Meadowlands: Big Ranger made favorite for Hambletonian

Big Ranger, who won one of last week’s two eliminations for the Winning Key Farm Hambletonian at The Meadowlands, drew post 4 for Saturday’s $1 million Grade 1 final and was made the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the 101st edition of the sport’s premier race for 3-year-old trotters.

The remaining elimination winner, Apex, drew post 3 and was installed as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.

Elimination winners drew for posts 1 through 6 followed by the remaining finalists in an open draw. The draws for the Hambletonian and 56th edition of the filly companion $500,000 Grade 1 Hambletonian Oaks were held Tuesday (Aug. 4) during a luncheon at the Chateau Grande.

Big Ranger, Ohio’s 2025 Horse of the Year, won his Hambletonian elimination by four lengths over It Could Be Worse in 1:50 this past Saturday at The Meadowlands. The son of In Ranger-Big Blue Bird has won 12 of 14 career races and earned $547,947 for the Madison Global ownership group. Tim Tetrick will drive Big Ranger for trainer Anette Lorentzon.

The elimination was Big Ranger’s first trip to The Meadowlands, and only his third race outside of Ohio.

“It didn’t really surprise me because he’s been doing everything so handy since we got him,” said Lorentzon, who began training Big Ranger in late May after he was previously with Ronnie Gillespie, about his elim. “It’s just a different thing when you’re going to a new track, a mile track, and he hasn’t faced these kinds of horses since back in May, so you never know. I had faith in the horse, but everything had to go right, and it did.

“(The final) is a new race, but at least we got (the elimination) over with, and he showed what kind of horse he is. I’m very happy.”

Apex, the 2025 Dan Patch Award winner for best 2-year-old male trotter, won his Hambletonian elimination by a nose over Endurance in 1:50 4/5. The son of Walner-Mission Brief has hit the board in 12 of 13 career races, winning nine and earning $1.11 million for owners Jeff Snyder, S R F Stable, and Steve Stewart. He is one of three finalists from the stable of trainer Marcus Melander.

“He hadn’t raced for a while, and I was very happy with how he raced and fought Endurance off,” Melander said about Apex, who has three wins and a second in four starts this year. “Our goal was to keep him in top (shape) and prepare him for the final. I’m happy with how he’s developed during the year. He’s raced great.”

Melander’s other finalists, Spencer Hanover and American Power, drew posts 9 and 10, respectively.

Endurance will leave from post 7 for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Chris Beaver. The son of Captain Corey-Love Session has 10 wins and three seconds in 14 career starts, with $873,842 in earnings for owners Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming, and Mark Moger. He is the 5-1 third choice on the morning line.

“The horse never really surprises me,” Beaver said. “He always comes up big.

“He’s raced on the front some because I was trying to keep him away from tough competition for part of the year, but his best race is when he’s coming off the pace. I think he’s got as big a set of lungs as any horse in the race, and he loves a big track. I think as long as we can get into it, we have a good shot. It looks like Big Ranger wants to push the pace and that might work to our favor.”

The Hambletonian will be race 11 with a post time of 4:51 p.m. (EDT). The companion $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks is race 9 and will go at 3:36 p.m. Racing will begin at noon.

Following is the field for the Winning Key Farm Hambletonian 101, with listed drivers, trainers and morning-line odds:

$1 million Grade 1 Hambletonian (Race 11)

PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer – Morning Line

1 – Minoan – Andy McCarthy – Noel Daley – 25-1

2 – It Could Be Worse – Scott Zeron – Linda Toscano – 8-1

3 – Apex – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander – 5-2

4 – Big Ranger – Tim Tetrick – Anette Lorentzon – 2-1

5 – Captain Naughty – Jason Bartlett – Per Engblom – 15-1

6 – AI – Ronnie Wrenn Jr. – Ron Burke – 12-1

7 – Endurance – Andy McCarthy – Chris Beaver – 5-1

8 – Magic Punk – Yannick Gingras – Åke Svanstedt – 15-1

9 – Spencer Hanover – Jason Bartlett – Marcus Melander – 20-1

10 – American Power – James MacDonald – Marcus Melander – 10-1

Notes: Elimination winners Apex and Big Ranger drew for posts 1-6. Morning line odds by John Rallis. The anticipated post time for the Hambletonian, which will be broadcast live as part of Fox Sports 2's (FS2) coverage of Saturday's stakes action at The Meadowlands, is 4:51 p.m. (EDT).