Oak Grove, KY — An 83-year-old trainer with over a half century of history in harness racing teamed up with a 19-year-old up-and-coming driver to take top honors in the United States Harness Driving Club amateur feature at Oak Grove Racing and Gaming on Monday (April 7).
The trainer, Wayne Oke, had youthful Jesse Barnard in the bike back of the 7-year-old Sweet Lou gelding Pd The Big Easy, who used grit and determination at the end of a 1:54.3 mile to score by a neck over Kizzzmelikeumissme, with Peter Kleinhans in the bike. Sonic Star closed stoutly for Alexandra Sarkine to finish third, just a half-length away.
Leaving from post five, Pd The Big Easy was in an all out war as the wings folded and it took all of the hot :26.4 opening panel for him to take charge and finally clear, putting away the challenge of Scrappin Gold, handled by Zyler Maxwell, with KiIzzzmelikeumissme then securing the garden spot with Sonic Star next.
After subsequent fractions of :55.3 and 1:24.3 thwarting any challenges, the top three fanned out turning for home with that tight finish at the wire.
In a post race interview, Barnard said, “I had never met Mr. Oke before and I got kind of lucky when I was introduced to him. He said, ‘this horse has some class and should be right there with these.’ I asked him about whether he could leave and he said, ‘yes,’ in fact he likes it that way.
“I’m from up at The Meadows way and guys like Ronnie Wrenn and (Aaron) Merriman taught me to ‘leave with authority.’ That’s exactly what I did and he showed me what he had…even after that :26 and a piece opening quarter.
“I really appreciated the drive and I hope he’ll use me again sometime.”
Trainer Oke related, “I thought this horse would fit well here and Jesse drove him very well. I was proud of the way he handled him. I’ve had Pd (The Big Easy) since just about day one and he has some nice credentials. To top it off, it was a nice birthday present for my wife, who is now 81.”
Bred and owned by A Piece Of The Action, this was only the second start of the season for the winner, who now has 29 lifetime wins and a career bankroll of $252,602 to go along with a 1:49 mark at The Red Mile three seasons back. As the favorite at 93 cents to the dollar, Pd The Big Easy rewarded his faithful with a $3.86 mutuel.
The USHDC has been assisting worthwhile charitable organizations with donations since its inception over 25.years ago, improving countless lives in communities, cities and nationwide due to the generosity of the membership donating 100% of their driving earnings in their events.
The contributions will continue next week, April 14, honoring the work of Sanctuary, Inc. for their work in empowering survivors of domestic violence while providing healing, hope and a safe space for those in need.