Oak Grove, KY — Less than 48 hours after Golden Tempo won the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby, 3-year-old Standardbreds will take center stage on Monday (May 4) when a trio of eliminations each for the Oak Grove Trotting Derby and Oak Grove Trotting Oaks headline a blockbuster 15-race harness racing program at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel, which opens the fortnight-long Oak Grove Festival of Racing.
Grade 1 Breeders Crown winner Spencer Hanover leads the 19 colts and geldings divided into three $50,000 Derby eliminations and will start from post 3 in the first split, carded as Race 6. Jason Bartlett drove the Chapter Seven-Secret Passion colt to all three of his wins in his rookie season, which saw him amass $659,889 in earnings, for trainer Marcus Melander and the partnership of Jeffrey Snyder and Arthur Pronti. Spencer Hanover has been installed as the 3-5 morning line favorite in his elimination, which also includes Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final winner Premier Bluebird, whom Kyle Wilfong will drive from the pole for trainer Zachary Miller; and Massachusetts Breeders Stakes champ Geologic, whom Yannick Gingras will drive from post 5 for Paul Kelley.
Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series final winner Endurance heads the third Derby elimination, carded as Race 14. A six-time winner as a rookie and an Oak Grove track record holder, Endurance posted a trio of 1:52.3 miles over at The Red Mile, including his 2-3/4-lengths score in the $400,000 Championship Series final. Usual driver Andy McCarthy will drive the Captain Corey-Love Session colt, who has been made the 7-5 morning line favorite and will start from post 2 in the seven-horse field for trainer Chris Beaver.
The second Derby elimination, carded as Race 9, is led by four-time winner Silverstein, who took his mark of 1:51.4 in his division of the Grade 3 International Stallion Stakes and wrapped up his rookie season with a 1:52.4 score in the fall Kentucky Sire Stakes series final at Cumberland Run. David Miller will drive the Chapter Seven-Shining Brightly gelding from post 2 for trainer Matthew Burkholder.
The top three official finishers from each elimination will qualify for the $500,000 final, to be conducted on Preakness Saturday (May 16), the culminating day of the Festival of Racing.
There are likewise three eliminations for the Oaks, which attracted 27 entrants. Marcus Melander trainee Setyoursightshigh, winner of the freshman Kentucky Sire Stakes series at Oak Grove last year, has been installed the 2-1 early favorite in the third $30,000 split, carded as Race 13. The In Range-Special Interest filly won seven of her 11 rookie starts, including the Ohio Sires Stakes championship, and she finished second to Storybook Love in the Grade 1 Breeders Crown to conclude her season. Dexter Dunn will drive Setyoursightshigh, 2025 Dan Patch 2-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year, from post 4 in the nine-horse field, which also includes Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champ Ginger Tree Lex, whom Andy McCarthy will drive for trainer Bob Stewart; and Kentucky Championship Series winner Country Glide, to be driven by David Miller from the pylon post for trainer Melvin Schmucker.
The other Oaks eliminations are carded as Races 7 and 10; as with the Derby, the top three finishers in each split will advance to the $300,000 final. Atlantic Summer, winner of the 2025 Grade 1 Jim Doherty Memorial at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, is the 3-1 morning line favorite from post 9 in the first elimination with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the bike for trainer Ron Burke. She starts a few slots wide of Oak Grove Trotting Oaks prep winner Jailbird Jog, listed as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line for trainer Eric Patalan and driver Anthony MacDonald. Victorianas Secret is the 3-1 morning line favorite from post 7 in the second elimination with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. at the controls of the Vernon Beachy trainee, just inside of Degas, the other Oak Grove Trotting Oaks prep winner, listed at 6-1 on the morning line with Anthony MacDonald in the bike for trainer Eric Patalan.
Monday’s card also features the second round of the Kentucky Sire Stakes spring series for 4-year-olds. Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner Crack Shot will make his seasonal debut in the first of two $50,000 divisions of the male pace, which will open the 15-race card.
On the wagering front, players will be treated to carryovers and guaranteed pools in two horizontal wagers: The 20-cent Late Pick 5 (Races 6-10) offers a $2,672 carryover and $12,500 guaranteed total pool, and the $1 Pick 4 (Races 11-14) offers a $1,563 carryover and a $10,000 guaranteed total pool. The Pick 5 and Pick 4 wagers at Oak Grove always feature a low 15% takeout.
The 2026 Festival of Racing at Oak Grove features $2.75 million of harness racing from Monday, May 4 through Preakness Saturday, May 16. Oak Grove will host live racing on Monday and Tuesday this week and shift to race a special Mother’s Day card on Sunday, May 10 featuring corgi races alongside harness racing. Live racing will be held on Monday, May 11 all leading to the Saturday, May 16 card featuring the $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby final and $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks final along with the four finals of Kentucky Sire Stakes for 4-year-olds — a day totaling $1.5 million in purses and ending with a concert from country music star Jake Owen.
First post Monday at Oak Grove is 1:10 p.m. (CDT). For more information, including free past-performance program pages and race-by-race analysis from Ray Cotolo, visit oakgrovegaming.com. And for more information on the 2026 Oak Grove Festival of Racing, visit oakgrovederby.com.