Columbus, OH — The Word Is Out and Aunt Lilly took the first of four divisions, the filly divisions, of the $150,000 Next Generation Saturday (July 6) at Eldorado Scioto Downs.

The Word Is Out was a 1:52.2 winner. Conrad photo.

With the eventual race winner in the filly pace division sitting off the pace, Queen Of Fear (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) took the early lead from post five. Prolific Fire (Brett Miller) was sitting second but took over just at the :26.2 quarter. She quickly took the field to the :55.2 half and 1:23.3 three-quarters. The Word Is Out came third over from sixth, and was four-wide in the last turn, to get up to win by a half-length with a :28 last quarter. Queen Of Fear came back to be second while Maddie’s Delite (Dan Noble) also came from behind to finish third.

“Thankfully the pace was hot, and they came back to me,” said winning driver Chris Page. “I like her, she’s very good gaited; I really want them sharp for when the money is on the line, like tonight. She finished with late pace both qualifiers and that is why she was able to go in (1:)52.2 tonight.”

The World Is Out is by Well Said out of the Captaintreacherous mare Treacherous Secret and was a $24,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase from breeder Shaffer & Sons. Trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Beasty and R A S Racing, the filly prepped for the Next Generation with two qualifiers at The Meadows.

The prohibitive favorite in the 2-year-old trotting filly division, Aunt Lilly, went gate-to-wire to win by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:57.2. R Maggie (Chris Lems) stalked the leader as they tripped the beam in :29, 1:00 and 1:28.4. After that filly ran at the three-quarter pole, Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) came up for second with Rose Run Allison (Page) coming from seventh at the three-quarter pole to be third.

By Uncle Peter out of the Lucky Chucky mare Chuckys Luckycharm, Aunt Lilly came into the Next Generation off a win in a pop-up series at The Meadows for trainer Jason McGinnis and owners Thestable Aunt Lilly Group and Hutchison Harness. Aunt Lilly was bred by Samuel Stoltzfus, Jr.

The colts were on fire in their $150,000 Next Generation divisions on Saturday.

Whats Shakin, with trainer Ronnie Gillespie up, set a new stakes record for 2-year-old colt trotters when they won in 1:55.4. Conrad photo.

Whats Shakin, with trainer Ronnie Gillespie up, set a new stakes record for 2-year-old colt trotters when they won in 1:55.4.

CS Tom K (Dan Noble) and Pink Panther (Kayne Kauffman) battled for a wicked opening quarter of :27.1. CS Tom K kept the lead through the :57 half when Pink Panther popped the pocket. Rose Run Ari (Brett Miller) followed suit with Whats Shakin second over, but was gapping cover by the 1:26.1 third quarter. Around the last turn, Whats Shakin was in hot pursuit and the two colts battled to the wire. The 3-2 favorite Whats Shakin won by a length over Rose Run Ari; Memory Vault (Page) came from the back to finish third.

“I knew the two and three horse had a lot of gate speed, so I wasn’t looking to leave. I just wanted to get in good position,” said Gillespie. “It’s very special because last year I raced in this race with Sugar Instead and finished second, so I had to redeem myself. Then I was in the eighth race and my filly made a break…so it’s real special.”

Whats Shakin is by What The Hill out of the Conway Hall mare Broadway Sister. He was bred by Steiner Stock Farm and is owned by William Donovan. Gillespie prepped Whats Shakin for the Next Generation with a lone qualifier at Scioto, finishing second and timed in 1:57.1.

“When I broke the colt, I didn’t even like the colt. The minute I got down to about 2:20, he showed that he had a lot of heart and I told him (Mr. Donovan) that I wanted to put him in the Next Generation.”

The 2-year-old colt pace was won by Swingtown (Page) in 1:53. The duo was parked from post eight to just before the :28.2 opening quarter by De Dragon (Luke Hanners). De Dragon, at 3-5, retook and the eventual race winner settled in the pocket towards fractions of :57.4 and 1:25.3. Mr McDragon (Miller) made a first over bid going down the backside but was not able to keep pace, which allowed Swingtown to get off the cones before the top of the stretch. Under a hand drive, Swingtown coasted home in :27.1 to win by 2-1/2 lengths. Downbytheparade who sat third along the rail for most of the mile finished second with De Dragon holding on for third.

Swingtown, by Downbytheseaside out of the Art Major mare Swinging Beauty, was bred by Steiner Stock Farm and is owned by Burke Racing, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and R A S Racing. A $160,000 purchase from the Ohio Selected Yearling Sale, Swingtown prepped for the Next Generation with two qualifiers at the Meadows, including a victory in 1:54.2 on June 18.