Embrace The Grind raced giant and won the $25,000 Open Handicap Trot at Bally’s Dover on Tuesday night (Feb. 7)
Embrace The Grind sprinted quickly off the gate and took early command of the field. Northern Express left and was able to secure the pocket while even-money favourite JL Cruze could not find a seat into the first turn and was parked the entire mile. Embrace The Grind set a wicked opening quarter of :26.4 then trotted a :28.3 second panel to reach the half in :55.2 while Hillexotic moved off the pylons past the three-eighths pole and caught the cover of a parked out JL Cruze.
JL Cruze began to weaken midway down the backstretch and Hillexotic circled three-wide in pursuit of a confident Embrace The Grind, who reached three-quarters in 1:24 and remained loose on the lead into the lane. Northern Express tried in vain to catch the leader along the pylons and Fifty Ways found his best stride late, however, both trotters were unable to reel in Embrace The Grind, who won by two lengths and trotted the mile in 1:53.1. He paid $17.20 for the win. Fifty Ways, who went off at long odds, closed to finished second over Northern Express.
Tony Morgan drove Embrace The Grind, a seven-year-od Keystone Activator gelding owned and trained by Bobby Glassmeyer of Dover, Delaware. The win was the trotter's second in a row and 31st lifetime.
Morgan picked up a driving triple on the betting card.
In the last race, Cash Hudson paid $133.20 and set up a $24,449 trifecta payout. The pentafecta payout returned $10,392.
There will be a Pick 4 carryover of $4,368 into Wednesday’s racing card at Bally’s Dover. Post time is 4:30 p.m.
(With files from Bally's Dover)