Oak Grove Racing & Gaming opens the 2024 Kentucky harness racing calendar with a 34-date meet beginning on Monday, April 1.
The southwestern Kentucky venue, 60 miles northwest of Nashville on Interstate 24, will host live harness racing every Monday and Tuesday from April 1 through July 16, along with Sunday cards on July 7 and 14. Daily post time is 3 p.m. CDT, situated to allow for maximum visibility between the end of prime East Coast afternoon signals and evening offerings.
Free daily past performance programs highlight a number of new player-friendly amenities offered this season at Oak Grove. Daily past performances for each race day will be available via the track's website at oakgrovegaming.com, as will expanded commentary from racing analyst Ray Cotolo. On the wagering front, players will be treated to a pair of Pick-5s daily, each with a low 15 per cent takeout and a minimum 20-cent base wager. The wagering menu also includes a $1 minimum on Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Daily Double, Pick-3 and Pick-4 wagers, 50-cent Trifectas, 20-cent Superfectas, and a 20-cent Super Hi-5 offered on each day's final race.
"Offering free programs makes our racing accessible to everyone, no matter where you are," said Cara Collins, racing and equine operations manager at Oak Grove. "Hopefully, it will continue to grow our fan base. We've been steadily growing each year, although I think this year the buzz is greater. A lot of drivers and trainers are excited about what Oak Grove has to offer."
The sport's top stables and drivers will again converge on Oak Grove throughout the meet as it plays host to Kentucky Standardbred Development Fund races for Kentucky-bred two, three and four-year-olds. Two series will be offered for four-year-olds, with six-figure finals on both May 13 and June 25. Oak Grove's marquee program of the season is slated for Sunday, July 14, when two and three-year-olds contest a combined $800,000 USD in Kentucky Sire Stakes series finals.
The Opening Day card has its own share of firepower, with a combined $184,000 USD in purses offered across 12 races, including a pair of $30,000 USD Open Paces. On Tuesday, April 2, the track will host another 12-race card, headlined by a $30,000 USD Open Trot.
(With files from Oak Grove Racing)