Oak Grove, KY – After winning both of their respective preliminary divisions, Bath Bomb and Women Layer look to cap sweeps in the Kentucky Sire Stakes series for 4-year-olds as Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel hosts a quartet of $100,000 championship events on a special Sunday (May 11) card.
In the 4-year-old mare pace, carded as the opener of the 13-race card, Bath Bomb has drawn the pole in the field of seven following 1:50.4 and 1:50.1 wins over Asweetbeachhere in preliminary action. Andy McCarthy will drive the six-time-winning daughter of Lather Up, who has been installed the 8-5 morning line favorite, for trainer Per Engblom and Morrison Racing Stables.
Women Layer will have to do a bit more work in the 4-year-old male pace, programmed as race seven, having drawn post eight after registering odds-on wins in both preliminary rounds. The Sweet Lou gelding defeated Lou Hill (Dexter Dunn, post five, 5-1) by 4-3/4 lengths in round one and Better Is Nice (Andy McCarthy, post two, 4-1) by 1-1/2 lengths in round two to earn 7-5 early favoritism. Todd McCarthy will drive the 14-time winner for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables, Douglas Overhiser, Jeff Fought Racing and Larry Wills.
The mare trot (race four) sees Carter Pinske trainee Woman of Passion (Todd McCarthy, post four, 7-5) look to build on a seven-length, 1:53 win in round two, and the male trot (race eight) shapes up as a showdown between Nancy Takter student Bargain (Dunn, post three, 8-5) and Pinske pupil Convoy Hall (David Miller, post seven, 3-1), both of whom won one preliminary and finished second in the other.
The undercard features a pair of $33,000 Open Handicap Paces, one for fillies and mares (race two) and one for horses and geldings (race nine).
First post is 1:45 p.m. (CDT). For free past performance pages and expanded analysis from Ray Cotolo, visit oakgrovegaming.com.