Columbus, OH — Ohio Sires Stakes champion Blue Ranger matched the Eldorado Scioto Downs track record she set last month when ripping out of the pocket to a 1:53.1 victory in the first of two $25,000 eliminations for the Grade 1 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old trotting fillies on Friday night (Oct. 16).
Leaving from post 2, driver Dexter Dunn idled off the wings with Blue Ranger as longshot Fleur Delacour (driven by Todd McCarthy) swooped down from post 8 alongside Kissme Ifyoucan (Austin Hanners) to battle for the lead. Dunn marched Blue Ranger forward once the dust settled and overtook Fleur Delacour past a :27.1 first quarter but soon yielded for the pocket as 9-5 favorite Nevis Peak (Yannick Gingras) pushed past for the front heading towards a :55.4 half.
Nevis Peak coasted up the backstretch and endured mild first-over pressure from City Of Light (Tim Tetrick) before that rival rolled off stride past three-quarters in 1:24.2, which gave Dunn ample room to tip out of the pocket coming for the homestretch. Blue Ranger angled out and ground down Nevis Peak in the lane to notch a one-length victory while Orinoco kicked from second-over before breaking stride and crossing the line third, which violated the breaking rule and resulted in her disqualification to sixth. Putitondad’stab (Scott Zeron) inherited third and Kissme Ifyoucan ascended to fourth to earn the last berth into the final.
“She felt sharp,” Dunn said after the race. “I drove her at Hoosier (on Sept. 25), and she was a bit flat that day. She came back and raced really good in Lexington for Orjan (Kihlstrom), and she was good tonight. She won the sire stakes final here, so she likes the track obviously. We had to do a little bit early there — that first half was hot enough. She was travelling good coming off the turn, and once Timmy’s one made a break and we could come out, she peeled off a helmet and did her work strong.”
Marcus Melander trains Blue Ranger for owner Bender Sweden Inc. The filly by In Range-Big Blue Bird, bred by Spring Haven Farm, won her third race from seven starts this season and has now earned $251,480. She paid $6.20 to win.
Dunn and Melander teamed later in the night to win with 6-5 favorite Two Day Hangover with a 1:53.2 effort in the second elimination for freshman trotting fillies.
After Rio De Janeiro (Joe Bongiorno) blasted toward the lead, Climatic Hanover (Yannick Gingras) eased forward from the outermost draw to press for the lead with Two Day Hangover looming behind to a :28 first quarter. Two Day Hangover slid by Climatic Hanover passing the stands to take the lead heading to a :56 half and continued up the backstretch under minimal pressure.
Past three-quarters in 1:24.3, Two Day Hangover cruised for home and strode comfortably to a 1-1/2-length victory with Climatic Hanover following suit in second. Dandelion Wine closed for third with Shes A Home Run taking fourth via placing with fourth-place finisher Rio De Janeiro getting disqualified to fifth for a pylon violation heading to the half.
“She’s a really nice filly,” Melander said. “She really likes the five-eighths track. Hopefully she’ll get a good draw here and she’ll have an easy week. It’ll be exciting next week.”
Two Day Hangover competes for owners Brittany Farms and Marvin Katz. The Captain Corey-Sherry Lyns Lady filly, bred by Coyote Wynd Farms, has now won four races from seven starts and earned $246,450. She paid $4.40 to win.
Following the second elimination, Scioto Downs conducted the draw for the Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot final. Elimination winners Blue Ranger and Two Day Hangover earned draw protection between posts 1 through 6 for the Breeders Crown final as well as “Win and You’re In” recipient Birr Castle, who earned the bye to the final with her victory in the Grade 1 Jim Doherty Memorial at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Sept. 18.
Below is the field:
$700,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot Final (G1)
PP-Horse Name-Driver-Trainer
1-Nevis Peak-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke
2-Birr Castle-Scott Zeron-Marcus Melander
3-Blue Ranger-Dexter Dunn-Marcus Melander
4-Two Day Hangover-Dexter Dunn-Marcus Melander
5-Shes A Home Run-Ronnie Wrenn Jr.-Vernon Beachy
6-Climatic Hanover-Yannick Gingras-Lucas Wallin
7-Putitondad’stab-Scott Zeron-Lucas Wallin
8-Dandelion Wine-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt
9-Kissme Ifyoucan-Austin Hanners-Todd Luther