser cleared command from the pylon post to a :27.4 first quarter, grabbed a breather to a :58.2 half and began drawing away from her peers to three-quarters in 1:26.4 before sealing the open-length romp. Highway Queen (Joey Putnam) stormed down the center of the track to take second with Muddinup (Devon Tharps) third and even-money favourite Fearless Bettor (Atlee Bender) fourth.
Queen B And Me competes for owners Our Three Sons Stable LLC and Nisonger Stable LLC. She paid $9.76 to win.
Oak Grove also featured a pair of $35,000 Open events on the pace. Trainer Erv Miller swept both undercard features with Im Sir Blake A (1:49.4 winning mile; $4.58 to win) storming from second over to win in the Open Pace and The Pantheist A (1:50.4; $6.58) surviving a first-over push to win the Fillies & Mares Open Pace. Atlee Bender steered both Open winners as part of a hat trick for Erv Miller, who also won later with Wolftrax (1:50.3; $7.18) in a $22,500 conditioned event.
Live harness racing resumes at Oak Grove on Monday with a 10-race card highlighted by a $35,000 Open Trot, carded as Race 5, and a $22,500 Open 2 Trot, carded as Race 9. First-race post time at Oak Grove is 3 p.m. CDT.
(Oak Grove Racing)