Eliminations for the Winning Key Farms Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks highlight this Saturday’s (August 1) race card.

Dining for the Pink buffet is still available, and reservations can be made by calling 201-The-BigM. 

Saturday, August 1 is also the track’s annual seafood food truck festival. Thirty-two vendors will be dishing up some delicious food – everything from lobster rolls, to fried clams to ceviche and crab fries. There will also be plenty of non-seafood items available including BBQ, empanadas, burgers, rice balls and more. Full truck listing can be found here - https://playmeadowlands.com/event/seafood_fest/

Table and dining options are limited for the greatest day in harness racing – Hambletonian Day, Saturday, August 8th. 

Admission is just $5 and includes a commemorative Hambletonian hat for adults and kids. Doors open at 10 am with the first race at 12 noon.  Parking is free.

While Café and Lounge tables have sold out, there are still a few remaining bar seats and promenade tables available for purchase. Bar seating is $75 (the $75 is a food and beverage credit), and promenade tables seat four; admission is included with the $300 ticket.

Admission and promenade tables can be purchased at https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/meadowlandsracetrack/2026-hambletonian.

Those looking for outdoor dining can now make reservations for the West Apron VIP tent. The $74.95 menu includes a fresh corn salad, grilled flank steak, sausage three ways, creamy lemon pasta, BBQ chicken and mac & cheese.  Diners can end the meal with homemade brownies, cookies and ice cream. Reservations can be made by calling 201-TheBigM (843-2446).

Outdoor dining is also available at the Backyard Bar & Grill. The BBQ menu features pulled pork, mac and cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers, and more.  The umbrella-covered tables are $100 and seat 4 people. Tables can be purchased at https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/meadowlandsracetrack/2026-hambletonian.

All things Hambletonian can be found at https://playmeadowlands.com/hambletonian-news/

East Rutherford, NJ – Hambletonian hopefuls Apex and Endurance won their respective divisions of the Grade 3 Stanley Dancer Memorial, for 3-year-old male trotters, on Saturday (July 11) at the Meadowlands, both as favorites and both in 1:52.

The Grade 1 Hambletonian, America’s Trotting Classic for 3-year-olds, is Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands. Eliminations, if necessary, are slated for Aug. 1 at the Big M. Apex is No. 1 in Meadowlands announcer/analyst Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Winning Key Farm Hambletonian rankings while Endurance entered Saturday ranked No. 4.

Marcus Melander-trained Apex fought off stablemate American Power in the stretch before pulling away for a 1-1/2-length win in the second Dancer division, going for a purse of $144,650. Inexpressable finished third.

Long shot Jim Beam led the field to the opening quarter in :28.3 before driver Dexter Dunn moved Apex to the top on their way to the half in :57.2. American Power made a first-over bid on the final turn and, after reaching three-quarters in 1:26, pulled even with Apex in the lane. Apex, though, came home in :26 to secure the victory.

Apex turned on the jets and threw down a :26 final quarter to seal victory in his division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial.

Apex, last year’s divisional Dan Patch Award winner, has won back-to-back starts since a second-place finish by a neck to American Power in his seasonal debut. The son of Walner-Mission Brief has captured eight of 12 career races and earned $1.06 million for owners Jeff Snyder, S R F Stable, and Steve Stewart. The colt was bred by the Mission Brief Stable.

“I think he’s feeling better and better every week now,” Melander said about Apex. “I feel like he’s in good form at this point and I’m looking forward to the next couple weeks here.

“It’s a long season and I don’t want to peak him too early. I’m very happy with how his schedule has been looking so far. I think we’ll just go straight now to the (Hambletonian) eliminations in three weeks.”

Sent off as the 1-9 favorite, Apex paid $2.20 to win.

In the first Dancer division, going for a purse of $145,900, driver Andrew McCarthy and Endurance posted a half-length win over It Could Be Worse with Silverstein another half length back in third.

Endurance posted his third win in a row with his 1:52 score in the Stanley Dancer Memorial. Lisa Photo.

It Could Be Worse went to the front from post 7 in a :28.2 opening quarter before McCarthy put Endurance in motion from third and grabbed the lead on the way to a :57.3 half. Nix Nacken, who had been parked out from the start, pulled alongside Endurance as they reached three-quarters in 1:25.2, but Endurance turned away that challenge before keeping It Could Be Worse and Silverstein at bay through the stretch.

Endurance, a son of Captain Corey-Love Session, has four wins in five starts this season for trainer Chris Beaver. He has won three in a row since a second-place finish in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby on May 16.

“I was impressed (in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby); he went a really tough trip,” Beaver said. “Every race since, he was in pretty soft, but he had plenty of trot every time. Today, he was in with some good horses. He kind of had his way, but it wasn’t really his kind of trip, either.”

For his career, Endurance has won 10 of 13 races and earned $848,799. The colt is owned by Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming, and Mark Moger. He was bred by Steve Stewart and Martti Ala-Seppala.

“I think he’s kind of a special colt,” Manes said. “Chris bought him and asked us if we wanted to be partners with him and he’s turned out to be far more than what we ever expected.”

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, Endurance paid $3.40 to win.

Vernon, NY – American Power became the fastest trotter ever at Vernon Downs on Sunday night (July 19) as he captured the $300,000 Grade 2 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial Open Trot for 3-year-olds in 1:50.

American Power won the Grade 2 Zweig Memorial Open Trot in 1:50 at Vernon Downs. Fotowon photo.

Nix Nacken (driven by Dexter Dunn) left from post 8 and worked to a first-quarter lead in :26.3. He used a :29 second quarter to be first to the half in :55.3. American Power (James MacDonald) exploded first-up as they headed around the final turn and led to three-quarters in 1:23.1.

As they entered the stretch, Nix Nacken and American Power continued to battle. American Power pulled away but had to brace for a late charge from Diabolic Hill (Todd McCarthy). American Power remained a length clear at the finish, with Diabolic Hill second and Nix Nacken third. 

The previous track record of 1:50.3 was set by Atlanta in 2018.

American Power is a 3-year-old colt by Walner. He is owned by M Biasuzzi Stable Inc. and trained by Marcus Melander. It was his fourth win in six starts this season. He paid $7.18 to win.

Melander-trained Setyoursightshigh (Dexter Dunn) won the $139,000 Grade 2 Zweig Memorial Filly Trot, besting Leading Lady by a neck in 1:51.4.

Leading Lady (Matt Kakaley) led the pack to the first quarter in :26.4. Soon after that, Setyoursightshigh took control and led to the half in :55.4. Madam Cheval (Tim Tetrick) made the first move going first-over around the final turn. Setyoursightshigh was first to three quarters in 1:24.3.

Third-place finisher Madam Cheval went outside, and second-place finisher Leading Lady went inside. Leading Lady kept coming but Setyoursightshigh dug in and won a thriller in a lifetime best of 1:51.4.

Setyoursightshigh, a 2025 Dan Patch Award winner, is a 3-year-old filly by In Range. She is owned by Heights Stable, Mantorp LLC, AMG Stable, and K Kjellgren Livs AB Inc. It was her second win of the season and her ninth career victory. She paid $10.62 to win.

Washington, PA — The Friday (June 26) harness racing card at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows gave racing fans a featured attraction in the Currier & Ives Trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings, along with a glimpse of the future in two Pop-Up Series divisions for 2-year-old pacing fillies.

Endurance lived up to his name in the $90,675 Currier & Ives for 3-year-old colt trotters, overcoming post 9 in the 10-horse field to establish a stakes record with a 1:52.4 victory.

Unhurried early, Endurance and regular driver Andy McCarthy avoided the brisk early fractions and settled mid-pack. When Hamlet Hall moved first-over, McCarthy followed at the three-eighths, but stalled cover left Endurance three-wide approaching the five-eighths. As the leaders began to tire, Endurance and McCarthy found room along the rail and held off Hamlet Hall to secure the victory.

A 3-year-old son of Captain Corey, Endurance now owns nine wins in 12 starts and has earned more than $750,000 for trainer Chris Beaver and owners Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming and Mark Moger.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Magic Punk worked out a perfect pocket trip behind 9-5 favorite Diabolic Hill and went by in deep stretch to record a 1-length victory in the second of two colt and gelding divisions of the W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old trotters at The Meadowlands Saturday night.

A colt by Wishing Stone-I D Entity No, Magic Punk scored in the $34,125 dash in a lifetime-best 1:51.4 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ake Svanstedt while lifting his lifetime numbers to seven wins in 12 starts, good for earnings of just over $366,000. He paid $6.40 to win as the 2-1 second choice in the wagering.

It Could Be Worse took the $33,625 opening division for males by 1 length in a lifetime-best 1:50.3 for Tim Tetrick and Linda Toscano, going all the way on the point after taking over just after the quarter. The Captain Corey-Emiliciousboomboom colt rebuffed a stiff challenge from 1-5 favorite Nix Nacken, who rallied well from first-over after racing sixth down the backside, engaged the leader turning for home, but faltered late to third as Southwind Alamo rallied to get second.

Sent to the gate as the 6-1 second choice, It Could Be Worse returned $14.20 to win.

Nezuko Kamado S (Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT) won the $33,225 first division for fillies in a lifetime-best 1:52.1 for Scott Zeron and Marcus Melander, holding off Jailbird Jog by a big nose. The 6-5 favorite returned $4.40.

Custom (Walner-Goldy Mary FR) took the $33,725 second female split surging late after picking up a live second-over trip for Jason Bartlett and Per Engblom. She returned $3.80 as the 4-5 favorite after winning for the sixth time from just 13 lifetime tries.

Yonkers, NY – Add an extra quarter of a mile to the $250,000 Grade 2 MGM Yonkers Trot, and you have a recipe for a wild finish. That proved to be the case on Friday night (June 26) when Inexpressable and driver Tim Tetrick rallied off of a third-over cover trip and charged by the field to capture the opening leg of Trotting’s Triple Crown at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Inexpressable rallied late to capture the $250,000 Grade 2 MGM Yonkers Trot Friday night. Mike Lizzi photo.

With favored Spencer Hanover starting from the second tier, Requiem, with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. was the first to the front but yielded quickly to AI with Yannick Gingras. Second choice Silverstein then advanced rapidly and secured the front before the :29.1 opening quarter had been reached. The complexion of the race changed on the second turn when Spencer Hanover made a break.

With little movement on the outside, Matt Kakaley slowed the fractions, with Silverstein hitting the half and three-quarters in :58.1 and 1:27.2, respectively. With about a half-mile remaining in the mile and one-quarter contest, Dexter Dunn moved Kingmen to the outside and flushed Requiem to gain cover. Tetrick advanced third-over with Inexpressable as the pace picked up.

The field hit the 1:56 mile marker with Silverstein still in control and looking strong, and he had control into the stretch. However, he was slowing down noticeably at that point, opening the door for the closers. AI looked to the inside but couldn’t advance. However, Kingmen rallied wide and had plenty of trot to overtake the leader but not enough to stall the Lucas Wallin-trained Inexpressable, who motored on past to a neck victory. Kingmen held second with Silverstein third, followed by AI and fifth-place finisher Nordic Dancer S.

The mile and one quarter time was 2:25.3.

It was just the third race of the year and second win for Inexpressable, an impeccably-bred son of Walner from the same immediate family as Maryland. Owned by Wallin Racing Stable and Karin Walter-Mommert and a 7-1 offering, Inexpressable paid $16.68 to win. He keyed a $136.32 exacta and a $493.88 trifecta.

“Last thing I wanted to do was make a break early,” said Tetrick. “He’s a big, strong colt, and he seems like he’s got big lungs.”

Trainer Wallin suggested that Inexpressable would be pointed towards the Stanley Dancer next (July 11 at the Meadowlands).

A $325,000 Lexington Selected yearling, Inexpressable is the first foal from the Cantab Hall-sired Ineffable, she a half-sister to 2021 Mohawk Million winner Venerable.

In the first of two $55,000 divisions of the Grade 3 New York New York Mile for 3-year-old trotting fillies, the Ake Svanstedt-trained and Jonathan Ahle-driven Busy Miss Lissy S scored impressively, winning virtually wire-to-wire in 1:54.1. A daughter of Calgary Games bred in Sweden, Busy Miss Lissy S won for the first time in three starts as the 9-5 second choice in the field of five.

Owned by breeder Panamera Racing, Busy Miss Lissy S returned $5.88 to win with Myths And Legends second and Wishuponastar Deo third. Favored R Ro broke at the outset and was never in contention.

Emmas Mystery CCL and Todd McCarthy needed every inch of the stretch but finally went past pace-setter Sparks on the wire to capture the second $55,000 New York New York division. A Muscle Hill-sired filly, Emmas Mystery CCL raced from off-the-pace in third as Sparks led from the outset for Ake Svanstedt. With three-eighths of a mile remaining, McCarthy gave Emmas Mystery CCL her cue, and she forced the action through the final turn and right to the wire, prevailing in a 1:56.3 mile. Sparks was second and Atlantic Summer third.

Winning Key Inc. owns Emmas Mystery CCL and Noel Daley trains the filly who returned $3.14 as the public choice.

Milton, ON — Marcus Melander pupil Neighver Punt worked from mid-field off a covered trip and gradually reeled in his competition to score the winning blow late and take the C$240,000 Grade 2 Goodtimes Stakes, for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings, on Saturday night (June 13) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Royal Captain ripped off the wings of the gate to take the lead to a :26.3 first quarter chased by Dream For Peace and Classified rolling into third. Touchedbyanangel gapped the top three from fourth but gathered speed into the backstretch to swoop to the lead before a :55.4 half, at which point 3-5 favorite Magic Punk pulled off of the pylons from fifth to lead an outside attack.

Magic Punk advanced up the rim through the last turn to match strides with Touchedbyanangel while tracked by Strobe Lite from second over and Neighver Punt from third over. Touchedbyanangel grasped to his diminishing lead past three-quarters in 1:24.2 and resisted Magic Punk’s charge until the final eighth of a mile. Strobe Lite built momentum off cover as did Neighver Punt down the center of the track once Magic Punk hit the front. Neighver Punt, as he did to win his elimination, laid sight on the leader and extended for the finish to reach the line a winner in 1:52 by 1-3/4 lengths. Magic Punk clung to second from Strobe Lite in third while Touchedbyanangel held onto fourth.

“We just had no early go there,” driver Dexter Dunn said after the race. “He was a little shy [of the starter]. We got away back, but we were following two favorites so I knew we would get a good drag into it. I had nurse him on the last turn quite a bit but he really exploded off a helmet up the straight. He was struggling a little bit with his gait [being shoeless], but they had the pulldown blind on him tonight. I pulled them down going around the last turn and got him up on the bit. In the homestraight, when I really asked him, he was gold.”

A colt by Bar Hopping out of the Donato Hanover mare Twice Is Right, Neighver Punt won his second race from four starts this season and his third race from 13 starts in his career, earning $230,654 for owner Courant Inc. Trainer Marcus Melander collected his first victory in the Goodtimes Stakes while Dexter Dunn earned his second, his first coming back in 2022 when steering Fast As The Wind to victory. Sent the second choice in the betting, Neighver Punt paid $7 to win.

Milton, ON— Yannick Gingras flew into Woodbine Mohawk Park for a pair of drives in the two C$30,000 Goodtimes Eliminations – a Grade 2 event for trotting 3-year-olds – on Friday night (June 5) and found the winner’s circle with both, guiding 4-5 favorite Magic Punk and 4-1 third choice Neighver Punt to victories.

In the first elimination, Magic Punk floated off the wings from post seven and gradually advanced to take the lead from Greenarrow Hanover past a :28 first quarter. As Magic Punk cleared, second-choice Strobe Lite tipped off the pylons from fourth and marched uncovered up the rim to reach for the lead into a :56 half. Gingras obliged to sit the pocket moving for the final turn and readied to pounce with his charge. Magic Punk spurted out of the pocket past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and slid away from Strobe Lite in the stretch to register an easy 2-3/4-length win. Wolfpack Crown grabbed third from Greenarrow Hanover while Land The Plane earned the last berth into the final.

“Ake [Svanstedt] said he’d be a little aggressive in the post parade and races two-fingered,” Gingras said after the race. “He had a lot of trot; push-button in the race. I used him a couple of times the way the race shook out, but he was well in hand. It was easy to let James [MacDonald] go – his horse was one of the horses to beat – and I figured I’d get him getting to the top of the stretch. It was no worries.”

Magic Punk, a colt by Wishing Stone out of the Explosive Matter mare I D Entity NO, remained unbeaten from two starts this year with his other win coming in the Grade 3 Dexter Cup last month at The Meadowlands. Ake Svanstedt trains the six-time winner from 10 starts, with C$427,879 earned, for owner Magic Punk Inc. He paid $3.50 to win.

Gingras fished cover for a second-over tow and successfully downed even-money favorite Touchedbyanangel in the final strides of a 1:51.4 mile in the second Goodtimes elimination.

After 8-5 second choice Exactly broke stride behind the gate, Royal Captain fired from post 6 to take the lead from pylon-starter Classified ripping into a :26.3 first quarter. Touchedbyanangel planted into fourth ahead of Neighver Punt and strode along up the backstretch until Gingras began creeping off the pylons approaching a :55.4 half, at which point driver Doug McNair pulled off the cones to push for the lead into the far turn. Royal Captain clung to a diminishing advantage with Touchedbyanangel looming to three-quarters in 1:24 and gave way in the stretch while McNair’s charge hustled for the finish. Neighver Punt had clear sailing in the final eighth and persisted to reel in the loose leader with every stride late for a neck victory on the finish. Royal Captain held third with Classified finishing fourth and Dream For Peace closing for the last spot into the final.

“[I was told] he’s easy to drive, so I figured him out in the post parade,” Gingras said after the race. “I was confident in the middle of the last turn, but when we kicked for home Dougie [McNair] took off a little bit and I was like ‘alright, we’ll be second’ but he was still trotting. Down late he really dug in, so credit to the horse.”

Marcus Melander trains Neighver Punt, a colt by Bar Hopping out of the Donato Hanover mare Twice Is Right, for owner Courant Inc. The colt collected just the second win of his career from 12 starts, pushing his career earnings to C$110,654, and paid $10.60 to win.

The post positions for the Goodtimes Final were drawn following the eliminations. The elimination winners earned the right to draw first for posts 2 through 6. Below is the field for the Goodtimes Final, which will take place on the undercard of the $1-million Pepsi North America Cup next Saturday (June 13):

$240,000 Grade 2 Goodtimes Final

PP-Name-Driver-Trainer
1-Strobe Lite-James MacDonald-Ben Baillargeon
​2-Wolfpack Crown-Louis Roy-Tyler Moore
​3-Magic Punk-Yannick Gingras-Ake Svanstedt
​4-Touchedbyanangel-Doug McNair-Duane Marfisi
​5-Neighver Punt-Yannick Gingras-Marcus Melander
​6-Dream For Peace-Mark MacDonald-Shawn Steacy
​7-Land The Plane-Jody Jamieson-Carl Jamieson
​8-Royal Captain-Tyler Jones-R. Dustin Jones
​9-Classified-Louis Roy-Matt Bax
​10-Greenarrow Hanover-Bob McClure-Shawn Steacy
​AE-I Am-Trevor Henry-Herbert Holland

Plainville, MA — After moving with speed and decisiveness past the quarter, Nebbiolo went on to score an impressive victory in the Grade 3 $100,000 Bunker Hill Trot at Plainridge Park on Saturday afternoon (May 16).

Nebbiolo (driven by Sarah Svanstedt) settled in fourth off the gate while Who’s Eyes Blues (Nick Graffam) and Create Escape (Johnathan Ahle) engaged in a skirmish to the quarter in a speedy :26.3. After Create Escape finally established the lead, Svanstedt pulled Nebbiolo and bolted to the front. 

Nebbiolo had a two-length lead at the half, but Who’s Eyes Blues moved first-over and pushed the issue to three-quarters and around the last turn. But that last turn also saw Who’s Eyes Blues make a break, leaving Nebbiolo with a three-length advantage entering the stretch. Svanstedt kept him focused down the lane and Nebbiolo trotted home unencumbered by three lengths to win in a lifetime best 1:54.2. Midwind Chimp (Mattias Melander) finished second and Water Slide (Matty Athearn) was third.

It was the first start and win of 2026 for the Hambletonian Stakes-eligible Nebbiolo, a son of Captain Corey-Via Lattea IT, who is owned by breeder Knutsson Trotting Inc. and trained by Ake Svanstedt. The colt paid $6.20 to win.

Oak Grove, KY — Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel hosted the inaugural editions of the $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby and $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks on Preakness Saturday (May 16), which saw Spencer Hanover emerge supreme from a game stretch battle in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby as well as a powerhouse performance by Jailbird Jog to take the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks. 

Driver Jason Bartlett masterfully steered Spencer Hanover to a track-record-equaling 1:51.3 to slide by 2-5 favorite Endurance (driven by Andy McCarthy) and win the Oak Grove Trotting Derby.

Leaving from the pylon post, Bartlett settled toward the middle of the pack and worked a seat right behind Endurance as Silverstein hustled out of post 9 to lead into a :26.2 first quarter. With longshot Geologic (Marvin Luna) parked and attempting to push forward from midpack on the rim, McCarthy was forced to angle Endurance off the pylons moving to the second turn and advance toward Silverstein on the march to a :54.4 half. Bartlett caught cover from Endurance heading for the backstretch and strode comfortably perched while the odds-on favorite gradually ground by tiring Silverstein to three-quarters in 1:22.4.

Jason Bartlett and Spencer Hanover won the $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby. Tony Centonze Photography.

Endurance remained on the muscle but fatigued turning for home as Bartlett tipped outside to lay his attack, and he surged by with fresh legs to snag victory by a half-length. Endurance fought to hold his ground but settled for second while Requiem (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) rallied for third and Ai (Yannick Gingras) weaved from a pocket trip for fourth. 

“In the first turn, it was a battle between me and Andrew (McCarthy), who wanted to follow who,” winning driver Bartlett said after the race. “Me, Marcus (Melander) and Mattias (Melander) last week said we hoped we could get the second-over trip behind Endurance next week. (Spencer Hanover) loves a target and he’s just a good horse.”

Marcus Melander trains Spencer Hanover, a 3-year-old colt by Chapter Seven-Secret Passion, for owners Jeff Snyder and Arthur Pronti. He won his fifth race from 15 starts in his career, earning $924,889, and paid $10.28 to win. His win in 1:51.3 tied the track record for 3-year-old trotting colts set in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby eliminations by Endurance. 

Jailbird Jog (Anthony MacDonald) capitalized stylishly off quick early fractions the race before to blow out her competition with a 7-3/4-length romp in the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks.

MacDonald settled into seventh from post 2 behind a :26.2 skirmish to the first quarter, in which Victorianas Secret (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) came out on top of the shuffle to lead the field by the grandstand first time. Victorianas Secret carried her momentum to a :54.3 half, at which point MacDonald had Jailbird Jog rolling three wide around parked and tiring Little Road (Brady Brown) to loop into contention. She caught cover from Carve (Andy McCarthy), who pulled off the pylons from third, into the backstretch and bided her time following the helmet to three-quarters in 1:23. Once Carve cleared, Jailbird Jog zipped by and quickly widened to an open-length lead before coasting by the beam geared down for a 1:52.2 win, equaling her lifetime best. Victorianas Secret held second with maiden Chiquita Ba-beeman (Scott Zeron) grabbing third and Custom (Jason Bartlett) recovering from a break at the start for fourth. 

“I looked right leaving the gate and everybody’s fired up and leaving, and coming to the half I know Toddy’s horse (Naked And Famous) was in a tight spot, and it’s racing (so) I’m not going to let him out,” winning driver MacDonald said after the race. “I put her in gear in the backstretch and she’s just a super nice filly; she’s very unassuming. When you look at her, you’d never think she’s that fast, but she’s crazy fast. The filly’s just been a real treat for us and all of our clients. I’m just really happy for them. Anybody could’ve driven her today, that’s for sure; I didn’t do anything special.” 

Eric Patalan trains Jailbird Jog, a 3-year-old filly by Tactical Landing-Miss Don Fanucci S, for owners Thestable Jailbird Jog, P23 Bloodstock and Hutchison Harness LLC. She won her fifth race from 14 starts, earning $298,532, and paid $18.22 to win. 

Oak Grove, KY – Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel carried the fervor from a historic running of the Kentucky Derby into a jam-packed day of harness racing stakes on Monday (May 4) that saw a pair of track records established in the eliminations for the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks and Oak Grove Trotting Derby as well as a day of betting that annihilated the previous handle record for the Southwest Kentucky track. 

Chris Beaver pupil Endurance (driven by Andy McCarthy), who set the track record for 2-year-old trotting colts last year, added another Oak Grove track record to his resume with a fierce 1:51.3 effort in his seasonal debut, muscling first-up for the win in the third of three $50,000 eliminations for the Oak Grove Trotting Derby. McCarthy waited in third with the 1-2 favorite while Big Ranger (Ronnie Gillespie) hustled to lead in a :27.1 first quarter and continued through a :56 half, at which point Endurance angled off the pylons and built his momentum in the backstretch. Endurance hit his best stride after three-quarters in 1:23 and collared Big Ranger coming off the final turn before spurting away for a 1-1/2-length win over AI (Yannick Gingras), who popped off a pocket trip for second. Nix Nacken (Dexter Dunn) earned the last berth into the final in third and Big Ranger tired to fourth. 

Endurance, with Andy McCarthy, set a track record with his victory in the third of three $50,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby eliminations. Tony Centonze Photography.

Lowering the previous track record set last year by Yannick G Kemp of 1:52.3, Endurance added a seventh win to his card from nine starts and has now earned $582,450 for owners Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming and Mark Moger. The colt by Captain Corey-Love Session paid $3.18 to win. 

Andy’s younger brother Todd McCarthy uncorked a track-record effort in the first of three $30,000 eliminations for the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks while landing a 14-1 stunner with Noel Daley trainee Naked And Famous in a 1:51.2 mile. McCarthy motored his charge out of post 7 to a snug lead in a steep :26.4 opener and carried her speed through a :55.3 half and a sprint to three-quarters in 1:22.3 to successfully string along her competition. Naked And Famous spun for home on a widening lead and hit the beam 7-1/2 lengths better than 2-1 favorite Jailbird Jog (Anthony MacDonald) closing for second. Carve (Andy McCarthy) gave pursuit from a pocket trip for third to earn the last spot into the final while Wishuponastar Deo (Jason Bartlett) finished fourth. 

Naked And Famous, a daughter of Six Pack-Sleep Tight My Luv, won her fifth race from 13 starts and has now earned $196,950 for owner CTC Stable. She lowered the track record for 3-year-old trotting fillies of 1:51.4 set two years ago by Woman Of Passion and paid $31.90 to win. 

Breeders Crown winner Spencer Hanover scored in the first of the Oak Grove Trotting Derby eliminations on the day, delivering as the 2-5 favorite in a 1:53.4 effort. After a pair of breaks early from Premier Bluebird (Kyle Wilfong) and Ceo Joe (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), Spencer Hanover floated towards the lead past a :28 first quarter to pocket early leader Geologic (Yannick Gingras) and strolled from there through middle fractions of :27.3 and 1:25.3. He coasted to the finish 2-3/4 lengths better than Geologic with Impossible Bi (Marcus Miller) checking in third another 14 lengths behind. 

Marcus Melander trains Spencer Hanover, a colt by Chapter Seven-Secret Passion, for owners Jeff Snyder and Arthur Pronti. He paid $2.86 to win. 

Trainer Matt Burkholder took the top two spots in the other Oak Grove Trotting Derby elimination with 2-5 favorite Silverstein (David Miller) scampering to a 1:52.3 win over stablemate Requiem (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.). Miller brushed Silverstein to the lead out of post 3 after a :27.1 opener and pocketed Requiem on the way to a :56.2 half. He held steady speed up the backstretch as Chapel (Stephane Guelpa) mildly pushed uncovered on the rim until stalling on the march to three-quarters in 1:24.2. As Chapel retreated, Miller accelerated for home with Silverstein and held a snug advantage while drifting in the stretch for a two-length victory over Requiem. Kingmen (Jason Bartlett) kicked from second-over for third to make the final and Lethal Legacy (Todd McCarthy) finished fourth. 

 
Naked And Famous, with Todd McCarthy, set a track record with her victory in the first of three $30,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks eliminations. Tony Centonze Photography.

Silverstein collected his fifth win from 13 starts, earning $395,340 for owner Dark Horse Farm LLC. He paid $2.88 to win. 

A few races after Naked And Famous surprised on the lead, odds-on favorite Victorianas Secret (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) cruised to a 1:53.3 victory in the second of three Oak Grove Trotting Oaks eliminations. Wrenn secured the point with his charge out of post 7 and pocketed Degas (Anthony MacDonald) into a :27.3 first quarter. Victorianas Secret continued on a comfortable lead to a :57.1 half and through three-quarters in 1:25.1 as Degas swelled from the pocket and readied an attack for the stretch drive. Victorianas Secret responded to the challenge in the lane, staving off Degas in hand by 1-1/2 lengths while longshot Chiquita Ba-beeman (Atlee Bender) snagged the last berth into the final in third. Julie Palema (Tyler Miller) checked in fourth. 

Vernon Beachy trains Victorianas Secret, a 3-year-old filly by Tactical Landing-Victoriana, for owner Ryan Smith. She won her third race from 10 starts, earning $100,600 in her career, and paid $2.62 to win. 

Custom (Jason Bartlett) landed a knockout blow to 2-5 favorite Setyoursightshigh (Dexter Dunn) in the final Oak Grove Trotting Oaks elimination with an explosive late burst to win in 1:52.4. Bartlett sat mid-pack to a :27.1 first quarter cut by Setyoursightshigh and raced locked at the pylons by parked Burningforyourlove (Stephane Guelpa) as she soon flushed cover from Ginger Tree Lex (Andy McCarthy) in fourth. Bartlett continued mired in traffic to a :55.4 half and gradually inched off the pylons in a tight pocket while Setyoursightshigh strode handily to three-quarters in 1:24.1 under a slight challenge from first-up Country Glide (David Miller). Setyoursightshigh quickened for home as Country Glide faltered, giving room for pocket-sitter Little Road (Brady Brown) to take a late shot. But Bartlett found clearance out of the two path to the center of the track in the stretch and swiftly reached top gear to nail Setyoursightshigh at the line by a half length. Little Road held third to qualify for the final while Country Glide settled for fourth. 

Per Engblom trains Custom, a filly by Walner-Goldy Mary FR, for owners Engblom Farm LLC and Thomas Lind-Holm. She won her fourth race from nine starts, earning $61,320 in her career, and paid $8.78 to win. 

The top three finishers from each elimination will go through an open draw for their respective finals, the $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby and $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks. The pair of finals are the headline events at Oak Grove on Preakness Saturday (May 16), the culminating day of the $2.75 million Festival of Racing and a card that will be followed by a concert from country music star Jake Owen. Post time for the special Saturday card is 12:45 p.m. (CDT). 

The Hambletonian Society, which owns and administers America’s premier trotting race, the $1 million Hambletonian, is proud to announce the addition of Winning Key Farm, owned by Patty Key, as the race’s title sponsor.

Founded in 1926, the Hambletonian will celebrate its 100-year anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, at Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, N.J.

Patty Key, who re-envisioned the dynastic operation started and run by her late husband, Bob, into a boutique breeding and racing operation, welcomed the opportunity to participate in the historic anniversary of the Hambletonian.

“Winning Key Farm is honored to sponsor the 101st edition of the Hambletonian. The prestige and excitement that this race brings to trotting fans is second to none,” said Key.  

“With its international audience, the Hambletonian is the perfect opportunity to promote our farm and bring attention to the quality yearlings that we will be offering in this and future years,” she continued.

Patty and Bob Key’s Winning Key Farm has been one of the most prolific and successful Standardbred breeding and racing operations for the last four decades. Located in Worthington, Pa., Winning Key Farm housed more than 300 horses at one point. 

The Keys, in partnership with the late John Glesmann, bred and raced 1993 Hambletonian champion American Winner. American Winner was a son of Super Bowl and the Speedy Somolli mare BJ’s Pleasure, who Key and Glesmann purchased as a yearling. A superior trotter, BJ’s Pleasure was successful on the track but shone as a broodmare. She was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2001 as the dam of 20 foals with more than $3.3 million in collective earnings. Both American Winner and Bob Key, who passed away in 2021, were inducted to Immortals of the Hall of Fame in 2025.

Patty Key has continued her late husband’s legacy while putting her distinctive stamp on the farm in recent years, reducing the broodmare band and acquiring top-shelf stallion shares and mares to rebrand the Winning Key name at both yearling sales and racetracks. 

Over the last four years, Winning Key has remained in the top 20 breeders by earnings list amidst far larger and more established farm names. She was also part-owner of the 2022 Dan Patch champion freshman trotter Volume Eight, and retained her interest in him as a stallion at Hanover Shoe Farms. His exciting first crop of yearlings will hit the sales rings this fall.

It is Key’s belief that sponsoring the Hambletonian will give the farm an elevated and international platform to showcase its breeding program and further raise the profile of the Winning Key name.

“Your next trotting champion might be waiting right here at Winning Key Farm,” Key remarked. “We can be your ‘Key to Success!’”

The Winning Key Farm Hambletonian will headline a stakes-laden race card and be nationally televised on FOX Sports and CBS Sports Network. The farm will also be featured in the Winning Key Road to the Hambletonian and the 101st Hambletonian broadcast on CBS Sports Network. 

“The Hambletonian Society is honored to welcome Winning Key Farm as the title sponsor for our 101st Hambletonian,” said Hambletonian Society president and chief executive officer John Campbell. “Winning Key has made it their mission to breed Standardbreds that compete at the upper echelons of our sport which fits perfectly with the Hambletonian Society’s mission of offering and promoting the highest quality stake races.

“We thank Patty Key for her vision and commitment to the Hambletonian and look forward to their participation in the greatest day in harness racing.”

First contested in 1926 at the Syracuse Fairgrounds in New York, the Hambletonian Stake was created by the Hambletonian Society to promote the Standardbred trotting breed. The race has been hosted by the Meadowlands since 1981, the longest-running venue for the sought-after event.

Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands is consistently the highest-handling event in harness racing, generating more than $115 million in single-day wagering since 2010.