Stakes recaps

Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel hosted the inaugural editionsof the $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby 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 towards 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 mid-pack on the rim, McCarthy was forced to angle Endurance off the pylons moving to the second turn and advance towards 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. 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 Jason 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. He 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 ties the track record for 3-year-old trotting colts set in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby eliminations by Endurance.

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. 

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. 

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).