Plenty of movement in Ken Warkentin's Road to the Hambletonian

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

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.

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 1^st Leg

Mea

Captain Vodka

Ridge Warren

Robert Baggitt, Jr.

GREENARROW HANOVER

HAMLET HALL

1:54.3

May 8

PASS 1^st 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 1^st Leg

M

GABES LUCK

Scott Zeron

Nancy Takter

MEGA SHARK

PRACTICAL MAN

1:55.3

May 23

NJSS 1^st Leg

M

King Of The Wind

Joe Bongiorno

Joe Bongiorno

MAGA HILL

NEVER SAY DIE

1:55.2

May 23

NJSS 1^st Leg

M

AMERICAN POWER

Dexter Dunn

Marcus Melander

KINGMEN

ARDONNE

1:54.3

May 23

NJSS 1^st Leg

M

TRILLION TIMES

Jason Bartlett

Per Engblom

Ice Fall

Be Positive

1:57.3

May 25

NYSS 1^st Leg

Ver

SEVENATO

Trond Smedshammer

Trond Smedshammer

WHO’S EYES BLUES

Highway Six

1:54

May 25

NYSS 1^st Leg

Ver

SPENCER HANOVER

Jason Bartlett

Marcus Melander

Titan’s Mischief

SECURED

1:53.4

June 5

NYSS 2^nd Leg

TD

June 5

NJSS 2^nd Leg

M

June 5

Goodtimes Elim

MO

June 5

Goodtimes Elim

MO

June 6

PASS 2^nd 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 3^rd 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 4^th Leg

Y

July 25

Tompkins-Geers

M

July 25

Tompkins-Geers

M

Aug. 1

Hambo Elim

M

Aug. 1

Hambo Elim

M