Trio of top-class matchups headline Oak Grove week
At 0h02, on April 20, 2026 • By Oak Grove Racing Publicity
Some compelling matchups highlight the trio of $30,000 Open events this week at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel as excitement continues to build towards the upcoming $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby in May.
Pacers poised to spar in Monday feature
Four of the seven horses in Monday’s (April 20) feature, the $30,000 Open Handicap Pace — carded as Race 6 on the 13-race card — are in search of back-to-back wins, including two aiming to repeat in top-level events.
Off his first-over grind to a seasonal-best 1:50.4 score two weeks ago, Admiral Hill has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite and will start from post 6 in the Open Pace. Atlee Bender returns to drive the 29-time winner, a 6-year-old Sweet Lou gelding, for trainer Per Engblom. He is flanked by Ron Burke trainee Tip Top Cat (post 5, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., 5-2), who was a sharp 1:50.1 winner in the March 30 Open; and Ardens Ace N (post 7, Lewayne Miller, 7-2), who invades from Harrah’s Hoosier Park after back-to-back Open wins, including a gritty 1:50.3 score on April 3.
In the co-featured $30,000 Fillies and Mares Open, carded as Race 2, Yankee B Something looks to repeat after staving off a late bid from Lyin’ Eyes for a 1:50.3 win last week. Geremy Bobbitt again drives the 6-year-old Always B Miki mare, who has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite and will start from post 2, for trainer Jimmy Watson.
Stage set for Tuesday trotting showdown
Two past feature winners this meet in Drink Up Drink Up and Cecil Hanover are poised to square off in Tuesday’s (April 21) $30,000 Open Handicap Trot, carded as the sixth of 12 races on the program, but their six rivals are intent on making the featured event anything but a match race.
Cecil Hanover, the 2-1 morning line favorite from post 8, coasted to a 1:54.1 win in last week’s Open Handicap after a narrow defeat to Ponda Jet in his local debut two weeks prior. Devon Tharps will again drive the 6-year-old Chapter Seven gelding for Engblom.
To his immediate inside is Drink Up Drink Up, a four-time winner from six starts this year and the winner of the first Open Trot of the meet. Installed as the 5-2 second choice, the 6-year-old Trixton gelding returns to the Bluegrass State after a front-stepping 1:54.4 win in the April 8 Open at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, and Brandon Bates will again drive for trainer Walter Haynes Jr.
A pair of Julie Miller trainees look to upend the favorites: Little Expensive (post 6, Tyler Miller, 9-2), an 18-time winner in his career, rallied furiously but belatedly for a no-match second to Cecil Hanover in their meeting last week, and Herecomesdajudge (post 5, Atlee Bender, 5-1) seeks to improve after being just nabbed for second by his stablemate off a pocket trip.
Post time both days is 2:10 p.m.
