Ohio-sired two-year-olds battled across four $214,286 Next Generation divisions for each sex and gait, headlining a Saturday, July 4 program at Scioto Downs that also featured six divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS).
Ronnie Wrenn Jr. swept the Next Generation contests for fillies for two of his five stakes wins on the 16-race program. He first steered Made For More to victory in the filly trot, giving trainer Vernon Beachy his first Next Generation win.
Lolly and Ronnie Gillespie set the early fractions of :28.4 and :59.1 as Wrenn was content getting Made For More away third. Made For More came first-up down the backside, and as the field hit the 1:28.2 three-quarters, she was encroaching on the leader. Made For More continued to advance through the stretch, chasing down Lolly and winning by a half-length in 1:56.4 over a fast-closing Kissme Ifyoucan (Austin Hanners). Dublins Ferani (Anthony MacDonald), who got the pocket trip, finished third.
“She did that really easy tonight actually,” said Wrenn. “She handled it well with a lot of fireworks going on, first time racing at night. You’re not sure what to expect with a two-year-old filly, but she handled it well and raced great.”
Made For More, a daughter of Long Tom out of the Chapter Seven mare Obsessed Blue Chip, is owned by breeder John Schlabach. The filly prepped for the Next Generation by winning qualifiers in 2:03 and 2:02.3. She went off at 8-1 and paid $19.80 to win.
Wrenn made it a habit of getting away third and making a move down the backside when he took the second Next Generation, for filly pacers, with Real Classy in 1:52.3. Tempting Flames and Tony Hall were the first to make the lead but yielded early to Breadnbutterz (Brett Miller) as the field headed towards the :27.3 opening quarter. Breadnbutterz continued to lead at the :57.3 half, but Wrenn had Real Classy on the move and on top by the 1:25 three-quarters. Tempting Flames came up the passing lane to make a bid in the stretch but fell a quarter-length short. Breadnbutterz held on for third.
Real Classy is a homebred for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc. and Let It Ride Stables Inc. The Downbytheseaside filly out of the Real Desire mare Real Diva had two qualifiers before her debut, her most recent a winning 1:58.2 mile with a final quarter of :27.4. The victory gave trainer Ron Burke his 10th Next Generation win. Real Classy went off at 7-1 and paid $17.40 to win.
Donttruckwithme scored in 1:52.2 to be the second straight Next Generation colt pace winner for breeder Judy Roegner and broodmare Age Of Consent (by Real Desire), whose Illbetyourboots won the 2025 edition in 1:52.
Initially getting away third, Donttruckwithme was not content to sit, and after getting a little rough gaited, moved to the top for Chris Lems by the :27.2 opening quarter. As the field straightened to go down the stretch for the first time, Atlee Bender hustled Atlantic Ivey, who had yet to see a pylon, on from fourth to take the lead before the :56.1 half. North Rim (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) made a first-over bid heading to the 1:25.2 three-quarters but couldn’t get past the pacesetter. Lems angled Donttruckwithme out at the top of the lane, and the gelding posted a :26.4 last quarter to win by a half-length over Atlantic Ivey. North Rim finished third.
“I was a little surprised, scoring down he was plenty aggressive; he had an ear hood on so I was prepared for the worst,” said Lems. “But actually in the race, he drove really nicely. He left, let a couple go, re-moved, let another one go; I couldn’t ask for much more.”
Trainer Daren Harvey took his first Next Generation win in his first start in the event. A $51,388 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase from Roegner by Wayne Mast Jr., Eden Acres Farmstead LLC and Kirk Nichols, Donttruckwithme prepped for Saturday’s event with two qualifiers, the most recent a 1:56.2 victory. The son of Catch The Fire went off as the 2-1 second favourite and paid $6.80 to win.
Conditioner Chris Beaver got his second Next Generation win as Mike Wilder steered Commanders Moni to victory in 1:55.1 in the colt trot. Commanders Moni got away third behind Lou Armstrong (Anthony MacDonald), who set an opening fraction of :28 then hooked up with Walks The Fire (Wrenn) and battled with that rival through the half in :57.2. Wilder swung his charge out at three-quarters in 1:25, and the colt closed in :29.2 to sweep to a two-length victory over Satans Fury (Lems). Sweet Ts Ranger (Chris Page) was promoted from fourth to third as Lou Armstrong was placed back for going inside multiple pylons.
“He makes my job real easy,” said Wilder after the race. “I had a good idea if he had to go there, I thought he might (go in 1:55.1). He trotted a :28.1 (third quarter in his last start), and he felt like he was going in 30 seconds, so I knew the motor was in there.”
Commanders Moni was a $29,577 purchase at the Fall Blooded Horse Sale from breeder Midland Acres. By Ready For Moni out of the Cr Commando mare Kelseys Commando, the colt is owned by Commanders Moni Stable, Mark Schwartz and Mark Robinson. He is two-for-two after winning his debut at The Meadows on June 25. He paid $22.40 as the 10-1 third choice.
Wrenn also took three of the six $71,429 divisions of the OHSS for three-year-old fillies.
In the final division for pacers, Wrenn directed Vanna By The River to the front at the quarter in :26.4, and the filly proceeded through the middle splits of :54.4 and 1:21.4. Vanna By The River then resisted pocket-sitter Laude Da (Chris Page) by three-quarters of a length to win in a career-best 1:50. Sassy By The Sea (Tyler Smith) was third. Owned by Our Three Sons Stable LLC and trained by Cory Stratton, Vanna By The River tallied her third win in 21 lifetime starts. The daughter of Downbytheseaside out of the Sweet Lou mare Sweet Ace has now earned $232,723. She went off at 2-1 and paid $6.40 to win.
Wrenn won another pacing division with Seaside Charm for trainer Ron Burke in 1:50.3. After leading to the quarter in :27 and yielding to sit the pocket behind Rodeo Dancer (Brett Miller) through :55 and 1:23.2 fractions, Seaside Charm came up the passing lane to win by a neck in a new lifetime mark for owners Thomas and Scott Dillon. Beach Babe Hanover (Justin Irvine) rounded out the triactor. The winning filly by Downbytheseaside out of the Bettors Delight mare Summer Charm now has five wins in 13 career starts and $161,165 in earnings. She returned $5.40 as the 8-5 second choice.
Chip Shot charged off cover for Wrenn in the second OHSS trot division to record a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2 for trainer Vernon Beachy. Chip Shot sat fourth through the :28.2 and :56.2 opening panels, shifted onto the back of Lindy In My Dreams (Wilder) going to three-quarters in 1:26, and stormed home in :27.4 to prevail by 1-3/4 lengths. Readi Two (Hugh Beatty) came from the back to get up for second with Lindy In My Dreams finishing third. The winning Mission Accepted filly out of the Chapter Seven mare Obsessed Blue Chip now has six lifetime wins in 11 starts. She has earned $89,172 for owners John Schlabach and Walnut View Farm. The win price was $5.20.
Wrenn's stakes successes brought his seasonal win total to 253 from 1,010 starts for a win rate of 25 per cent. He sits sixth in the North American driving wins standings this year.
Last year's Dan Patch Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year Setyoursightshigh tallied her first win at three in 1:54 in the final split for trotters. She got away fourth through :28 and :57 fractions, moved first-up for Wilder en route to three-quarters in 1:25.2 and swept to victory by two lengths over Mooter Tooter (Brett Miller) and Sarahs Mission (Page), who were second and third, respectively. By In Range out of the Cantab Hall mare Special Interest, Setyoursightshigh has now earned $1,005,552 lifetime and won eight of 15 starts for Heights Stable, Mantorp LLC, AMG Stable Inc. and K Kjellgren Livs Ab Inc. She paid $5.60 to win.
Rhodena Blue was successful in her first jump up into OHSS action as Tyler Smith guided her to victory in 1:52 in the second pacing contest. After :26.3 and :56.3 panels, the pair made a brush to advance from seventh to third by three-quarters in 1:25 and got up to win by a three-quarters of a length over Bad Girl Up (Wilder) with Seaside Shuffle (Page) third. Co-owned by 11-year-old Rory MacInnis and her father Neil, who also bred and trains the filly, Rhodena Blue now has four wins in 13 starts and $80,590 in earnings. The daughter of Lather Up out of the Camluck mare Mc Taylor went off at 4-1 and paid $10.20 to win.
Joyofmylife As and Tony Hall went gate-to-wire to win the first trotting division in 1:54.2. She struck the top from the seven-hole, posted panels of :27.4, :58.1 and 1:26.2 and held off Godusa (Wilder) by a neck for the victory. Fairytale Moni (Brett Miller) was third. The victorious Guardian Angel As filly out of the Muscle Hill mare Josies Joy is a homebred for ACL Stuteri Ab and Kjell Johansson. The mile established a new lifetime mark for Joyofmylife As who now has five wins in 12 starts and $160,508 in lifetime earnings. The 16-1 shot paid $35.40 to win.
The first leg of the OHSS was historically over the Fourth 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 of the season. This year, the first leg of the OHSS for rookie trotters will be held on July 11 at Scioto, and for two-year-old pacers, the colts will race on July 12 and fillies on July 13 at Northfield Park.
(With files from Scioto Downs; photo of Real Classy winning on July 4)