Oak Grove, KY — Ayr Pioneer GB (Soulofthematter) teamed up with driver-trainer Tony Dinges to put the icing on a record day of harness racing at Oak Grove Racing and Gaming on Monday (May 6).

With the sunset less than two minutes away, Dinges took Dein Spriggs’ Ayr Pioneer GB around the Oak Grove oval in 1:55.3 to win a tight photo finish.

Ayr Pioneer GB earned his first win of the year under the direction of Tony Dinges. Mark Herron photo.

The 9-year-old English bred gelding led at every call by taking command from his six post just before the :27.3 opener and withstood a fierce challenge from the pocket sitting Shes A Live Wire, with Peter Kleinhans in the bike, to score by a head off subsequent panels of :57.1 and 1:26. Stun Gun was third for Shae Vandervort, just a length away after closing fastest of all.

In a post race interview, owner Spriggs related, “He had been a tough luck horse since arriving at Oak Grove and Tony was trying different strategies. Sometimes a horse gets live cover, sometimes he has to go first up, sometimes he draws a bad post and is too far back.

“So, Tony decided on yet another strategy and it worked out this time. The wire came just at the right time.”

The win was the first of the season in 10 starts for Ayr Pioneer GB and pushed his career bounty to $92,621 — $74,960 on U.S. soil since his arrival from Great Britain. The winner rewarded his faithful with a $39.50 dividend for their $2 investment.

The next USHDC performance is scheduled for May 13 with the club preparing to honor the Volunteer Equine Advocates with a donation for their tireless work on behalf of abused and neglected horses.

Since its inception, the USHDC has donated over $300,000 to worthy causes with the generosity of their membership committing all driving earnings in these amateur events earmarked for charitable causes.