Charlie May Prevails, Yankee B Something Upsets in Oak Grove Opening Day Opens
OAK GROVE, Ky. — Double millionaire Charlie May took full advantage of a pair of scratches in the $30,000 Open Handicap Pace on opening day (Monday, March 23) at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel and overcame the outermost draw for a pillar-to-post win.
Moving two slots inside into post 6, Charlie May (driven by Marvin Luna) zipped for the lead and pocketed 6-5 chalk Captain Arturovico (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) heading past a :27.3 first quarter. Luna then coasted on the point to a :56 half and continued comfortably up the backstretch with minimal challenge looming to three-quarters in 1:24.2. Charlie May stayed on the muscle through the final turn and accelerated for home as Captain Arturovico angled out of the pocket to no avail. Tip Top Cat (Marcus Miller) meanwhile roared from last with a furious charge down the center of the track that proved menacing until the final strides, where Charlie May held his ground and kept a neck in front to the end of a 1:52.1 mile. Captain Arturovico finished level in third while Hazardos (Brandon Bates) saved ground at the pylons to take fourth.
Charlie May, an 8-year-old gelding by McArdle, collected his second win from eight starts this season and his 36th victory from 112 starts in his career, pushing his earnings to $2,442,869 for owner-breeder Don Tiger. Sent the second choice in the betting, he paid $6.38 to win.
Yankee B Something scored the lone double-digit surprise on the opening day card with a well-timed blitz by driver Geremy Bobbitt to land a 9-1 upset in the $30,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace earlier in the card. Bobbitt settled into last in the quintet while 4-5 favorite Aintnothingucando (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) pushed to carve a :27.4 first quarter for the lead. As she maintained her speed to a :55.3 half, Bobbitt pulled Yankee B Something off the pylons and swiftly advanced up the rim to roll from last to the leader’s throat passing three-quarters in 1:24.4. Yankee B Something persisted through the turn and overhauled Aintnothingucando before springing away in the lane to register a two-length win in 1:52.1. Tarshish (Marcus Miller) shook free from a pocket trip but gave chase for second while Bonitas Best Bet (Marvin Luna) weaved off a ground-saving trip for third and Aintnothingucando tired to fourth.
Jimmy Watson trains Yankee B Something, a 6-year-old mare by Always B Miki, for owner Douglas Davis. The mare won her first race from three starts this season and her 16th race from 86 starts in her career, good for $324,028 in earnings. She paid $20.98 to win.
Racing resumes at Oak Grove on Tuesday (March 24) with a 13-race card headlined by the $30,000 Open Trot in Race 2. First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:10 p.m. (CDT).
