Columbus, OH – The Breeders Crown Charity Challenge (BC3), presented by Prolific Equine, has officially kicked off as we count down to the Breeders Crown being held at Eldorado Scioto Downs Oct. 16-17 (eliminations) and Oct. 23-24 (finals).
The BC3 began in 2019 and raises funds for charities in the Breeders Crown host community. The 2026 Breeders Crown will be held at Scioto Downs in South Columbus and the local charities include:
- Ronald McDonald House – Central Ohio – located directly across the street from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, they provide housing for families whose child is receiving ongoing treatment;
- Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana – based out of Columbus and creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses;
- Greater Columbus Sports Foundation – supports the development of amateur athletes and facilitates competition space as a platform for positive social impact;
- Folds of Honor – Central Ohio – provides scholarships, for both higher education and for grades K-12, to spouses and children of fallen and disabled U.S. military service members and first responders, including police, fire-fighters, EMTs and paramedics.
Each charity has been teamed up with an Ohio-based harness racing driver, with each driver having a BC3 Facebook page to help spread the word about raising the funds needed to help local community charities. The drivers include:
- David Miller (Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana) – the 61-year-old was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2014 has won more than 15,000 races and is the sport’s all-time leader in purses, with $303 million;
- Chris Page (Folds of Honor) – the 42-year-old is a 10-time winner of the Jerry Kaltenbach Memorial, awarded to the driver who earned the most during a single season of the Ohio Sires Stakes;
- Ronnie Wrenn Jr. (Greater Columbus Sports Foundation) – the 40-year-old is a second-generation horseman with more than 9,300 driving wins since 2008 and over 40,000 starts;
- Austin Hanners (RMHC -Central Ohio) – the 27-year-old started driving in 2016 and already has over 1,066 wins, and the horses he has driven have earned over $17 million.
Ways to donate to the BC3 include:
- Purchase a stallion breeding at the BC3 Stallion Auction, held during the Lexington Selected Sale on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
- On-track during Breeders Crown eliminations weekend on Oct. 16 & 17.
- Checks can be mailed, with Breeders Crown Charity Challenge in the memo line, to:
Scioto Downs
Attn: Jenna Otten
6000 S High St
Columbus, OH 43207
Checks will be presented to each of the charities on Friday, Oct. 23. The amount each charity receives will be determined by points earned:
- via social media engagement through each driver’s Facebook page;
- from a double-seated jog cart race on the Friday Breeders Crown elimination night;
- from a handicapping contest between each charity on the Friday Breeders Crown elimination night;
- via a poll on the @SciotoRacing X account, held during the last two weeks of the BC3.