Four Sire Stakes winners book Oak Grove spots

OAK GROVE, KY (September 15, 2026) – Uncle Rob (Met’s Hall) 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 two-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 performance.

Cool Julio (Cuatro De 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 two-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 two-year-old filly division, Kountry Plunge (Chapter Seven) 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 (In Range), who won the Ohio Sire Stakes Scarlet Championship for two-year-old trotting fillies in a track record 1:53.1 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.