After a record-breaking day of betting to open the 2026 Festival of Racing at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel, driver Atlee Bender strung together an impressive day on Tuesday (May 5) to find the winner’s circle seven times, besting the previous local record of six wins in a day, set by Todd McCarthy last year.
Jett Propelled continues banner 2026
Bob Shahan’s Jett Propelled ($5, Jason Thompson) was a 1:54.3 winner in the featured $22,500 Mares Open Pace on Tuesday (May 5) at Harrington Raceway.
Ponda Rocky scores knockout Plainridge victory
Ponda Rocky had the “eye of the tiger” at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (May 5) after winning the $17,000 featured trot as the heavily-backed favorite.
Oliveira second in U.S. driving debut
UFC champion Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira nearly won his official U.S. pari-mutuel driving debut on Tuesday (May 5) in race 13 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, finishing second by a nose in a thrilling stretch drive.
May stakes payment news center
The USTA has compiled the advisories provided by stakes administrators regarding upcoming nomination and sustaining payments for the races under their purview. Refer to this page for updates, as they are made available.
HISA Furosemide Advisory Committee finds Lasix non-performance enhancing, but 48-hour restriction for stakes and 2-year-olds remains
After considering a report from their Furosemide Advisory Committee that determined that furosemide (Lasix) is not performance enhancing in horses, on April 24, the Board of Directors of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) unanimously approved resolutions regarding the use of furosemide (Lasix) 48 hours prior to a race.
Tetrick wins five Philly Qs; 3-year-olds impress
As has been the case overall for the last couple of years, Tim Tetrick had the hot driving hands at Harrah’s Philadelphia during the Tuesday morning (May 5) qualifying session, bringing home five of the nine winners.
Whitton a winner in USHDC feature
Cassidy Whitton guided her own Anns Marina Delray to a sharp 1:54.4 win in the USHDC feature at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday (May 4).
May Hoof Beats: Top Picks
The May 2026 issue of Hoof Beats is the monthly magazine’s annual Top Picks edition, featuring the editorial staff’s projections as to who will emerge as the best 3-year-old pacers and trotters as the season unfolds.
Hoof Beats: Owning the Opportunity
Every so often, something happens outside of harness racing that quietly tells us more about ourselves than it does about the decision itself. It doesn’t come with a press release about the future of horse racing, and it isn’t framed as some referendum in front of the public on racing — but if we’re paying attention, it becomes one of the clearest signals we get.