Alagna doubles in $50,000 Oak Grove series prelims

OAK GROVE, KY — Harness racing trainer Tony Alagna swept both pacing divisions of the first round of the Kentucky Standardbred Development Fund series for 4-year-olds when I Did It Myway and Boudoir Hanover powered to victory in their respective $50,000 events on Sunday (April 23) at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel. Iwon’t Backdown As and Eternal Lee won the trotting divisions.

In the mare pace, carded as race four, Boudoir Hanover (Captaintreacherous) overcame a wide journey and stalled cover to register a 1:52.4 score in her seasonal debut. The mare and driver Todd McCarthy got away eighth in the overflow field of 10 from their second row starting spot while stablemate Dont Fence Me In (driven by Scott Zeron) worked to clear Msdinosis Bluegrass through a :26.2 first quarter.

With just over a lap to go, Boudoir Hanover moved fourth-over but remained in eighth place through middle splits of :56 and 1:24.1 before being forced three-wide around the weakening Always Gonna B You in the outer tier while Galinaruckus applied stern first-over pressure. Boudoir Hanover fanned four-wide turning for home and cascaded to the lead in the final 40 yards, putting 1-1/4 lengths on runner-up and fellow Alagna pupil Style For A Mile (Dexter Dunn), who pushed three-wide off the home turn. Dont Fence Me In finished third.

Riverview Racing, Alagna Racing, Caviart Farms, and Plouffe and Head own Boudoir Hanover, now a nine-time winner with $870,338 in career purse earnings. She paid $4.64 to win as the 6-5 favorite.

The Alagna Armada’s sweep of the trifecta in the mare pace came just one race after sweeping the exacta in the male pace, which was carded as race three. I Did It Myway (Captaintreacherous) and Andy McCarthy took a more direct path to the winner’s circle, grinding forward wide of three other leavers to clear for control past a :27.2 first quarter and maintaining it through splits of :55.2 and 1:23 before edging two lengths clear of the late-emerging Taurasi (Dunn) to win in 1:50. All Or Nothing (Zeron) was a one-paced third from an earned pocket.

I Did It Myway has now won 13 times in his career and has amassed $893,403 for Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Dan Latore, and Alagna and Fodera Racing. He paid $4.24 to win.

Favorites prevailed in both trotting divisions, as well. In the male trot, which opened the 11-race program, ACL Stuteri Ab and Kjell Johansson’s Iwon’t Backdown As (Lionhunter) parried a late challenge from Majestic J to win in 1:57.4. Tony Hall drove the gelding for trainer Anette Lorentzon. He paid $3.74 to win.

The mare trot, carded as race seven, saw Andy McCarthy complete a stakes driving double when Eternal Lee (Southwind Frank) sustained a first-over push to wear down pacesetter Disclosure and evade Pioneer As to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:54.2. Roger Cullipher trains the mare for Murray Ferguson Jr. She paid $2.96 to win.

The second preliminary leg of the series is slated for May 1; all four $150,000 finals will take place on May 29.

Live racing at Oak Grove resumes Monday (April 24) with a 13-race card. First post is 3 p.m. CDT (4 p.m. EDT).

For complete race results, click here.

From Oak Grove Racing