Oak Grove, KY — Trainer Jay Hochstetler ventured away from his usual haunt of Harrah’s Hoosier Park, in Anderson, Ind., down to Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel with a loaded trio on the Tuesday (March 31) card that all found the winner’s circle, including stable star Ponda Jet, who took the $30,000 Open Handicap Trot in his 6-year-old bow as the even-money favorite.
Driver Kyle Wilfong launched Ponda Jet to the point out of post 8 into a :27 first quarter and settled into rhythm heading to a :56 half. Cecil Hanover (driven by Devon Tharps) lifted out of third for a first-up attack in the backside and applied unrelenting pressure to three-quarters in 1:23.4 and all through the last turn. Ponda Jet endured the challenge in the stretch and remained resolute to the finish to keep a quarter length up on Cecil Hanover in second while Big Shoes (Joey Putnam) rallied from mid-pack for third. Drink Up Drink Up (Brandon Bates) saved ground throughout and took fourth.
Ponda Jet, a gelded son of Dover Dan, collected his sixth victory in a row after winning five straight to cap his 5-year-old season. The win is the 35th in his career from 77 starts, and he has now amassed $794,132 in earnings for owners Connie Hochstetler, Robert Buddig and Allen Schwartz. He paid $4.24 to win.
Jay Hochstetler bookended the feature win by Ponda Jet with a 1:55.2 victory earlier in the card by Ponda Thirty (Kyle Wilfong, $5.18 to win) in a conditioned pacing event and later won a conditioned trot in a 1:53.4 romp with General Grant (Kyle Wilfong, $7.16).
Live racing at Oak Grove resumes on Monday (April 6). First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:10 p.m. (CDT).