Top pacers headline week two at Oak Grove

OAK GROVE, Ky. — After his 1:51.3 harness racing victory on opening day, Low Rider will face a tougher test in Monday’s (March 31) $30,000 Open Pace at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel as Midwestern stalwart Muskateer Hanover (Sweet Lou) is primed for his 5-year-old debut.

Muskateer Hanover — who last year won the $50,000 Dan Patch at Running Aces, took his 1:48.3 lifetime mark in an Open Pace at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, and ended his season with respectable third-place efforts in the Dayton Pacing Derby and a division of the Allerage — makes his seasonal bow off a pair of victorious qualifiers over the Oak Grove oval. Veteran reinsman Peter Wrenn has been tapped to drive the Sweet Lou-Marinade Hanover gelding, who has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite, for trainer Wayne Oke.

Low Rider, who used a steady grind to edge Later Dudes by a half length in last week’s Open, is the 5-2 second choice with Marvin Luna once again enlisted to drive for trainer Walter Haynes Jr.; Ron Burke trainee Later Dudes, who was just edged as the even-money favorite, retains Trace Tetrick and is the 3-1 third choice.

Completing Monday’s Open Pace field are Congressional, Tip Top Cat and This Kit Rocks. The Open kicks off a $1 Pick-4, comprising races 8-11 on the 12-race program.

The sub-featured $22,000 Open 2 Pace sees Nuclear step up from a high-level conditioned win to take on six rivals for the Tetrick-Burke tandem. The 4-year-old Always B Miki-Can’tgetenuffofyou gelding has been installed as the 5-2 morning line choice.

Through the first week of the meet, Burke sits atop the training standings with three wins; Trey Brinson, David Brooks, Tony Dinges and Nikki Kosciolek have two apiece. There is a three-way tie atop the driving standings: Tetrick, Brandon Bates and Pat Curtin all have four wins apiece.

A pair of 12-race cards, slated for both Monday and Tuesday (April 1), will kick off at 1:45 p.m. (CDT).First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:45 p.m. (CDT). For more information on Oak Grove, visit oakgrovegaming.com.

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

from Oak Grove Racing Publicity