Big Ranger, a son of In Range-Big Blue Bird, won his $141,092 Hambletonian elimination this past weekend easily in rein to Tim Tetrick, stopping the timer in a career-best 1:50, with a :26.3 final brush. Anette Lorentzon trains the bay colt, who was bred by Utica, Ohio’s Spring Haven Farm and is owned by Madison Global of Dundee, Ohio.

It was Big Ranger’s fifth consecutive win, after having rattled off triumphs in the $102,740 Oak Grove Trotting Derby consolation (May 16) in 1:52.3; a pair of $104,167 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions (May 25 and June 13) in 1:51.2 and 1:50.3; and a $28,169 Buckeye Stallion Stake (July 18) in 1:51.4.

“It didn’t really surprise me because he’s been doing everything so handy since we got him,” Lorentzon said about Big Ranger’s elimination performance. “He hasn’t faced these kinds of horses since back in May, so you never know. I had faith in the horse, but everything had to go right, and it did. The [Hambletonian] final is a new race. But at least we got this over with and he showed what kind of horse he is.

“I know a lot of people questioned my decision on how to prepare for this; that I took him to the Buckeye Stallion Series because it’s easier,” she continued. “It had nothing to do with being easier. It had to do with a five-eighths at Scioto instead of a half-mile at Northfield since he was never paid into anything up to the Hambo. I tried to do what I thought was best for the horse leading up to here. So far, it seems like it’s working out. We just have to be this good, or even better, for next week.”

As a freshman, Big Ranger won seven of seven starts and earned $510,294 for trainer/driver Ronnie Gillespie, recording a mark of 1:53.4 in his final start of the year when he captured the $416,667 Ohio Sires Stakes championship. Lorentzon assumed the training duties in late May.

“He impressed me from day one,” noted driver Tetrick after his Hambletonian elim. “He’s super smart, he’s got big lungs; he’s a real animal. He impressed me and went under the wire strongly. He passed a lot of tests today.”

“Timmy told me it felt like he was on a Sunday stroll [in the elim],” said Lorentzon. “He can be a little bit of a handful because he’s got so much energy. He’s got to have his routine: first in the morning, otherwise he’s got way too much energy. You’ve got to do it in his way. He’s a very happy horse. When you train him at home, he doesn’t show much. He’s just a very good horse to be around. To me, he’s unbelievable. Right now, he seems to be the best one I’ve had. He’s raced with shoes and he will be racing the same way next week; I don’t want to take any chances doing anything different.”

Big Ranger has career earnings of $756,892, with 12 wins in 14 starts. His grandsire, Bar Hopping, won his 2016 Hambo elim (in 1:51.4), while his great-grandsire Muscle Hill won his 2009 elim and Hambo final (in 1:50.1). His broodmare sire, Tactical Landing, won his 2018 elim (in 1:52.1), and was third in the final.

But Big Ranger’s story doesn’t end here. Much of his success can be attributed to the immediate genetics of his sire In Range 3,1:51.4 ($824,878), who absolutely made his presence known in 2025 during his first year as stallion in Ohio, as well as his dam, the prolific Ilia, who is a daughter of Windsongs Legacy 3,1:53 ($1,921,088), out of the Super Pleasure 3,1:58f ($827,238) mare Tasha Yar 3,1:57.2s ($254,155). Prior to foaling In Range, Ilia produced Tight Lines (by Yankee Glide) 7,1:51.2f ($626,199) in 2013; Long Tom (by Muscle Hill) 3,1:52.1 ($425,610) in 2014; and Field Gunner (by Kadabra) 3,1:56.4f ($75,284) in 2017. She also produced Go Boom (by Muscle Hill) 2,1:54.1 ($164,613) in 2022, among others.

The son of the aforementioned Bar Hopping, In Range stands at Hickory Lane Farm in Findlay, Ohio and has been a dream come true for the team of stallion manager Brad Wallace and stallion syndicate manager Kevin Greenfield.

“I’m a trotting guy and always follow them,” admitted Greenfield. “Robert Lindstrom called me one day when I was on my way to the Ohio Jug Sale and said, ‘I have this horse In Range, would you be interested in buying him?’ It was the first year for Long Tom, who was at Midland Acres then, and he had had a very good year. I remembered In Range when he won his first races as a baby.

“Robert said the horse would be at The Red Mile and that I could take a look at him,” continued Greenfield. “I loved his breeding and he was really good looking. I was offered another stallion at the same time, who was a no-brainer to take, but after I saw In Range, I told Brad, this is the horse I want. And he was affordable for us. I contacted Archie Yoder at Rose Run Farm and asked him if he wanted to buy in on the horse, and I put in 75 per cent and Archie put in 25 per cent and we bought him.”

Greenfield established the In Range Syndicate on Jan. 6, 2022, selling shares to “mostly Ohio people.” The shares were $10,000 USD each and offered two breedings a year for four years.

“We got all the shares sold,” said Greenfield. “I told Brad that this horse is going to be tremendous after we saw what his three-quarter brother did. I truly felt he had success written all over him. He’s not too big, not too small, with a great head and perfect confirmation.”

Wallace agrees with Greenfield's assessment of In Range.

“He’s a great horse to be around, with a great attitude and is quiet and easy to handle,” confirmed Wallace. “He’s good looking and fertile and is a good breeder. He’s just a fantastic horse to be around and work with and he really stamps his babies. You can go out in the field of yearlings and you can pick his babies out. Gait-wise, they all have a great gait. In Range is a big, tall, lanky horse and his babies have a lot of reach to them in their stride when they’re trotting through the field. They look like a fast trotter, as he’s a knockout looking thing. He’s impressive and I enjoy showing him to people because he’s so nice looking. We feel lucky to have a fertile Bar Hopping stallion.”

In Range earned $824,878 from 27 starts, with seven wins, six seconds and six thirds during his racing career as a two and three-year-old. His progeny earnings, which include Big Ranger (his fastest son and second-highest earner), now total more than $6.4 million from 107 total starters, with 44 in 2:00 or faster and six in 1:55 or faster.

Endurance was a whisker short to the winning Apex in his $141m092 Hambletonian elimination, clocked in 1:50.4, with a :26.2 final panel in a thrilling, come-from-behind stretch drive.

Driven by Andrew McCarthy for Ohio-based trainer Chris Beaver, the son of Captain Corey-Love Session has four wins and two seconds under his belt this season in six starts, having earned $438,878 for the partnership of Super Endurance Stable of Radner, Ohio, Bill Manes of Rockwood, Ont., Leo Fleming of Campbellville, Ont., and Mark Moger of Amelia Island, Florida.

“We have not raced him very hard,” said Beaver. “He doesn’t take a lot of work to get in shape. He doesn’t really have any bad qualities. Probably the most important thing is that he can carry his speed as much as you need him to. He’s got good manners, he’s intelligent, he’s easy on himself, he eats good; he’s just an absolute pleasure.”

Beaver has had Endurance for the colt’s entire career, with McCarthy being his main pilot. The colt won five Kentucky Sires Stakes as a freshman and the $555,556 championship in a seasonal-best 1:52.3 and was second to Apex in the Mohawk Million. He procured earnings of $768,589 from six wins and a second in eight starts at two.

This year, Endurance won his $67,568 Oak Grove Trotting Derby elim (May 4) in a career-best 1:51.3 before finishing second in the $684,932 final (May 16) to Spencer Hanover but rebounded to win a $70,142 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (June 6) in 1:51.4. He won the $127,7111 Currier & Ives (June 26) at The Meadows in 1:52.4 and then took a $205,493division of the Stanley Dancer (July 11) at The Meadowlands in 1:52.

Beaver also serves as Endurance’s caretaker.

“I’ve been taking care of him myself all summer long,” said Beaver. “He’s been good from the start. When he got beat at Oak Grove, it was a tough trip; he was parked first-up pretty much the whole mile. I can’t say that he’s done anything wrong this whole summer, or really ever. He did get beat on the front once as a two-year-old, but I don’t think the front end is his trip. He’s better following cover, coming from off the pace. I think we’ve got a shot to be the best, so I’m thrilled. Everything has gone like we’ve wanted it to. I’ve never had a horse this good.”

Should Endurance capture the Hambletonian, he will follow in the footsteps of his sire, Captain Corey, who won his elimination before taking the 2021 final in 1:51 for trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt. Endurance’s broodmare sire, Muscle Massive, also won his Hambletonian final in 1:51, with Ron Pierce driving for Jimmy Takter in the 2010 contest.

(The Hambletonian Society)