HARNESS RACING HEADLINE!

MUSIC TO MY EARS!



Churchill launches big-money races at Kentucky harness track


Two new races at Oak Grove Racing will be among the biggest harness races in Kentucky when Churchill Downs Inc. launches the Oak Grove Festival of Racing at its racino just north of Fort Campbell near the Tennessee border.

Track officials hope the new $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby and $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks serve as key preps for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks, respectively. Those prestigious races are like the Kentucky Derby and Oaks for standardbreds.




"The growth and excitement around Kentucky harness racing has been a bright spot for the entire sport," CDI president Bill Mudd said in a news release. "Establishing this signature event further stamps Oak Grove as a premier racing and entertainment destination. With steady growth in purses and race days and our focus on delivering exceptional fan experiences, the Oak Grove Festival of Racing is an exciting next step."

The finals for the new races will be Saturday, May 16, with the eliminations on Monday, May 4. Traditionally, the Monday after the Kentucky Derby has been a strong handle day for Oak Grove.

Unlike Thoroughbred races, which limit the number of starters, most harness stakes allow all nominated horses to enter, with eliminations to determine the final field. Each race among both eliminations and finals will have a maximum of nine starters.

Churchill has taken the added step to create roads to the Trotting Derby and Oaks, guaranteeing entry and covering fees for winners of certain prep races.

"Harness racing in Kentucky has seen a spectacular resurgence, fueled by the dynamic and unifying partnership with the teams at Oak Grove and Churchill Downs," Kenny Jackson of the Kentucky Harness Association said in the release. "This alliance has allowed us to reclaim our title as the harness capital of the world. We expect this exciting new event will become the annual kickoff for the sport across North America and beyond and position us to attract new fans and participants to the exciting world of harness racing."

I CAN' WAIT UNTIL JUNE 2026 WHEN THE PREP RACES ARE IN FULL SWING!