Harness Racing's Biggest Spring Weekend: Oak Grove Trotting Derby & Oaks Previews
The Kentucky Derby may be done and dusted for another year, but horse racing fans have one more mega-weekend to enjoy before the spring season wraps up. On Saturday, May 16, Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel in Kentucky hosts the crown jewel of its $2.75 million Festival of Racing — a $1.5 million stakes card headlined by the inaugural $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby and the $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks. These are the biggest harness races of the spring, and they are wager-able right here on MyWinners.
What Is the Oak Grove Festival of Racing?
Oak Grove Racing & Gaming has been building toward this moment for two weeks. The 2026 Festival of Racing kicked off on May 4 with elimination rounds for both the Derby and the Oaks, and it culminates on Preakness Saturday with a card that would look right at home on any major racing calendar.
Saturday's bill totals $1.5 million in purses across 11 stakes races, including the four finals of the Kentucky Sire Stakes series for four-year-olds alongside the two headline events. First post for the main card is in the early afternoon, with the $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks going at approximately 4:52 PM CDT and the $500,000 Derby to follow at around 5:23 PM CDT.
New to harness racing? The basics are simple: horses pull a driver in a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, competing at a trot or pace. Fields are smaller than in thoroughbred racing, the action is fast, and the exotics — exactas, trifectas, Pick 4s, Pick 5s — can pay very well. You bet the same way you would on any other race.
Race 10: $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks Final — 3YO Fillies
| Horse | Post | Morning Line | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked And Famous | 1 | -150 | Track record in elim. The banker. |
| Setyoursightshigh | 8 | +200 | Dan Patch Award winner. Best value to beat the fav. |
| Carve | 4 | +500 | Same barn as the favorite. Exotics use. |
| Jailbird Jog | 2 | +800 | Showed ability in elim. Trifecta filler. |
| Custom | 6 | +700 | Late pace threat but likely to go off at short price for what she offers. |
The fillies go first, and this looks like a match race with a twist.
Naked And Famous (Post 1) — Morning Line Favorite
The daughter of Six Pack was extraordinary in her elimination, clocking a 1:51.2 mile that set a new track record for sophomore trotting fillies — by two-fifths of a second. She led from the first quarter and was never threatened, winning by seven and a half lengths. Trainer Noel Daley has her ready, she has drawn the inside gate, and driver Todd McCarthy has all the options in the world from there. The form says she should win and win easily.
TIP: Naked And Famous looks the banker. Bet her to win and use her on top in your exactas.
Setyoursightshigh (Post 8) — 3-1 Morning Line
The 2025 Dan Patch Award winner for best two-year-old filly trotter has never finished worse than second in 12 career starts, with seven wins. She finished just a half-length behind Custom in her elimination, posting a 1:52.4 mile. The outside post eight is a handicap, but the Marcus Melander barn knows how to get horses into position, and Dexter Dunn is one of the best at doing it from wide gates. If Naked And Famous has an off day, this filly will be right there to pick up the pieces.
TIP: The value play if you are looking to beat the favorite. Use in exactas underneath and as a win alternative at the right price.
Carve (Post 4) — 6-1 Morning Line
A stablemate of Naked And Famous, Carve was beaten fairly well in the elimination but has solid form underneath, including a 1:52 win in the Grade 3 International Stallion Stakes last year. The Daley barn will have her ready for a stronger showing, and her post four draw is workable. Solid exotics piece.
Race 11: $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby Final — 3YO Colts & Geldings
| Horse | Post | Morning Line | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Hanover | 1 | +100 | Breeders Crown champ. Respected but elim form was workmanlike. |
| Nix Nacken | 2 | +600 | Melander second string. Should improve second start of year. |
| AI | 3 | +400 | Good second behind Endurance in elim. Needs a step forward. |
| Endurance | 6 | +150 | Track record in elim, won in hand. Top pick. |
| Silverstein | 9 | +700 | Best value in the race. Wide post the only concern. |
The richest harness race of the spring and the marquee event of the entire festival. Three horses won the eliminations and all three come into the final with legitimate claims to the title.
Endurance (Post 6) — 5-2 Morning Line
The Kentucky Championship Series winner set a track record in his elimination, posting a 1:51.3 — the fastest mile ever run by a sophomore male trotter at Oak Grove. Driver Andy McCarthy had him in hand late and still won pulling away. This is a horse that a second lap around the track would not have bothered at all. Six wins from his freshman season plus a track record on this very surface makes him the one to beat.
TIP: Endurance is the top selection. He fits the profile of a horse who wins on Saturday. Back him to win and include him as the anchor in Pick 4 and exacta tickets.
Silverstein (Post 9) — 8-1 Morning Line
The four-time winner posted a smooth 1:52.3 in his elimination and had more left in the tank. The post nine draw is a genuine concern — wide posts in harness racing demand early traffic management — but trainer Matt Burkholder has him right, and replacement driver Scott Zeron has made careers out of pulling off big-race wins from challenging positions. At 8-1 morning line, the price is right for a horse this talented.
TIP: The value of the race. If you want to go against Endurance, this is the horse to do it with. A must-use in exotics.
Spencer Hanover (Post 1) — 2-1 Morning Line
The 2025 Breeders Crown champion is the morning line co-favorite and has the most decorated resume in the field. His elimination win of 1:53.4 was workmanlike rather than spectacular, and the buzz around him is more about reputation than recent form. Jason Bartlett knows this horse better than anyone and drawing post one at least gives him every option going forward. Do not dismiss him — Breeders Crown winners do not forget how to win — but the elimination form puts Endurance ahead of him heading into Saturday.
How to Bet Saturday's Card
Both races are available to wager on MyWinners. Suggested approaches:
Win bet: Endurance in Race 11, Naked And Famous in Race 10.
Exacta Race 10: Naked And Famous over Setyoursightshigh.
Exacta Race 11: Endurance over Silverstein — good value if the post nine draw worries you about Silverstein winning outright.
Pick 4 (Races 8-11): Use all key Kentucky Sire Stakes runners in Races 8-9, then Endurance and Silverstein in Race 11.
Exotics: Carve and Setyoursightshigh are solid underneath plays in the Oaks trifecta.
Saturday's Oak Grove card is the kind of afternoon that reminds you why harness racing is worth your attention. Two Grade 1 finals, $800,000 in the top two races alone, and a Jake Owen concert to round out the evening. Wager on MyWinners and enjoy every stride.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
