John MacDonald powered a 10-to-1 lead. On Monday, April 15 at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel, he continued to grind out the pace and win the $41,096 Open Pace. No Lou Zing was in the lead.
No Lou Zing took over from post three, forcing Shamwow (Brandon Bates) to settle into the pocket for a :26 first quarter. With a fast pace in the middle segments, No Lou Zing kept his opponents at bay. He completed a half in 1:22 and a quarter in :54.4, only giving in to pressure on the backside. After that, MacDonald warded off all challenges in the lane as No Lou Zing straightened and walked decisively to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:50.2. Tony Hall's Muskateer Hanover held second place after a first-over charge, followed by Joey Putnam's This Kit Rocks (third) and Shamwow (fourth). The 9-5 favorite, Devon Tharps' Rocks Shining Star, recovered and locked up at the pegs to finish seventh.
After 89 starts, No Lou Zing has won 26 races and amassed $889,005 in profit. Wayne Oke is the trainer for A Piece Of The Action LLC, the owner of the seven-year-old Sweet Lou gelding. He won by paying $23.18.
In the $41,096 Fillies & Mares co-feature With a strong front-stepping effort, Southwind Bella won the 4-5 chalk in the Open Pace, clocking a time of 1:52.1 miles.
After a first quarter of :27.2, driver Devon Tharps took the lead from Msdinosis Blugrass (Pat Curtin) by floating Southwind Bella off the wings from post seven. After that, Southwind Bella increased her advantage with splits of 57.4 and 1:25.1, eventually winning by a margin of 3-1/2 lengths over Msdinosis Blugrass. After a pylon ride, Better Double Flip (Lewayne Miller) almost missed and finished third, while Illusion Seelster (John MacDonald) finished fourth.
For owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Bridgette Jablonsky, and Lombardo / Green Racing, Ron Burke trains Southwind Bella, a four-year-old mare by Huntsville. After 27 attempts, she won her tenth race and took home $273,749 in earnings. To win, Southwind Bella had to pay $3.96.