Holding a top race for 3-year-old trotters in May has become tougher and tougher over time. Once the Hambletonian became worth $1 million and had a firm date of the first Saturday in August, trainers with prime candidates for the sport's biggest prize routinely waited to get into serious competition until June and sometimes later. While decent races were put on the calendar prior to the August date, quite often there was a lukewarm response in nominations and inevitably entries. Given all prior data, it is refreshing to know that the timing of two new stakes races, specifically the Oak Grove Trotting Derby and Oak Grove Trotting Oaks - slated for $500,000 and $300,000 finals, respectively, on May 16 - will produce the anticipated results. That being horses with proven ability in stakes competition as freshmen are expected to be on the scene for the May 4 elimination races. "I plan on sending Spencer Hanover and Setyoursightshigh," said trainer Marcus Melander, who trains last year's Breeders Crown champion in Spencer Hanover, as well as the In Range-sired filly Setyoursightshigh. She captured last year's Ohio Sire Stakes final and has plenty of experience in Kentucky, having won last year's $100,000 Kentucky Championship race at Oak Grove's five-eighths mile oval. "I'm going to qualify Spencer Hanover again on Friday at the Meadowlands," said Melander. The Breeders Crown victory gave Spencer Hanover an automatic nomination to compete in the first Oak Grove Trotting Derby, and Melander is looking forward to taking the spot afforded. As for the Chapter Seven-sired colt's early return following a long and late freshman campaign, Melander said, "He was very fresh ending the year and feeling great. We gave him a few weeks off and he came back well. Jason (Bartlett) just let him trot on his own last week." Spencer Hanover finished fourth against another top New York-bred sophomore in AI last week, and Melander will make a change before this Friday's action. "He did qualify without hopples but we're going to put them back on. I think if he was only going to race on a mile track all year he could go without them," Melander said. The Ron Burke-trained AI made nearly $400K while racing 14 times as a freshman. He won the April 18 qualifier in 1:54 3/5, looking very much in-hand through the 27 1/5 final quarter. AI captured last year's New York Sire Stakes championp final at Batavia. Perhaps as impressive was five wins in six tries in Sire Stakes action over New York's half-mile ovals. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Trainer Matt Burkholder has been prepping his two top stakes candidates and won't start either Silverstein or Requiem in advance of the May 4 eliminations. "They both qualified well and are ready," said Burkholder. "David (Miller) was happy with both." Silverstein and Requiem qualified in 1:55 2/5 with the Hall of Famer in the bike on April 18 at Miami Valley. Silverstein was the more accomplished of the pair last year, earning $370K with a Kentucky Championship at Oak Grove, as well as a third-place finish in the Mohawk Million. The son of Chapter Seven was also third in the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series final at The Red Mile. "He hasn't grown much but he's filled out," said Burkholder of Silverstein, a 1:51 4/5 winner that finished on the board in 11 of his 12 starts as a freshman. Requiem won four times in 10 starts last year, including back-to-back Grand Circuit victories at The Red Mile last fall. Racing top sophomores early wasn't a concern. "It's a $500,000 race," said Burkholder, who is giving Silverstein a chance since the horse is ineligible for the Hambletonian. Stablemate Requiem was made eligible, however. "I didn't want to race them three straight times, so we'll just go straight to the eliminations," said Burkholder about his pair that will skip this Monday's (April 27) prep race. "It's an 8 1/2 hour ship from here," said Burkholder of the decision. Two of last year's premier 2-year-olds are eligible to the race following victories in signature events in 2025. Apex, the Peter Haughton Memorial winner, and Ardonne, the William Wellwood Memorial winner, are included on the list of 43 colts and geldings eligible to the $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby. "I'm taking Apex to the Meadowlands Friday and he'll train there this week and probably again next week," said Melander, who expects Apex to likely qualify the same weekend the New Jersey Sire Stakes commences. "His first start will probably be in the second leg of the Sire Stakes." Ardonne was seen training a mile at the Meadowlands last Saturday (April 18) with Scott Zeron in the bike and reportedly he'll train there again this Friday and point towards the New Jersey Sire Stakes. Trainer Per Engblom has been sending out winners all over the harness landscape, and he's likely to have a presence at Oak Grove as well with Kingmen, a son of Walner that made his season's debut going wire-to-wire at Pocono on April 20 in 1:55. Kingmen's best performance as a 2-year-old came finishing second in the Champlain at Woodbine Mohawk Park last September. Kentucky Sire Stakes champion Endurance also finished second in the Mohawk Million. He earned for $557K for trainer Chris Beaver. Endurance, a colt from the first crop of Captain Corey, won his lone qualifier this year in a powerhouse performance, trotting to a 1:53 4/5 mile at Spring Garden Ranch on April 16. Andrew McCarthy guided him through a 27 1/5 final quarter, finishing a dozen lengths in front of Zephyr Kemp, an Oak Grove Derby eligible that trainer Marcus Melander is considering. Melander sounded quite happy with his returning sophomore trotting filly Setyoursightshigh. "Dexter was very happy with her qualifier," said Melander. "He raced her from behind." Setyoursightshigh trotted a mile in 1:54 4/5 at Spring Garden Ranch on April 16, her final prep for the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks. A total of 58 fillies are eligible for the race, including last year's Goldsmith Maid champion All Time Trot S, a daughter of Googoo Gaagaa that will qualify for the first time this year on Friday at the Meadowlands for trainer Ake Svanstedt. Jailbird Jog, a Grand Circuit winner at The Red Mile last year and a multiple Oak Grove winner, qualified on Tuesday at The Meadows in powerful fashion and makes her sophomore debut on Monday in a $25,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks prep (race six). The second prep (race nine) contains the intriguing Ginger Tree Lex, a winner of seven straight to conclude her 2025 campaign. She makes her debut this year off a pair of qualifiers and will experience Grand Circuit competition for the first time in her career in the elimination round. Trainer Blake McIntosh's Sugar Packet won last year's Peaceful Way, earning a spot in the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks. The daughter of Six Pack has qualified twice at the Meadowlands in preparation for the Oaks. Whether any horse will capture the Oak Grove sophomore stakes and go on to capture the Hambletonian or Oaks remains to be seen. Much is at stake as the Oak Grove events could help pave the way for more quality races in these divisions prior to the Hambletonian, something that's been absent way too long.