Breeders Crown: Diabolic Hill, Big Ranger come out on top in 3YO Colt Trot elims

The two $25,000 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Trot eliminations on Saturday night (October 17) at Eldorado Scioto Downs saw Diabolic Hill and Big Ranger emerge victorious.

An elimination winner in the Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt Trot in 2025, Diabolic Hill, driven by Todd McCarthy, repeated that feat in 2026, tallying in a lifetime-best 1:51 2/5.

Diabolic Hill was part of the early mix for command with Inexpressable (Scott Zeron) and American Power (Yannick Gingras) but relented to sit in third on the first turn briefly before McCarthy wheeled him to the outside and took command past the 28 1/5 quarter. Hambletonian champion Apex (Dexter Dunn) was hot on Diabolic Hill's heels, though, and he would become the tempo-setter on the way to the 56 second half-mile marker.

Zeron put Inexpressable in motion first-over heading to the 1:24 three-quarters, but Apex remained firmly in control to that station and around the far turn. However, in the stretch McCarthy was able to get Diabolic Hill into the passing lane, and thanks to a 27 second final quarter, Diabolic Hill rallied past Apex to prevail by a quarter of a length. Inexpressable got third, followed by American Power and supplemental entry Strobe Lite (Louis-Philippe Roy). Strobe Lite would be the fifth-place finisher from the two eliminations with the higher 2026 earnings and therefore earned a spot in next Saturday night's final.

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"I think he was handled a little bit more aggressively (tonight). We stayed out of the (Kentucky) Futurity and protected him. He's super-sharp and fresh, and I think that's what gave him the edge tonight," said Stoebe.

Following an eighth-place finish in his Hambletonian elimination, Diabolic Hill was put on Lasix, and Stoebe believes there was an adjustment period for him.

"I think it took a little bit for him to recover from the bleeding, but now we have his weight good, he's feeling great and he's just healthy," she remarked, while adding about his training, "I've learned with colts, it's just follow the protocol. I do the same thing every time, and it's really made a difference. He's not nervous; he's just ready."

Stoebe also co-owns Diabolic Hill, a Muscle Hill-Crysti Dream colt, with partners Mario Mazza and Ac Crawford Racing Stable. Bred by Am Bloodstock and purchased for $300,000 at the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Diabolic Hill has a summary of 7-6-3 from 20 appearances, has pocketed $744,905 and paid $9.60 to win as the 7-2 third choice.

Hambletonian runner-up Big Ranger, with Tim Tetrick in the bike, bounced back from a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Futurity to score in 1:51 1/5.

Big Ranger, who is now ten-for-ten in his career at Scioto with this victory, got away in the third position and then brushed to the front around Nix Nacken (Zeron) beyond the 27 3/5 quarter. From there, Big Ranger trotted clear through middle-half fractions of 56 1/5 and 1:23 3/5 before a 27 3/5 final kicker polished off his 2 1/4 length triumph. Nix Nacken, coming in off wins in the Grade 1 Canadian Trotting Classic and Kentucky Futurity, was clear in second, followed by Read The Room (Ake Svanstedt) and Captain Jordan (Chris Page).

"He felt like his old self. He was really strong and ready to go. He finished out that mile really easy," remarked Tetrick. "With trotters I think (having experience over the track) does help a lot. He knows this track, he likes it here and he's won many times. He knows how to go fast here and that's a big key. When some of the other ones might have to wait on the turn or something, you don't have to wait on him.

"He's a real pleasure. They don't come along very often, and he reminds me of really good horses that I've driven in the past. He's a special animal. He's just so fast and he's so gifted off the car. He makes my job really easy. He's good-gaited and he's a lot of fun."

A colt by In Range and out of the Tactical Landing mare Big Blue Bird, Big Ranger was sent out by Anette Lorentzon for owner Madison Global. Big Ranger, whose 2-year-old full sister Blue Ranger won her Breeders Crown elimination on Friday night, has 15 victories and one runner-up finish from 19 efforts, has earned $965,959 and returned $2.40 to win as the 1-5 favorite. Big Ranger was bred in Ohio by Spring Haven Farm and was a $25,000 buy at the 2024 Ohio Selected Jug Sale.

"He raced good all the way up to the Futurity, but unfortunately he was sick there. We took a gamble and gave him the whole week off to try to get him good for this, Lorentzon said. "I'm very happy with the effort since he was no good last start, but you'd never know that. We thought he had bounced back because he was full of himself all week and tonight he felt really good warming up.

"He's just a cool horse to be around. He's always happy and super nice to be around. He's not mean; he's just playful. When you drive him at home, a 5-year-old could go out with him."

The post position draw for the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Trot final will take place on Tuesday during a press conference at Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio. By virtue of winning their eliminations, Diabolic Hill and Big Ranger will draw from posts one through six in the final, followed by an open draw for the remainder of the field. The finalists in alphabetical order are:

American Power
Apex
Big Ranger
Captain Jordan
Diabolic Hill
Inexpressable
Nix Nacken
Read The Room
Strobe Lite