Plenty of Movement in Ken Warkentin’s Week 4 ROAD TO THE WINNING KEY FARM HAMBLETONIAN (G1)
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Week 4 of Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Winning Key Farm Hambletonian has horses moving up the ranks. Big Ranger moves up to #5 after his Scioto Downs track record performance. American Power moves up to #6 following his NJSS Platinum win for Marcus Melander. Svanstedt’s Nebbiolo lands at #10 after dominating in his three-year-old Bunker Hill Trot debut.
ROAD TO THE WINNING KEY FARM HAMBLETONIAN (G1)
2026 Top Ten – Week 4 – May 28
The 2026 Winning Key Farm Hambletonian (G1) will take place Saturday, August 8
| Rank | Horse | Driver, Trainer, Owner | Ken Warkentin’s Comments | |
| 1 | Apex (Walner) | Dexter Dunn, Marcus Melander. Jeffrey Snyder, S R F Stable, Steve Stewart | Dan Patch Award winner, money leader ($871,798), won NJSS & NJ Classic Finals, Peter Haughton Memorial & Mohawk Million in 1:51.4, rallied to win Big M qualifier in 1:53.3 (:26.1) May 22, Melander: “He qualified very well and we’re aiming for the second leg of NJSS next Friday (June 5).” | |
| 2 | Spencer Hanover (Chapter Seven) | Jason Bartlett, Marcus Melander, Jeffrey Synder, Arthur Pronti | Won Big Apple Trot Final, also Breeders Crown elimination & final, second in Valley Victory, earned $649,889, dominated Oak Grove Derby elim in 1:53.4 in 3YO debut, rallied past Endurance to equal 1:51.3 track record in final, easily made it three-for-three this season with a 1:53.3 romp (track good) in NYSS @ Vernon Downs May 25 | |
| 3 | Endurance (Captain Corey) | Andrew McCarthy, Christopher Beaver, Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming, Mark Moger | First crop of 2021 Hambo winner Captain Corey, won six of eight starts, including two KYSS Finals, second in Mohawk Million, track record equaling 1:51.3 in Oak Grove Derby elim in 3YO debut, then a gallant second in final, did not race last week, not in to go | |
| 4 | Diabolic Hill (Muscle Hill) | Todd McCarthy, Annie Stoebe, Mario Mazza, AC Crawford Racing Stable | Breeders Crown elimination winner, close second in final, beat Spencer Hanover in Valley Victory in 1:53.3, banked $506,636, won Big M qualifier in 1:53.3 on May 8, Judges scratch from 3YO debut May 23, post one in qualifier 2 @ Big M May 29 | |
| 5 | Big Ranger (In Range) | Ronnie Gillespie, Madison Global | 2025 Ohio Horse of the Year went seven-for-seven, track records @ Scioto Downs & Dayton, broke in 3YO debut April 23, fourth in Oak Grove Derby elim, wire-to-wire in Silver consolation in 1:52.3, then set Scioto Downs track record 1:51.2 in OHSS May 25, Gillespie: “I did tell the owners, not this start, but the next start, if he can’t trot in (1):51 comfortable, I wouldn’t take him to the (Hambletonian). But he did it real comfortable tonight, so my goal is to see how well he can do it off the pace. He’s going to have to come off the pace to race with those Grand Circuit horses.” | |
| 6 | American Power (Walner) | Dexter Dunn, Marcus Melander, M Biasuzzi Stable Inc | Won an INSS division in 1:53.1 & earned $68,860 at two, beat Spencer Hanover in 1:55.3 qualifier May 16, rallied in :26.3 again to win Garden State division May 16, then won NJSS Platinum Division in 1:54.3 over sloppy track May 23, not in to go | |
| 7 | AI (Chapter Seven) | Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services Inc, Weaver Bruscemi LLC | Won NYSS Final, second in Kindergarten Final, banked $395,073, in 3YO debut second (1:51.4) in Oak Grove Derby elim, fourth (1:52.1) from post three in Final, did not race last week, not in to go | |
| 8 | Ardonne (Tactical Landing) | Scott Zeron, Megan Scran, Philip Steinberg | Won elimination in 1:54.4 & final William Wellwood Memorial in 1:52.4, second by a head to Apex in NJSS Final, banked $289,150, won his first Big M qualifier in 1:55.1 May 15, rallied for third behind American Power in 3YO debut May 23, not in to go | |
| 9 | Magic Punk (Wishing Stone) | Ake Svanstedt, Magic Punk Inc. | Second in Wellwood &Peter Haughton, third in Kindergarten Final, banked $220,878, 1:53.1 stakes record Dexter Cup in 3YO debut, did not race last week, post eight in qualifier 2 @ Big M May 29 | |
| 10 | Nebbiolo (Captain Corey) | Sarah Svanstedt, Ake Svanstedt, Knutsson Trotting Inc. | Rare Pinto from first crop of Captain Corey rattled off four in a row last Fall, dead heat fourth in Valley Victory, dominated 3YO debut in Bunker Hill Trot @ Plainridge in 1:54.2, fifth win in nine career starts, not in to go | |
KEY PREP RACES
Hambletonian Eligibles in Caps
| Date | Stakes | Site | Winner | Driver | Trainer | 2nd Horse | 3rd Horse | Time |
| May 2 | Dexter Cup | M | MAGIC PUNK | Ake Svanstedt | Ake Svanstedt | Southwind Alamo | WHO’S EYES BLUES | 1:53.1 |
| May 4 | Oak Grove Elim | OG | SPENCER HANOVER | Jason Bartlett | Marcus Melander | Geologic | IMPOSSIBLE BI | 1:53.4 |
| May 4 | Oak Grove Elim | OG | Silverstein | Dave Miller | Matthew Burkholder | REQIUEM | KINGMEN | 1:52.3 |
| May 4 | Oak Grove Elim | OG | ENDURANCE | Andrew McCarthy | Christopher Beaver | AI | NIX NAKEN | 1:51.3 |
| May 8 | PASS 1st Leg | Mea | Captain Vodka | Ridge Warren | Robert Baggitt, Jr. | GREENARROW HANOVER | HAMLET HALL | 1:54.3 |
| May 8 | PASS 1st Leg | Mea | Fineline Hanover | Ridge Warren | Ron Coyne, Jr. | Dilly Hanover | R TOMMY COLLINS | 1:53.2 |
| May 16 | Battle of Bunker Hill | PR | NEBBIOLO | Sarah Svanstedt | Ake Svantedt | MIDWIND CHIMP | Water Slide | 1:54.2 |
| May 16 | Oak Grove Derby | OG | SPENCER HANOVER | Jason Bartlett | Marcus Melander | ENDURANCE | REQUIEM | 1:51.3 |
| May 18 | PA Allstars | Poc | MR PENNER | Ake Svanstedt | Ake Svanstedt | MINOAN | Captain Vodka | 1:52 |
| May 18 | PA Allstars | Poc | HIGHLAND DESTINY | Scott Zeron | Nancy Takter | JIM BEAM | DOLLAR DRAFT | 1:52.2 |
| May 18 | PA Allstars | Poc | Fineline Hanover | Todd McCarthy | Ron Coyne, Jr. | NEIGHVER PUNT | Confident Volo | 1:52.2 |
| May 23 | NJSS 1st Leg | M | GABES LUCK | Scott Zeron | Nancy Takter | MEGA SHARK | PRACTICAL MAN | 1:55.3 |
| May 23 | NJSS 1st Leg | M | King Of The Wind | Joe Bongiorno | Joe Bongiorno | MAGA HILL | NEVER SAY DIE | 1:55.2 |
| May 23 | NJSS 1st Leg | M | AMERICAN POWER | Dexter Dunn | Marcus Melander | KINGMEN | ARDONNE | 1:54.3 |
| May 23 | NJSS 1st Leg | M | TRILLION TIMES | Jason Bartlett | Per Engblom | Ice Fall | Be Positive | 1:57.3 |
| May 25 | NYSS 1st Leg | Ver | SEVENATO | Trond Smedshammer | Trond Smedshammer | WHO’S EYES BLUES | Highway Six | 1:54 |
| May 25 | NYSS 1st Leg | Ver | SPENCER HANOVER | Jason Bartlett | Marcus Melander | Titan’s Mischief | SECURED | 1:53.4 |
| June 5 | NYSS 2nd Leg | TD | ||||||
| June 5 | NJSS 2nd Leg | M | ||||||
| June 5 | Goodtimes Elim | MO | ||||||
| June 5 | Goodtimes Elim | MO | ||||||
| June 6 | PASS 2nd Leg | Poc | ||||||
| June 12 | NJSS Final | M | ||||||
| June 12 | EBC Division | Ver | ||||||
| June 12 | EBC Division | Ver | ||||||
| June 13 | Goodtimes Final | MO | ||||||
| June 19 | Yonkers Trot Elim | Y | ||||||
| June 24 | NYSS 3rd leg | Buf | ||||||
| June 26 | Yonkers Trot Final | Y | ||||||
| June 26 | Currier & Ives | Mea | ||||||
| July 4 | Reynolds | M | ||||||
| July 4 | Reynolds | M | ||||||
| July 11 | Stanley Dancer | M | ||||||
| July 11 | Stanley Dancer | M | ||||||
| July 19 | Zweig Memorial | V | ||||||
| July 23 | NYSS 4th Leg | Y | ||||||
| July 25 | Tompkins-Geers | M | ||||||
| July 25 | Tompkins-Geers | M | ||||||
| Aug. 1 | Hambo Elim | M | ||||||
| Aug. 1 | Hambo Elim | M |
FanDuel Championships
Track Conditions
Updated
06/12/2026
Wet-Fast
Variant:
Weather
East Rutherford, US
12:38 am,
June 16, 2026
43°F
overcast clouds