Oak Grove, KY — Jimmy Watson trainee Yankee B Something once again flexed her might over the pacing mares at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel with a forceful 1:50.3 victory on a speed mission in the featured $30,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap on Monday (April 13).
Leaving from post 4, driver Geremy Bobbitt hustled Yankee B Something forward into a pocket spot behind Aintnothingucando (driven by Brandon Bates) passing a :25.4 first quarter. Bobbitt promptly vacated the pocket and circled Yankee B Something to the lead, settling on the point before a :54.4 half. Yankee B Something strolled up the backside and remained game once Tarshish (Marcus Miller) mounted her first-over attack from third marching to three-quarters in 1:22.2. Tarshish dug into Yankee B Something all through the last turn but Bobbitt kept his charge chugging to the pylons and held her ground in a three-way stretch sprint for the win. Lyin’ Eyes (Joey Putnam) launched from a second-over trip for second, beaten a quarter length, with Tarshish settling for third between horses. Jk’s Shining Star (Marvin Luna) came from last for fourth.
Yankee B Something collected her second win from five starts this season – her other a 1:52.1 win in the Fillies and Mares Open Pace on opening week – and her 17th victory from 88 starts in her career. She has now earned $339,028 for owner Doug Davis and returned $11.76 to win.
Regally bred Banderas (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) later delivered in the co-featured $25,000 Open 2 Handicap Pace. A 4-year-old stallion by Tall Dark Stranger out of Breeders Crown champion Reflect With Me, Banderas sustained a first-over grind in the back half to overhaul longshot pacesetter Speaking Volumes (Josert Fonseca) in the final strides for a 1:51.4 win as the 4-5 favorite with Fox Valley Langley (Geremy Bobbitt) rallying from second over for second. The Ron Burke trainee collected his seventh win from 34 starts and has now banked $223,634. He competes for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Frank Canzone, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Joe Di Scala Jr, and he paid $3.64 to win.
Racing at Oak Grove resumes on Tuesday (April 14) with a 12-race card headlined by the $30,000 Open Handicap Trot in the seventh race. The $1 Pick 4, with a takeout of just 15 percent, also has a carryover going into Tuesday worth $2,217.08. The Pick 4 sequence covers Races 6-9.
First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:10 p.m.