Oak Grove: Road to Derby and Oaks went through New York and Ohio last weekend

Uncle Rob secured his spot in the eliminations to the 2027 $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby by winning the $300,000 New York Sire Stakes Championship for 2-year-old trotting males on Saturday at MGM Yonkers Raceway. Driven by Andy Miller for owner Andy Miller Stable, Inc. and trained by Julie Miller, Uncle Rob set a track record with a 1:56 2/5 performance. Cool Julio also secured a "Win and You're In" spot for the Derby eliminations by breaking his maiden in the Ohio Sire Stakes Scarlet Championship for 2-year-old trotting colts at Eldorado Scioto Downs, posting a time of 1:55 for driver Tyler Smith and trainer Jeff Smith.  Cool Julio is owned by TD Trot, LLC.

In the 2-year-old filly division, Kountry Plunge secured her automatic spot in the eliminations to the 2027 $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks by keeping her perfect record intact in the $300,000 New York Sire Stakes Championship. A $200,000 Lexington Selected yearling out of World Champion Plunge Blue Chip, Kountry Plunge is driven and trained by Ake Svanstedt for owners OBM Stable, Svanstedt & Midnight Sun, Bender Sweden, Inc. and Ecurie Diocles AB.  Also securing a spot in the Oaks eliminations was Blue Ranger, who won the Ohio Sire Stakes Scarlet Championship for 2-year-old trotting fillies in a track record 1:53 1/5 for driver Aaron Merriman and trainer Marcus Melander.  Blue Ranger, a $210,000 Ohio Jug Yearling Sale graduate and full sister to superstar Big Ranger, is owned by Bender Sweden.

The “Road to...” series was established to reward top two-year-old trotting performances and enrich Oak Grove’s premier events. A series of designated Grand Circuit and Sire Stakes races serve as automatic qualifying events for the Derby and Oaks eliminations. 

Road to the Oak Grove Trotting Derby (Colts)

Road to the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks (Fillies)

-edited release (Oak Grove)