OAK GROVE, KY — Harness racing trainer Melanie Wrenn took top honors on Tuesday’s (June 20) Western Kentucky State Fair program at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming and Hotel, accounting for three of the afternoon’s 17 harness racing winners in Kentucky Proud Series competition.
Summer Getaway (Swan For All-Sweet Summer) kicked off Wrenn’s hat trick with a 1:59 win in a $12,000 event for 2-year-old trotting fillies, carded as race five. With Peter Wrenn aboard, Summer Getaway cleared from post eight, yielded to 3-5 favorite My Rory, and re-emerged at the top of the stretch to evade a late charge from Noble Nadia by 1-1/4 lengths and pay $10.48 to win.
The Wrenn’s teamed up to win a pair of $9,000 2-year-old colt trot divisions, doing so with Beaueastel ($3.58), a convincing 6-1/4-length winner over Tom’s Muscle in 2:00.2; and Swan Explosion ($8.66), who reeled in 2-5 pacesetter Yo Monty from the pocket to score by 1-1/2 lengths in 2:00.3.
Peter Wrenn kicked off a driving grand slam in the first race on the pari-mutuel card, steering James Avritt Jr. trainee Ninja ($2.98) to a 1:56.4 win over Tameudown in a $9,000 event for rookie pacing fillies.
John MacDonald matched Wrenn with four driving wins on the day, sweeping the Early Pick-3 with 3-year-old pacing filly Sugar Britches ($3.12, 1:53.1), 3-year-old trotting filly Cessna Pride ($4.98, 1:56.1) and 3-year-old trotting gelding Ahadi As ($8.86, 1:57.2) before capturing the penultimate race of the day with 2-year-old pacing filly Js Kryptonite ($17.32, 1:56.4).
Rico Johnson’s Ifudntnomebynow ($2.90) turned in the fastest mile of the day, defeating Sure Thing Captain in a 3-year-old male pace by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:52.3 with trainer Randy Crisler at the helm. The trotting speed badge went to Yo Tater ($2.42), whom owner-trainer-driver Verlin Yoder teamed to a 1:55.1 score in a sophomore male trot.
Other winners on the program were 2-year-old male trotter Mont Saint Michel (2:03, Joey Putnam), 2-year-old trotting filly House Of Love (2:01, Julien Dubois), 2-year-old male pacer Designated Freak (1:54.1, Yoder), 3-year-old trotting filly Cupid Express (1:57.3, Carson Conrad), 3-year-old male pacers Folsom Prison (1:55, Charlie Conrad) and Speaking Volumes (1:55.2, Carson Conrad), and 3-year-old pacing filly Equuls Sequel (1:54.3, Kevin Wallis).
Racing at Oak Grove resumes on Sunday (June 25), with a nine-race card slated to begin at 3 p.m. CDT (4 p.m. EDT).
For complete race results, click here.
From Oak Grove Racing