Scioto: Rhodena Blue’s connections have high hopes for OHSS Championship race

Entering the 2026 season, Neil MacInnis could only hope to be at Eldorado Scioto Downs for the Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championships. As it turns out, that’s exactly where he’ll be on Saturday (Sept. 12) to watch Rhodena Blue race for an OSS title on Ohio Super Night.

“The foundation of anything you do in this industry is hope, and we were hopeful that we would culminate to this,” said MacInnis, who trains Rhodena Blue and co-owns her with his daughter, Rory. “We’re ecstatic that this opportunity has happened, but at the same time, we were hopeful from the beginning that this would be a possibility, and we prepared for it. I managed her racing all summer long with the idea and the hope that we’d be here, and here we are.”

Rhodena Blue is one of nine sophomore filly pacers vying for a title in this milestone 50th season of the OSS as Scioto Downs hosts all eight $300,000 divisions of the Scarlet Championships as part of a 16-race card starting at 5:25 p.m. For Neil and Rory, who live near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the long trips to Ohio have paid off.

“This is the culmination of what Rory and I have done together and what it means for us and our growth. This is hard work, and getting to this point shows the fruits of our labor,” Neil said. “I will be especially thinking of my dad, Frank, who passed away in March. He was the reason I’m into horse racing, and he would have been so looking forward to this.”

The journey to Saturday’s race started back on May 8 when MacInnis and driver James MacDonald came away impressed with Rhodena Blue’s performance at Woodbine Mohawk Park. She was in ninth place and trailed the leader by more than 12 lengths at the halfway mark before charging up the field to finish second.

“The first thing James said when he came off the bike was, ‘Not many fillies can do what she just did.’ So I knew I had something there,” MacInnis remembered.

With Tyler Smith in the bike, Rhodena Blue won a Buckeye Stallion Series race at Scioto Downs on June 5, this time coming from sixth place and seven lengths back at the halfway mark. That’s when MacInnis decided to give her a shot against better competition in the OSS. That decision paid off, as the Lather Up filly once again put her closing speed on display. Driven by Smith, she trailed the leader by over eight lengths and was in seventh place at the half but won by three-quarters of a length in 1:52 at Scioto Downs on July 4.

“That confirmed that what happened before wasn’t a one-off and that I had a horse with a real determination to race,” MacInnis said. “I credit that to the work my daughter and I did in bringing her along and teaching her to race.”

Prior to the next OSS race on Aug. 28 at Scioto Downs, Smith cautioned MacInnis about being too aggressive with a spot in the final likely secured. MacInnis agreed with the strategy, and Smith had Rhodena Blue in last place at the halfway mark before letting her put her signature late surge on display. That time, however, it was only good enough for a fourth-place finish as the top four horses were separated by just one-fifth of a second at the line.

“Tyler waited and came charging at the end, and I thought she was second in that race,” MacInnis said. “That’s when I knew that she’s as legitimate as any other filly in that race.”

Looking ahead to Saturday, Rhodena Blue opened with 10-1 odds after drawing the seven hole with Trevor Smith tabbed to drive. Though far from the early favorite, her past performances are proof that you can never count her out.

“We’re hoping for some speedy fractions, and that may very well play into her racing style,” MacInnis said.

Seaside Shuffle (Chris Page) is the 5-2 morning-line favorite and will leave from post five. Other top competitors include Sassy By The Sea (Tyler Smith, 7-2), a three-time OSS winner this season, as well as Rodeo Dancer (Brett Miller, 9-2) and Seaside Charm (Ronnie Wrenn Jr., 9-2). It’s certainly a talented field, but MacInnis is confident that Rhodena Blue is prepared.

“I don’t have a track, so her training regimen takes her through fields and up and down hills over long stretches. She jogged Monday and Tuesday between eight and 10 miles over fairly rugged ground,” he said. “Her biggest attribute is that last burst, so my training thoughts were preparing her strength and endurance to be ready to strike at the end.”

MacInnis says a victory on Saturday would be a huge blessing for him and his daughter, who celebrated her 11th birthday on Monday.

“I can’t say enough about the involvement of my daughter — the growth and maturity she has for an 11-year-old is absolutely striking,” he said. “She’s involved 50% on training decisions, and she’s wise beyond her years.”

With the journey he and his daughter have been on with Rhodena Blue, MacInnis knows they both will come away feeling victorious no matter what place the filly finishes.

“It would be a blessing to show well, but for us, the victory happened quite a while back when my daughter and I started on this journey with the people we’ve met along the way,” he said. “I’m just a small-time grassroots guy who started with the ultimate dream. What could be better than this?”

A preview of the each of the remaining divisions of fillies is below.

Sophomore Filly Trotters

Chip Shot (Wrenn Jr.) opened as the 2-1 favorite for trainer Vernon Beachy and owners John Schlabach and Walnut View Farm. The Mission Accepted filly scored wins in the fourth and fifth legs of the OSS in matching 1:54 2/5 miles, which is a lifetime best. She has seven wins and $112,538 in earnings in 14 lifetime starts and will leave from post five. Sarah’s Mission (Page) is the 7-2 second choice. The Ron Burke trainee will leave from post two.

Freshman Filly Trotters

Made For More (Wrenn Jr.) is the 5-2 morning-line favorite after drawing the rail. The Beachy trainee is a two-time winner in the OSS this season, recording victories in the third and fourth legs. The Long Tom filly is owned by Schlabach and has hit the board in all seven seasonal starts with four wins and three seconds to go with $208,500 in earnings. Her lifetime mark of 1:54 1/5 came in the third leg of the OSS. Marcus Melander trainee Blue Ranger (Aaron Merriman) opened as the 3-1 second choice and will leave from post five. Secrets Ilia (Brett Miller), a Micah Miller trainee with three OSS wins this season, will leave from post eight.

Freshman Filly Pacers

Despite drawing the far outside post, Tempting Flames (David Miller) opened as the prohibitive favorite at 9-5 ahead of 3-1 second choice Cleveland Darby (Page). Tempting Flames is a four-time winner in the OSS this season, and her lifetime mark of 1:50 in the fourth leg at Scioto Downs was a track record for sophomore filly pacers and equaled the world record for that division on a five-eighths mile track. Owned by William Hartt and trained by Michael Hitchcock, she has hit the board in all seven seasonal starts with five wins and two seconds while banking $228,100. Cleveland Darby is trained by Burke and will leave from post seven. Joe Bongiorno trainee Party Up (Luke Hanners) is a three-time OSS winner and the lone horse to defeat Tempting Flames in the series this year. The Lather Up filly will leave from post six.

-edited release (by Wes Mayberry for OHHA)