Abscess won't keep OK Commander out of Pace

Trainer Gregg McNair told harnessracing.com Monday morning that despite an abscess in one of OK Commander’s feet discovered about 90 minutes after he won his Meadowlands Pace elimination last Saturday night, the colt will be entered for this Saturday’s $1 million final. Post positions—with the connections of the three elim winners choosing their spots—will be drawn Wednesday afternoon.

“He’s pretty sound today and will jog tomorrow,” McNair said from his Ontario farm of OK Commander, who won his Pace elim in a career-best 1:47.4 for driver Brian Sears. “He was good and lame when he left the track the other night. We x-rayed him yesterday and there was nothing broke.”

McNair said the abscess caused one change in plans for the week as he decided to leave OK Commander in New Jersey rather than bringing him back to his farm.

“We were figuring on bringing him home and then they thought they didn’t ship him in case it was a cracked bone. It wasn’t at all, but he’ll still stay down there.”

McNair said he gave an OK Commander update to Sears earlier Monday morning, and that he expects the Meadowlands’ leading driver to be back in the sulky Saturday for the rich final.

“I think (OK Commander) will be alright and we’re figuring on racing him,” he added.

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