Joinem Tallies at Fair Grounds

Henry Pabst’s  Joinem, allowed to settle early, rallied boldly when set down for the drive and was up to best Louie Roussel III’s Tight Grip by a length and a quarter in Thursday’s $49,000 allowance optional claiming feature at about 1 1/16-miles over Fair Grounds’ Stall-Wilson turf course.

Trained by David Carroll, Joinem closed with a rush outside the field under a confident ride by Shaun Bridgmohan, accomplished the distance in 1:44.31 over a grass course rated good and increased his career earnings to $78,200 with his third win in five lifetime starts.

Joinem paid mutuels of $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40 as the odds-on choice of the fans.

Tight Grip made the pace with early splits of 24.41 and 49.57, could not stay with the winner when challenged but held on willingly to be clearly second best, finishing a length to the good of Team Block’s Ice Climber.

Tight Grip paid $5.80 and $4.60, and Ice Climber returned $8.80 in the show spot.