Plenty of movement in Ken Warkentin’s Week 4 ROAD TO THE WINNING KEY FARM HAMBLETONIAN (G1)

East Rutherford, NJ – Week 4 of Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Winning Key Farm Hambletonian has horses moving up the ranks.

Big Ranger moves up to #5 after his Scioto Downs track record performance. American Power moves up to #6 following his NJSS Platinum win for Marcus Melander. Svanstedt’s Nebbiolo lands at #10 after dominating in his 3-year-old Bunker Hill Trot debut.

ROAD TO THE WINNING KEY FARM HAMBLETONIAN (G1)
2026 Top Ten – Week 4 – May 28

The 2026 Winning Key Farm Hambletonian (G1) will take place Saturday, August 8

Rank	Horse	Driver, Trainer, Owner	Ken Warkentin’s Comments
1	Apex (Walner)	Dexter Dunn, Marcus Melander. Jeffrey Snyder, S R F Stable, Steve Stewart	Dan Patch Award winner, money leader ($871,798), won NJSS & NJ Classic Finals, Peter Haughton Memorial & Mohawk Million in 1:51.4, rallied to win Big M qualifier in 1:53.3 (:26.1) May 22, Melander: “He qualified very well and we’re aiming for the second leg of NJSS next Friday (June 5).”
2	Spencer Hanover (Chapter Seven)	Jason Bartlett, Marcus Melander, Jeffrey Synder, Arthur Pronti	Won Big Apple Trot Final, also Breeders Crown elimination & final, second in Valley Victory, earned $649,889, dominated Oak Grove Derby elim in 1:53.4 in 3YO debut, rallied past Endurance to equal 1:51.3 track record in final, easily made it three-for-three this season with a 1:53.3 romp (track good) in NYSS @ Vernon Downs May 25
3	Endurance (Captain Corey)	Andrew McCarthy, Christopher Beaver, Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming, Mark Moger	First crop of 2021 Hambo winner Captain Corey, won six of eight starts, including two KYSS Finals, second in Mohawk Million, track record equaling 1:51.3 in Oak Grove Derby elim in 3YO debut, then a gallant second in final, did not race last week, not in to go
4	Diabolic Hill (Muscle Hill)	Todd McCarthy, Annie Stoebe, Mario Mazza, AC Crawford Racing Stable	Breeders Crown elimination winner, close second in final, beat Spencer Hanover in Valley Victory in 1:53.3, banked $506,636, won Big M qualifier in 1:53.3 on May 8, Judges scratch from 3YO debut May 23, post one in qualifier 2 @ Big M May 29
5	Big Ranger (In Range)	Ronnie Gillespie, Madison Global	2025 Ohio Horse of the Year went seven-for-seven, track records @ Scioto Downs & Dayton, broke in 3YO debut April 23, fourth in Oak Grove Derby elim, wire-to-wire in Silver consolation in 1:52.3, then set Scioto Downs track record 1:51.2 in OHSS May 25, Gillespie: “I did tell the owners, not this start, but the next start, if he can’t trot in (1):51 comfortable, I wouldn’t take him to the (Hambletonian). But he did it real comfortable tonight, so my goal is to see how well he can do it off the pace. He’s going to have to come off the pace to race with those Grand Circuit horses.”
6	American Power (Walner)	Dexter Dunn, Marcus Melander, M Biasuzzi Stable Inc	Won an INSS division in 1:53.1 & earned $68,860 at two, beat Spencer Hanover in 1:55.3 qualifier May 16, rallied in :26.3 again to win Garden State division May 16, then won NJSS Platinum Division in 1:54.3 over sloppy track May 23, not in to go
7	AI (Chapter Seven)	Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services Inc, Weaver Bruscemi LLC	Won NYSS Final, second in Kindergarten Final, banked $395,073, in 3YO debut second (1:51.4) in Oak Grove Derby elim, fourth (1:52.1) from post three in Final, did not race last week, not in to go
8	Ardonne (Tactical Landing)	Scott Zeron, Megan Scran, Philip Steinberg	Won elimination in 1:54.4 & final William Wellwood Memorial in 1:52.4, second by a head to Apex in NJSS Final, banked $289,150, won his first Big M qualifier in 1:55.1 May 15, rallied for third behind American Power in 3YO debut May 23, not in to go
9	Magic Punk (Wishing Stone)	Ake Svanstedt, Magic Punk Inc.	Second in Wellwood &Peter Haughton, third in Kindergarten Final, banked $220,878, 1:53.1 stakes record Dexter Cup in 3YO debut, did not race last week, post eight in qualifier 2 @ Big M May 29
10	Nebbiolo (Captain Corey)	Sarah Svanstedt, Ake Svanstedt, Knutsson Trotting Inc.	Rare Pinto from first crop of Captain Corey rattled off four in a row last Fall, dead heat fourth in Valley Victory, dominated 3YO debut in Bunker Hill Trot @ Plainridge in 1:54.2, fifth win in nine career starts, not in to go

KEY PREP RACES

Hambletonian Eligibles in Caps

Date	Stakes	Site	Winner	Driver	Trainer	2nd Horse	3rd Horse	Time
May 2	Dexter Cup	M	MAGIC PUNK	Ake Svanstedt	Ake Svanstedt	Southwind Alamo	WHO’S EYES BLUES	1:53.1
May 4	Oak Grove Elim	OG	SPENCER HANOVER	Jason Bartlett	Marcus Melander	Geologic	IMPOSSIBLE BI	1:53.4
May 4	Oak Grove Elim	OG	Silverstein	Dave Miller	Matthew Burkholder	REQIUEM	KINGMEN	1:52.3
May 4	Oak Grove Elim	OG	ENDURANCE	Andrew McCarthy	Christopher Beaver	AI	NIX NAKEN	1:51.3
May 8	PASS 1st Leg	Mea	Captain Vodka	Ridge Warren	Robert Baggitt, Jr.	GREENARROW HANOVER	HAMLET HALL	1:54.3
May 8	PASS 1st Leg	Mea	Fineline Hanover	Ridge Warren	Ron Coyne, Jr.	Dilly Hanover	R TOMMY COLLINS	1:53.2
May 16	Battle of Bunker Hill	PR	NEBBIOLO	Sarah Svanstedt	Ake Svantedt	MIDWIND CHIMP	Water Slide	1:54.2
May 16	Oak Grove Derby	OG	SPENCER HANOVER	Jason Bartlett	Marcus Melander	ENDURANCE	REQUIEM	1:51.3
May 18	PA Allstars	Poc	MR PENNER	Ake Svanstedt	Ake Svanstedt	MINOAN	Captain Vodka	1:52
May 18	PA Allstars	Poc	HIGHLAND DESTINY	Scott Zeron	Nancy Takter	JIM BEAM	DOLLAR DRAFT	1:52.2
May 18	PA Allstars	Poc	Fineline Hanover	Todd McCarthy	Ron Coyne, Jr.	NEIGHVER PUNT	Confident Volo	1:52.2
May 23	NJSS 1st Leg	M	GABES LUCK	Scott Zeron	Nancy Takter	MEGA SHARK	PRACTICAL MAN	1:55.3
May 23	NJSS 1st Leg	M	King Of The Wind	Joe Bongiorno	Joe Bongiorno	MAGA HILL	NEVER SAY DIE	1:55.2
May 23	NJSS 1st Leg	M	AMERICAN POWER	Dexter Dunn	Marcus Melander	KINGMEN	ARDONNE	1:54.3
May 23	NJSS 1st Leg	M	TRILLION TIMES	Jason Bartlett	Per Engblom	Ice Fall	Be Positive	1:57.3
May 25	NYSS 1st Leg	Ver	SEVENATO	Trond Smedshammer	Trond Smedshammer	WHO’S EYES BLUES	Highway Six	1:54
May 25	NYSS 1st Leg	Ver	SPENCER HANOVER	Jason Bartlett	Marcus Melander	Titan’s Mischief	SECURED	1:53.4
June 5	NYSS 2nd Leg	TD
June 5	NJSS 2nd Leg	M
June 5	Goodtimes Elim	MO
June 5	Goodtimes Elim	MO
June 6	PASS 2nd Leg	Poc
June 12	NJSS Final	M
June 12	EBC Division	Ver
June 12	EBC Division	Ver
June 13	Goodtimes Final	MO
June 19	Yonkers Trot Elim	Y
June 24	NYSS 3rd leg	Buf
June 26	Yonkers Trot Final	Y
June 26	Currier & Ives	Mea
July 4	Reynolds	M
July 4	Reynolds	M
July 11	Stanley Dancer	M
July 11	Stanley Dancer	M
July 19	Zweig Memorial	V
July 23	NYSS 4th Leg	Y
July 25	Tompkins-Geers	M
July 25	Tompkins-Geers	M
Aug. 1	Hambo Elim	M
Aug. 1	Hambo Elim	M