Spencer Hanover emerged supreme from a game stretch battle in the $684,932 Oak Grove Trotting Derby, and Jailbird Jog delivered a powerhouse performance in the $410,959 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks as Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel hosted the inaugural editions of its two new signature events on Saturday, May 16.

Driver Jason Bartlett masterfully steered Spencer Hanover to a track-record-equalling 1:51.3 victory, sliding by 2-5 favourite Endurance (Andy McCarthy) to win the Oak Grove Trotting Derby.

Leaving from the pylon post, Bartlett settled Spencer Hanover towards the middle of the pack and worked out a seat right behind Endurance as Silverstein (Scott Zeron) hustled out of post nine 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. Spencer Hanover caught cover from Endurance heading for the backstretch and was comfortably perched while the odds-on favourite gradually ground by a 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 Spencer Hanover surged by that foe 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.

"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, [trainer] 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."

Spencer Hanover, a three-year-old colt by Chapter Seven-Secret Passion, is owned by Jeff Snyder and Arthur Pronti. He won his fifth race from 15 starts in his career, upping his earnings to $1,277,303. He paid $10.28 to win. His win in 1:51.3 mile tied the track record for three-year-old trotting colts set in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby eliminations by Endurance.

The Oak Grove Trotting Derby also had a $102,740 consolation on the undercard won handily by 1-5 favourite Big Ranger (Ronnie Gillespie, $2.40), who took his competition pillar to post in a lifetime-best 1:52.3 mile.

Jailbird Jog, driven by Anthony MacDonald, capitalized off quick early fractions to blow out her competition with a 7-3/4-length romp in the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks.

MacDonald settled into seventh from post two behind a :26.2 skirmish to the first quarter, in which Victorianas Secret (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) came out on top 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) into the backstretch and bided her time, following the helmet to three-quarters in 1:23. Once Carve cleared, Jailbird Jog zipped by her and quickly widened to an open-length lead before coasting by the beam geared down for a 1:52.2 win, equalling her lifetime best. Victorianas Secret held second with maiden Chiquita Ba Beeman (Scott Zeron) grabbing third.

"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," 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 three-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 lifetime starts, raising her earnings to $408,993. The win price was $18.22.

The $2.05 million day of racing at Oak Grove to conclude the Festival of Racing began with the first of four $136,986 Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) finals for four-year-olds. Gimpanzee Dancer (Andy McCarthy) was in front at the quarter in :26.3, got a pocket trip through :55.3 and 1:23.3 middle panels, and capitalized on odds-on favourite Go Dog Go (Todd McCarty) bobbling off stride into the last turn to win the KYSS final for trotting horses and geldings in 1:51.3 over 37-1 shot Royal Comet (Marvin Luna) and 15-1 shot My Degenerate (Tyler Miller). Chris Beaver trains and co-owns the son of Gimpanzee-Weslynn Dancer with partners Carolina Ortiz Acosta and Derek Ivany. The stallion his 10th race from 35 starts and has earnings of $604,917. He paid $10.02 to win.

Harrisburg Heist (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) motored by weary rivals to deliver as the 1-5 favourite in the KYSS final for pacing horses and geldings, stopping the clock in 1:48.4. Following a recall before the race, Harrisburg Heist sat third as stablemate Banderas (Yannick Gingras) battled with Higher Ground (Dexter Dunn) through early splits of :25.3 and :53.3. As the dust settled, Wrenn fired Harrisburg Heist off the pegs and brushed to the lead with a sharp sprint to three-quarters in 1:20.2. He held momentum through the lane to register a 4-1/2-length win over Banderas with Captain Arturovico (Scott Zeron) closing for third.

Ron Burke trains Harrisburg Heist, a gelding by Downbytheseaside-Cashaway, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Phil Collura and Weaver Bruscemi. The gelding is now 15-for-34 lifetime with $899,982 in the bank. He paid $2.76 to win.

Three Times Bettor (Dexter Dunn) persisted through a methodical first-over push in a quick tempo to score a track-record-equalling 1:48.3 win in hand in the KYSS final for pacing mares. Dunn tipped his charge out of third after following a clip of :25.4 and :53.1 and inched towards pacesetter Odds On Chesapeake (Todd McCarthy) rolling to three-quarters in 1:20. As Odds On Chesapeake began to tire, Three Times Bettor grabbed the lead and scooted away confidently for a length win over pocket-sitter Aintnothingucando (Scott Zeron), who zipped up a seam at the pylons for second. Unreasonable (Jason Bartlett) followed the winner's cover to take third.

Brett Pelling trains Three Times Bettor, a mare by Bettors Delight-Three Times A Lady, for owner Thaddeus Wier. The win was her seventh straight in a streak dating back to last season. She took her 12th win from 20 career starts and raised her bankroll to $365,068. The win price was $2.50. Her 1:48.3 clocking matched the track record for aged pacing mares set in 2022 by Blue Diamond Eyes.

Last season's leading driver Marvin Luna orchestrated the biggest surprise of the day when he got Aperfect Annie, the longest shot on the board at 58-1, by odds-on favourite Yo Tillie (Todd McCarthy) in the KYSS final for trotting mares. Luna procured the pocket seat to Yo Tillie passing a :27.2 first quarter and followed through a :56.2 half and 1:23.4 three-quarters. Winnpanzee (Yannick Gingras) mounted a blitz out of third to the far turn but jumped off stride, leaving Yo Tillie seemingly to herself turning for home. McCarthy asked his charge to quicken and drifted off the pylons when reaching for the finish, giving Luna ample room to accelerate by late with Aperfect Annie, who landed a neck in front in a 1:52.2 mile. Longshot Best Friends Girl (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) finished third.

Carter Pinske, who led all trainers on the 11-race card with three wins, trains Aperfect Annie for owners Pinske Stables, Melvin Hartman and Andray Farm. The daughter of Googoo Gaagaa-Asixpakfromperfect won her seventh race from 28 starts in her career and has now earned $677,671. She paid $119.62 to win.

Pinske, in combination with Dexter Dunn, swept the pair of consolations for the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks with Brattitude ($4.82), who took the the $68,493 Bronze consolation in 1:54.2, and Decreed ($6.46), who captured the $102,740 Silver consolation in 1:53.3. The triple brought Pinske's seasonal record to 14-for-71.

Live racing at Oak Grove resumes on Monday with a 13-race card headlined by a $30,000 USD Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace, carded as Race 4. With the major upset by Aperfect Annie on the Saturday card, the $1 Pick 4 with a guaranteed pool went unclaimed, leaving a carryover of $11,542.62 into the Monday sequence which covers the last four races on the program. First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:10 p.m. (CDT).

(With files from Oak Grove)