Pioneer As prevails in closing day $60,000 Open

OAK GROVE, Ky. — Pioneer As (Devious Man) powered forward from the outermost post and lasted to the line to grab the harness racing victory in the $60,000 Open Trot — the featured race on the closing-day card at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel Tuesday (July 16).

Launching out of post 7, Pioneer As and driver Marvin Luna cleared the lead from pylon-starter The Hazelton (driven by John MacDonald) past a :27.1 first quarter and managed to slow the tempo to a :56.3 half with no challengers immediately looming.

Challenges soon came for Pioneer As to the backstretch from Amigo Volo (Joey Putnam), who raced parked first over and ventured forward. Amigo Volo drew to equal terms with Pioneer As at three-quarters in 1:24.2 but started losing ground through the final turn.

Pioneer As edged back to the lead spinning for home and held firm as Amigo Volo came charging again to just miss in second, beaten a half a length in a 1:52.4 mile. Oh Look Magic (Devon Tharps), following cover from second over, finished third and The Hazelton chased in fourth.

A 5-year-old mare, Pioneer As has now won 14 times from 54 starts and earned $481,968 for owner-breeder ACL Stuteri AB. Anette Lorentzon trains the $6.34 winner.

The contests for leading driver and leading trainer for the 2024 meet at Oak Grove came down to the very last card of the 35-day race season and, in the case of the trainer’s title, down to the last race.

For leading driver, Atlee Bender — still sidelined with a shoulder injury sustained from an accident at Oak Grove on July 2 — had a just-large enough cushion to wade off Marvin Luna with 43 wins to Luna’s 40. Tony Hall, also recovering from injuries but sustained from an accident at Scioto Downs, finished third in the standings with 33 wins. Devon Tharps held fourth with 28 wins and Brandon Bates finished fifth with 24. Bender also won leading driver at Oak Grove in 2023.

A training double for Anette Lorentzon on Tuesday put her in contention for the training title. Down to the last race, Lorentzon then had a chance to tie for leading trainer with reigning champ Erv Miller. Empire Builder won in the last race of the meet for trainer Walter Haynes Jr. to leave Erv Miller secure as the leading trainer of 2024 at Oak Grove. Miller won 34 races through the meet while Lorentzon placed second with 33 wins. Ron Burke finished third with 21 wins while Joe Putnam and Tony Dinges tied for fourth with 16 wins.

Oak Grove set a season’s handle record in 2024, which is just the fourth year the Southwest Kentucky track has been in operation. In 2023, Oak Grove handled just over $7 million over 30 race days. The 2024 season, with 35 race days, handled nearly $10 million with the season total being $9.8 million. From just four years in operation, the season’s handle has risen by roughly 1,000%.

Live racing will resume at Oak Grove in 2025. For more information on simulcast wagering, gaming and entertainment, please visit the website.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

from Oak Grove Racing