Big Ranger Sets Track Record at Scioto in Ohio Sires Stakes Action

From Eldorado Scioto Downs

All five Ohio Sires Stakes winners Monday (May 25) at Eldorado Scioto Downs set new lifetime marks, but Big Ranger set a high precedent, winning the first division for 3-year-old male trotters in a track-record performance. Tripping the beam in 1:51.2, Big Ranger bested Mission Accepted’s 1:52 mile set in 2018.

Trainer/driver Ronnie Gillespie sent Big Ranger from post seven and made the top before the first turn. The pair hit the opening quarter in :27.1 and half in :56 before pulling the plugs just before the 1:24.1 third quarter. Big Ranger trotted home in :27.1 under a hand drive to win by 2-3/4 lengths over Rose Run Banker (Chris Page). Rose Run Boom (Luke Hanners) finished third.

When asked if he was expecting a track record performance, Gillespie said he wasn’t.

“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 said. "He’s going to have to come off the pace to race with those Grand Circuit horses.”

Big Ranger is by In Range out of the Tactical Landing mare Big Blue Bird. Bred by Spring Haven Farm, Big Ranger was a $25,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase by Madison Global. The colt now has nine wins in 11 starts lifetime and $450,360 in earnings.

Tom Largo and Chris Lems won the other $75,000 split for male trotters, taking their mile in 1:53.1 after getting the perfect pocket trip behind pacesetter Grape Crush (Brett Miller). Trained by Scott Cox for Jughead Stables, G Peters and Robert Kubiak, the Long Tom gelding out of the Valley Victor mare Smith Hall now has seven wins in 13 lifetime starts and $206,400 in earnings. Grape Crush was second with Soulful Saul (Hanners) third.

Trainer Tony Alagna and driver Marvin Luna teamed up to win two of the three $50,000 OSS pacing splits for 3-year-old colts and geldings with Myboypank and Up In Place.

Myboypank won the first division in a new lifetime mark of 1:50 for owner Sam Bowie. The Catch The Fire gelding out of the Western Terror mare Bazooka Terror was a $20,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase and now has five wins in eight lifetime starts and $53,570 in purses. Pacesetter Lindy Dragonwater (Page) was second with Pet Project (Trevor Smith) third.

Alagna and Luna teamed up to win the last division with Up In Place, who is now 3-for-3 on the season for owners John Barnard and Alagna Racing, in 1:50.4. The son of Lather Up out of the Park Place mare Helen’s Place Girl bested Prolific Blend (Austin Hanners), who was second, and Odds On Sugar (L. Hanners), who finished third.

The middle split was won by Backninebar (Page) in 1:51.1 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, and Knox Services. The Downbytheseaside colt is out of the Western Ideal mare Restless De Vie and has now earned $169,968 in 14 lifetime starts with four wins. Tsunami Seas (Miller) was second with Odds On Phil (L. Hanners) third.

Photo: Big Ranger (Conrad Photo)