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Eldorado Scioto Downs hosts the 4th annual $150,000 Next Generation late closing harness racing events Saturday (Jul. 1). For Ohio-sired 2-year-olds, nominators had to purchase a $10,000 slot but didn’t need to name a specific horse until they dropped in the box.
Trotting colts go to post in race 13, with an estimated off time of 10:22 p.m. Vernon Beachy’s A Million In Coins (Enterprise) will leave from post four and is the slight morning line favorite at 4/1. The $26,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase qualified twice, most recently on June 15 in 1:59.3 with Beachy in the bike. Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. will drive the colt for co-owner Beachy and Gitup Racing.
Trotting guru Chris Beaver has Spaaaanzano (Coraggioso) leaving from post seven for co-owners Spaaaartners, Bill Manes and Leo Fleming. Aaron Merriman will drive the gelding and the pair are 5/1 on the morning line. Spaaaanzano has two qualifying wins, both on half mile tracks (Delaware and Northfield) in 2:01.1 and 1:59.2 with Merriman driving. Spaaaanzano is a full brother to Panzano who has earned $189,044 to date.
The final division of The Next Generation, the 2-year-old colt pace, will be race 15 on the evening’s card. Three colts have already been timed in 1:53.4 – Janelle Granny (Fear The Dragon, Nick Clegg) who will leave from post two, Clever Cody (The Panderosa, Wrenn) from post three and Magic By The Sea (Downbytheseaside, Hunter Myers) from post five.
Dr. Ian Moore trains Clever Cody for the Clever Cody Stable. His two qualifiers, the first on June 16 he went in 1:57.2 with a :26.2 closing kick, were at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Clever Cody was a $24,000 Ohio Select Sale purchase. He is the 3/1 morning line favorite.
Close behind in the odds, set at 7/2, is Janelle Granny. Owned and trained by Betty Clegg, the colt was a $10,000 purchase at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. The Cleggs did not qualify their colt and instead started Janelle Granny at the Paulding fair on June 13, finishing second and timed in 2:04. They then went to Northfield on June 21 and raced in a 2-year-old NW1 event and won by four and a quarter lengths in 1:53.4 with a :28.2 last panel.
Magic By The Sea has two qualifiers under his belt, most recently on June 19. The $18,000 Ohio Select yearling purchase is trained by Thomas Litt for owners Travis Ray Rinehart and Herbie Strange. He will be driven by Hunter Myers and they are 6/1 on the morning line.
The filly divisions of The Next Generation were previously profiled here.
Also on the Saturday evening card are two divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes for 3-year-old colt pacers.
Saturday’s race card marks the return of the Pick-8. There will be a $25,000 guarantee on the wager, co-sponsored by Scioto Downs and the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, 14% takeout and will have a 50% consolation payout with a 50% carryover if no one picks all eight race winners. The wager will begin with race five on Saturday and includes the Next Generation for 2-year-old trotting fillies.
Racing is held at Scioto Downs each Tuesday and Wednesday with a 3:15 p.m. first post and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with a 5:50 p.m. first post through Saturday, September 16.
For complete race entries, click here.
