by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — On another night where the track bias favored speed horses, MJGB Racing Stable’s Oxford Grad (Eric Ledford) came from out of it and powered past to capture Friday night’s $14,100 ninth race feature at Maywood Park.

Maywood Park Photo

Oxford Grad (number five, Eric Ledford) got up in the last stride to nip number one Pointshaver and number four Tiny Hope in Maywood Park’s Friday night feature.

Oxford Grad’s neck victory in 1:55¹ was his fifth season’s triumph on the circuit’s half-mile track. The Dave McCaffrey-trainee raced three-wide from the last quarter on and nailed the 7-5 favorite Pointshaver (Tony Morgan) in the final strides. Tiny Hope (Dave Magee) raced first up from the half and was only a nose short of the runner-up spot.

“This horse really raced well tonight,” said winning driver Eric Ledford. “He kind of likes a trip, but he went a real gutsy trip in here, and was pacing all the way to the wire.”

Pointshaver took advantage of the one slot and out sprinted number six Paragon Of Virtue for the lead. After a brisk :27 first quarter, Morgan was able to back down his four-year-old gelding and got away with soft middle quarters of :30 and :29¹ with Tiny Hope outside of him.

Oxford Grad settled into fifth in the early going and by the half was in sixth place, almost five lengths off the pacesetter with two horses ahead of him on the outside. Ledford decided to take his horse three deep and Oxford Grad responded with a winning :28² final panel in the ninth race claiming event for horses with price tags from $35,000 to $40,000.

Oxford Grad has now banked $46,274 this season for his Suffern, New York owners. The Oxford Fella offspring’s career earnings now stand at $256,197.

The 3-1 second choice in the betting Les Nomades went off stride before the start and was never a factor in his last race for the Tom Harmer Stable. Trainer Ken Rucker claimed the four-year-old state-bred gelding for $43,750.