Driver Marcus Miller perched Yankee B Something into a two-hole ride and pounced on the money to cash at odds of 14-1 in the $68,493 Fillies & Mares Open Pace at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday, July 8.
Miller sent Yankee B Something forward from post five for the front and yielded for a ride behind odds-on favourite Hungry For Love (Devon Tharps) past a :26.1 first quarter. Hungry For Love then coasted along through a :55.2 half and to three-quarters in 1:23 as she and Yankee B Something scooted well clear of the competition turning for home. Miller angled Yankee B Something outside for the stretch drive, gathered momentum and surged past Hungry For Love in the final yards to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:51.1 while Marloe Hanover (Joey Putnam) rallied off a parked mile to finish third, another three lengths behind, and Ainthesamewithoutu (Marvin Luna) took fourth.
Jimmy Watson trains Yankee B Something, a four-year-old daughter of Always B Miki, for owner Douglas Davis. She won her 11th race from 43 starts and has now banked $189,593. Yankee B Something paid $30.02 to win.
The Christian County 4-H Club, part of the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University information network, was the beneficiary to the tune of $2,740 as the United States Harness Driving Club (USHDC) honoured its important work with a presentation at Oak Grove. The club's programs, available in Christian County, include 4-H Youth Development, Agricultural and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, Horticulture and Community and Economic Development.
In making the presentation, USHDC President Dein Spriggs said, “This is an incredible educational resource for all Kentuckians and serves as an important catalyst to build better communities and quality of life. Their all important work helps develop youth, adults, families and communities while fostering lifelong use of natural resources.
“They are an amazing organization that seems to have the spirit that nothing is impossible and there is ‘always a way’ to help and the USHDC has the honour of donating to their important work!”
Speaking of finding “always a way,” on the racetrack for the USHDC race, the aptly named favourite Always A Way took charge at the opening marker in :28, repelled a challenge at the half in :56.1 and went unthreatened the rest of the way, posting a three-quarter time of 1:25.3 en route to a handy win in 1:56.2 for owner, trainer and driver William Aldrich. Elocutionist (Roy Marohn), off at 65-1, finished second, 1-1/2 lengths away, with Allgonowhoa (Gary Campbell) third.
Aldrich, who drives only sparingly, earned his first win since July 23, 2015 at Lebanon Raceway with Feelin Colossal in an Ohio stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies. It was his 25th career win since his career debut in 1988.
The winner went off at 46 cents to a dollar and paid $2.92 to win.
Live harness racing resumes at Oak Grove on Tuesday, July 9 with a 12-race card starting at 3 p.m. (CDT). Tuesday's card will feature a carryover in the Early Pick 5, starting in Race 1, worth $830.47. Free program pages for every race day, courtesy of TrackMaster, are available on the Oak Grove Racing website
(With files from Oak Grove & USHDC)