In Range freshmen took both trot divisions of the $202,703 Next Generation at Eldorado Scioto Downs, with Big Ranger setting a new track record for colt trotters, winning under a hand drive in 1:54. Illbetyourboots set a stakes record of 1:52 winning the two-year-old colt pace, with Setyoursightshigh winning the filly trot division in 1:56.3.

Leaving from the rail, trainer/driver Ronnie Gillespie got Big Ranger away on top and comfortably led through fractions of :27, :57.1 and 1:25.2. Max The Mighty and Aaron Merriman got the pocket trip and finished 3-1/4 lengths back in second; Rose Run Banker and Chris Page were third.

Madison Global owns the $33,784 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase who was bred by Spring Haven Farm. By In Range, Big Ranger (pictured above)is the first foal out of the Tactical Landing mare Big Blue Bird. Big Ranger prepped for the Next Generation by qualifying in 1:57.2 at Scioto on June 16.

The previous track record of 1:55.1 for two-year-old colt trotters was set in 2022 by Black Magic and driver Chris Lems.

Illbetyourboots and Chris Page tied the stakes record for the two-year-old colt pace division of the Next Generation, winning in 1:52.

Page got Illbetyourboots away second from post two, but immediately overtook the early leader, Sparks N Fire (Austin Hanners). Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. immediately followed suit with Crocodile Station by the :27.3 opening quarter and stayed on top through the :55.4 half and 1:23.2 third quarter. It was a cavalry charge coming out of the last turn and it was four across the wire, with Illbetyourboots coming out on top by a neck over Swelce and Mike Wilder; Sparks N Fire came back up the passing lane to be third.

Judy Roegner bred Illbetyourboots, by Summa Cum Laude out of the Real Desire mare Age of Consent. Roegner was the trainer of record for the gelding who was third at the Paulding fair, and then qualified at Northfield in 1:57.4. On June 28 Illbetyourboots won a non-winners of one event at Scioto in 1:52.2, after which Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and Larry Karr purchased the gelding.

Act Fast, also driven and trained by Chris Page and Ron Burke, is the co-stakes record holder, when they won the Next Generation back in 2022.

Setyoursightshigh won the first division of the Next Generation of the night, the two-year-old filly trot, in 1:56.3.

Heading towards the 28.3 quarter, Setyoursightshigh got away fourth from post two. Godusa (Dave Palone) was setting the fractions and looked comfortable going past the :59.1 half but heading towards the 1:28.1 third-quarter pole went offstride. Setyoursightshigh won by a length and a quarter over Demonic Niko and Atlee Bender; Speedbewithyou and Austin Hanners was third.

Setyoursightshigh, by In Range out of the Cantab Hall mare Special Interest, was a $67,568 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase. The filly is trained by Marcus Melander for Heights Stable, Mantorp, AMG Stable and K Kjellgren Livs AB. Setyoursightshigh got ready for the Next Generation by finishing second in a Kentucky Sires Stakes event at Oak Grove, timed in 1:57.

The first leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes was historically over the 4th of July weekend, but when the Next Generation was started, in 2020 for pacers and 2021 for trotters, it became the first outing for Ohio-sired two-year-olds. This year the first leg of the OHSS for two-year-old trotters will be held July 12 at Scioto and for two-year-old pacers on July 13 at Northfield Park.

On the Next Generation undercard, Dan Noble drove both winners of the $87,838 Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old filly pacers, in a track record-equaling mile of 1:49.4 with Rose Run Aimee and in gate-to-wire fashion with Odds On Chesapeake in 1:50.4.

A winner in stakes action at Scioto on June 13 in 1:49.4 as well, Rose Run Aimee posted back-to-back efforts tying her divisional track record. Noble took Rose Run Aimee straight off the gate to the lead from post two, let Odds On Hialeah (Brett Miller) take the lead at the :26.4 opening quarter and re-took, setting additional fractions of :55 and 1:22.1. Odds On Hialeah finished second with Seaside Wishes (Kayne Kauffman) getting up for third.

Rose Run Aimee, by Racing Hill, was a $11,000 Buckeye Classic Yearling Sale purchase who has now earned $158,201 in 16 lifetime starts. The James Ehrsam trainee is owned by Dr. Jill Dental, William Rufenacht, Gene Roth and Jeff Bankey.

Noble won the second division in gate-to-wire fashion with Odds On Chesapeake in 1:50.4.

Following fractions of :27.2 and :55.3, Prolific Fire (Austin Hanners) pulled shortly after the half as the field went to the 1:22.3 third quarter. Prolific Fire got up for second, with Odds On Sue (Jeremy Smith) finishing third. Odds On Chesapeake, by Downbytheseaside, was bred by Odds On Nourrir and is now owned by Odds On Racing in partnership with Operation Horsepower. A perfect five-for-five on the season, Odds On Chesapeake now has $386,041 lifetime in 15 lifetime starts.

Trainer Ron Burke and driver Chris Page took both $87,838 divisions of the OHSS for three-year-old colt pacers, winning with Swingtown in 1:48.4 and Rick Wink in 1:49.3.

In the first division, Swingtown was parked from post nine as the field went through the :27 opening quarter. Making the front, the pair led through the :55.3 half and 1:22.3 third quarter before winning by a length over stablemates Harrisburg Heist (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) and Fear The Hate (Noble). Swingtown is owned by Burke Racing, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and R A S Racing. The Downbytheseaside colt who was a $160,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase now has eight wins in 16 lifetime starts and $735,153 in earnings.

The other colt division went in 1:49.2 with the 1-5 favourite Rick Wink winning by a half length over fraction-setting stablemate Sippinonsearoc (Wrenn, Jr.). Rick Wink got the pocket trip after leaving from post three and making the early lead by the :26.4 opening quarter. Sippinonsearoc left from post nine and was three-wide for most of the first turn and led through the :55.1 half and 1:23 third quarter. Jon I Love Dat (Noble) joined the Burke duo as the three separated themselves from the rest of the field. Rick Wink pulled from behind Sippinonsearoc midway down the stretch to just edge him out, winning by a half-length; Jon I Love Dat was third.

Rick Wink was a $27,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase and the Bit Of A Legend N colt now has $523,953 in lifetime earnings. A winner of 12 races in 13 lifetime starts, Rick Wink is owned by Burke Racing, R A S Racing, Knox Services and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby.

The fillies Mega Money and In The End set new lifetime marks winning their respective $87,838 divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes,while the gelding LT Loverboy set a new mark of 1:52.1.

Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) was the first to set her new lifetime mark in the first race on Saturday’s card. She got the perfect pocket trip behind stablemate Triump Over You (Dan Noble) who set every fraction of :26.3, :55.4 and 1:24. Sitting chilly until the top of the stretch, Mega Money came up on her outside to win by a head in 1:53.3. Jailhouse Pearl (Austin Hanners) came up the passing lane to finish second, with Brink Street (Chris Page) coming three-wide around the last turn to get up for third. Mega Money is trained by co-owner Chris Beaver for Patricia Stable, L A Express and Sjoblom Racing. Saturday’s victory was a new lifetime mark for the Triumphant Caviar filly who now has $316,615 earned in 16 lifetime starts with five victories.

In The End (Noble) took the other filly division also in 1:53.4. The pair got away third through the :27.1 quarter, pulled first up just as the field was about to hit the :56.1 half and kept grinding it out through the 1:24.3 third quarter. In The End won handily by a length over Dream Something (Tyler Smith), with Rose Run Allison (Page) getting up for third. In The End, by Lionhunter, was bred, owned and trained by Anette Lorentzon. The filly now has $128,857 earned in 15 lifetime starts.

Darren Harvey’s LT Loverboy took the fastest trot division setting his new lifetime mark of 1:52.1. Brett Miller took the Long Tom gelding off the gate from post six and settled in fourth as the field battled to an opening quarter of :26.2. Pulling first over as the field went under the line for the first time, LT Loverboy ground it out through the :55 half and 1:22.4 third quarter to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Scrappys Love (Noble) and Vekna (Kayne Kauffman). A $60,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase, LT Loverboy now has $576,551 earned in 15 lifetime starts for owners Wayne Mast, Jr. and Callam Racing.

Brett Miller and Jet Wings won the other colt division in 1:54. The duo got away fifth from post three and waited for the dust to settle as the race went through an opening quarter of :27.2. When the field went towards the :56.2 half, Jet Wings pulled second over, then went three-wide heading to the 1:25.1 third quarter. Jet Wings won by a length over What A Buckeye (Tyler Smith) with Long Highway (Hugh Beatty) finishing third. Jet Wings was a $85,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase and now has $196,774 in earnings. Virgil Morgan, Jr. trains the What The Hill gelding for the Joyce A. McClelland Stable.

The 90-day 2025 Eldorado Scioto Downs race meet runs through Saturday, Sept. 13. Races are held Tuesday-Saturday with a 5:45 p.m. first post. A special late first post of 6:45 p.m. on Friday, September 12 will help accommodate horsemen attending the Ohio Selected Yearling Sale.

(Scioto Downs)