Oak Grove, KY — It’s tough to grab a headline when Oak Grove Racing and Gaming’s power duo of Kevin Mack and Cara Collins put on a stakes laden racing program offering over $400,000 in purses. But Mack and Collins made sure that the United States Harness Driving Club put their donation to the Safe Harbor Sanctuary on the centerstage as well.

USHDC President Dein Spriggs (left) was joined in the winner’s circle by Safe Harbor Sanctuary’s Executive Director Elizabeth Howe and volunteers as the club honored their heroic work with Standardbreds. Mark Herron photo.

USHDC President Dein Spriggs said, “I can’t say enough great things of Kevin and Cara as they put on on a racing program that received attention throughout the industry today and we were not forgotten in our club’s efforts to enhance harness racing’s goodwill efforts.”

The club honored the Safe Harbor Sanctuary with a $1,000 donation in honor of their mission and community outreach programs in providing sanctuary for horses highlighted by seminars, clinics, community events and trail rides with “Sanctuary Sundays” coming soon.

“It’s just a marvelous organization and the USHDC applauds their work,” continued Spriggs, “and we hope to be able to contribute to their success for a long, long time!”

Elizabeth Howe, Executive Director of Safe Harbor Sanctuary, related, “This was a very special day for so many of us. Instead of rescuing a Standardbred, we got to see them race.

“From the starting gate rides to the announcer’s booth and everything in between — even the late day thunderstorm — this was a memorable event for all of us. We’ve been doing this for 11 years and this has reinforced our love for the Standardbred.”

As for the USHDC action over the slick Oak Grove Racing and Gaming oval, the 9-year-old gelding Dowahs Boy (American Gigolo) got picture perfect handling from Peter Kleinhans to score in 1:55.4.

In this hard fought affair, Dowahs Boy hit the line 1-1/4 lengths up on Shes A Fireball, handled by Cassidy Whitton, with Ayr Pioneer GB, teamed with Spriggs, next after cutting some sharp fractions of :26.4 and :57.3 only to be confronted by the winner at the third station in 1:26, fighting tooth and nail until edging clear in the final stages with Shes A Fireball closing sharply to grab place honors.

Trained by Gary Campbell for owner Nakkia Whitman, it was the second win of the season for Dowahs Boy and turned out to be a milestone one, vaulting him over the $100,000 mark in career earnings, now at $104,707.

Klenihans, meanwhile, earned his 73rd lifetime win with this success, becoming his best season ever in terms of purse earnings (for charitable distribution) going back 37 seasons.

The winner, by the way, paid $6.20 as the second choice in the wagering.

The USHDC has donated over $320,000 to worthy charitable causes since its inception, due to the generosity of its members donating 100 percent of their driving earnings in these races for charity.