Columbus, OH – Grand Circuit and Graded Stakes action come to Eldorado Scioto Downs on Saturday (July 18) with four $100,000 Grade 3 events – the Nadia Lobell and Moni Maker for 3-year-old fillies and the #SendItIn and Cleopatra Invitational paces for older horses.
The events are part of an action-packed 17-race card, with Buckeye Stallion Series events for 3-year-old trotters. Before the races there will be a driver autograph session, near the winner’s circle, from 4:40-5:15 p.m. A bounce house will also be available starting at 5 p.m. First post for the night will be 5:25 p.m.
The first of the G3 events, the Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old pacing fillies, will go off as race 11. Ohio-sired Seaside Shuffle (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) and Laude Da (Yannick Gingras) bookend the field of seven for the Ron Burke barn and are 5-1 and 4-1, respectively, on the morning line. Topville Lucky (Dexter Dunn), coming in from the red-hot Andrew Harris barn, is also 4-1, with I’m A Lou Lou (Tim Tetrick), also from the Burke barn, installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite.
Going off as race 12 is the Moni Maker for 3-year-old trotting fillies. The 8-5 morning line favorite is Victorianas Secret (Wrenn) from the Vernon Beachy barn. Beachy won the first Moni Maker event held at Scioto Downs in 2024 with Allegiant. Beachy’s 2026 entrant, another Tactical Landing daughter, is four for five so far this season with $114,931 in earnings. Trainer Sam Beegle brings over Ginger Tree Lex (Andrew McCarthy) who is the 5-2 second choice.
Horsemen and fans are encouraged to wear green on Saturday to honor Hunter Myers, Allegiant’s winning driver in the 2024 Moni Maker, who tragically died in March 2025.
The nine-horse Cleopatra field will be race 13 on the card with Miki And Minnie (Dunn) leaving from post three as the short 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Chris Ryder. Stalking her will be Three Times Bettor (Todd McCarthy) from the Brett Pelling barn, installed as the 3-1 second choice. Both Pelling & Ryder have won previous editions of the Cleopatra – Pelling with Test Of Faith in 2022, the inaugural year, and Ryder with Twin B Joe Fresh in 2024. This year’s field of mares already has over $1.3-million earned in 2026 with 39 wins in 92 starts.
Race 14 will be the highly anticipated #SendItIn Invitational, also with nine horses going to post. Prince Hal Hanover (T. McCarthy) comes in for Dr. Ian Moore and is the 7-2 morning line favorite. The #SendItIn was started back in 2020 and has seen the likes of Brassy Hanover, Workin Ona Mystery, Tattoo Artist, Charlie May, Seafire and Racing Rebel all making the trip to the winner’s circle. Trainer Brian Brown is a three-time winner and, while he does not have an entrant in this year’s race, his daughter Jessica McCown does with Win Lous Or Draw, who will start from post eight with her husband Cameron McCown doing the driving.
Along with the pre-card driver autograph session, another promotion will be for the bettors – a second chance drawing. Losing Saturday tickets can be dropped into the drum at the mutuel line in the grandstand for a chance to win a free bet for later that evening. Four winners will be selected after the 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th races to place a $250 win wager on the Nadia Lobell, Moni Maker, Cleopatra and #SendItIn races, respectively.
The 91-day 2026 Eldorado Scioto Downs regular season runs through Saturday, September 19. Races are held Tuesday-Saturday, with a special holiday card on Labor Day instead of the Tuesday card that week. The track will then re-open for the Breeders Crown, with eliminations held October 16-17 and the finals October 23-24. More information about all the racing action at Scioto can be found on the Eldorado Scioto Downs website.