Oak Grove, KY — Driver Tony Hall struck with Dale Yeah as the iron cooled and mounted a successful blitz to storm home to a 1:50.1 win in the $40,000 Open Pace at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Sunday afternoon (July 13).
Leaving from post four in the field scratched to five, Hall settled into third early as 3-5 favorite Later Dudes (Devon Tharps) hustled forward to take the lead into a :26.4 first quarter. As Later Dudes dialed back the tempo to a :56.1 half, Hall lifted Dale Yeah into action and thrusted towards the leader on the move to the backstretch. Dale Yeah surged to put a head in front of Later Dudes and kept a slight advantage to the outside on the sprint to three-quarters in 1:23.1. Later Dudes wavered from the pressure turning for home while Dale Yeah scurried farther away from the competition, crossing the line 2-1/2 lengths in front. Tip Top Cat (Pat Curtin) rallied from a second-over ride for second with Later Dudes holding third and Out To Get Lucky (Tony Dinges) taking fourth.
A 4-year-old gelding by Tellitlikeitis, Dale Yeah matched his lifetime-best performance in collecting his fourth win from 12 starts this season and his tenth victory from 33 starts in his career. Wayne Oke trains the winner of $276,320 for owners Mulligan Stables and Calcutta Stable LLC. He paid $6.24 to win.
Angel Hill (Joey Putnam) successfully invaded Oak Grove from her homebase in Indiana to reap the spoils of the $40,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace. Putnam powered the 5-year-old daughter of Racing Hill to the lead from post 8 through a :26 first quarter and cruised through a hot but steady tempo of :54.1 and 1:22.2. Angel Hill spun for home fatigued, but Putnam kept the inside locked for long enough to stave off pocket-sitter Bath Bomb (Devon Tharps) by three-quarter lengths at the end of a 1:51.2 mile. Jada Caroline (Atlee Bender) continued pushing from a first-over grind for third while Yankee B Something (Marcus Miller) rallied from second over for fourth.
Tyler George trains Angel Hill, a seven-time winner from 10 races this season and a 16-time winner from 38 starts in her career, for owner Thunder Racing Stables Inc. She has now earned $163,840 in her career and paid $5.02 to win.
Trainer Erv Miller, seeking to repeat as leading trainer at Oak Grove, further solidified his spot atop the standings with three wins on Sunday. He sent Fox Valley Jasmine (Marcus Miller, 1:53.1 winning mile; $2.90 to win), Gigi’s Dream (Marcus Miller, 1:52; $2.40) and Number Cruncher (Marcus Miller, 1:51.1; $2.76) to victories on the 13-race card.
Racing continues at Oak Grove on Monday (July 14) with eight finals of Kentucky Sire Stakes for 2- and 3-year-olds of both gaits and sexes, with total purses for that day close to $1-million. Monday’s card — the penultimate of the 2025 season — also features a $10,000 guaranteed pool in the 20-cent Pick 5, which starts in Race 4, spurred by a carryover worth $1,962.04. First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:25 p.m. (CDT). For free past performances and more information on Oak Grove, visit oakgrovegaming.com.