Owned by Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, the 9-year-old Western Hanover-Luv's For Ever gelding was driven to victory by Yannick Gingras. The winner's share of the purse improved his 2013 earnings to $68,550.
Oil Magnet got away fourth as stablemate Killer Quakes took the field to the opening quarter in a swift :26.4. Veal Marsala brushed to the point as the pacers moved down the backstretch and he tripped the half-mile beam in :55.1.
Oil Magnet was out and moving past the half and he powered past the leader on the final turn and hit the three-quarter pole in 1:24.3. From there Gingras kept his pacer alive and Oil Magnet held off the late charge of Boiler Bob The QB (David Miller) to score by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.1. Four Starz Q was third for Eric Carlson.
"He's a little bit of a tricky horse," said driver Yannick Gingras. "You have to make him do his work. I really, really like him, you just have to know his quirks a little bit.
"I was coming first up, but I wasn't overloaded with pace. He just keeps going. He's a very, very nice horse.
"I cleared at the top of the stretch and I thought he was gone. But in the stretch he'd kind of sit on me a little bit and then I'd ask him again. It was just a matter of getting him going."
Burke, Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi acquired Oil Magnet in early December. Prior to joining Burke’s stable, Oil Magnet had won three of six starts at The Meadows, where Burke is based.
"He's probably a $50,000 claimer racing against 15s and 20s (in this series)," said Burke. "He's just a little bit better than these I think right now, so I'm going to give him a chance to move up in class and find out."