Jimdougie Armitage, Birr Castle punch Oak Grove tickets

OAK GROVE, KY (September 10, 2026) – Jimdougie Armitage (Greenshoe), a $750,000 Lexington Selected yearling, secured his spot in the eliminations to the 2027 $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby by winning the $300,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship on Monday at Pocono Downs.  Driven and trained by Ake Svanstedt, Jimdougie Armitage has won his last three starts for owners, SRF Stable, Knutsson Trotting, Inc., Brochart Stable, Inc., and Svanstedt & Midnight Sun with a stakes record equaling performance of 1:52.4 in Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

In the two-year-old filly division of the $300,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship Birr Castle, a Captain Corey out of the Donato Hanover mare Melania, also secured her “Win and You’re In” automation spot the eliminations to the 2027 $300,000 Oak Grove Trotting Oaks. Driven by Scott Zeron and trained by Marcus Melander for owner Pheasant Hill Farm (Ed Lohmeyer), Birr Castle captured her Championship in 1:53.4, equaling her own lifetime mark, while also setting a stakes record for two-year-old trotting fillies.

The “Road to…” series was established to reward top two-year-old trotting performances and enrich Oak Grove’s premier events. 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)

Date	Automatic Qualifying Race	2026 Race Winner
8/8/2026	New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship	Lifetime Dreamer
8/29/2026	William Wellwood	Ocean Storm
9/7/2026	Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship	Jimdougie Armitage
9/12/2026	Ohio Sire Stakes Championship (Scarlet)
9/12/2026	New York Sire Stakes Championship
9/18/2026	Peter Haughton
9/20/2026	Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series
9/26/2026	Mohawk Million
10/9/2026	Indiana Sire Stakes Championship
10/9/2026	Ontario Sire Stakes Championship (Gold)
10/23/2026	Breeders Crown 2YO Trot
11/14/2026	Valley Victory

Road to the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks (Fillies)

Date	Automatic Qualifying Race	2026 Race Winner
8/8/2026	New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship	Wall of Fame
8/29/2026	Peaceful Way	Athena’s Girl
9/7/2026	Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship	Birr Castle
9/12/2026	Ohio Sire Stakes Championship (Scarlet)
9/12/2026	New York Sire Stakes Championship
9/18/2026	Jim Doherty
9/20/2026	Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series
9/25/2026	Kentuckiana Stallion Management
10/9/2026	Indiana Sire Stakes Championship
10/9/2026	Ontario Sire Stakes Championship (Gold)
10/23/2026	Breeders Crown 2YO Filly Trot
11/14/2026	Goldsmith Maid

 

From Oak Grove Racing