The veteran Catlaunch muscles his way to an early lead and holds off a challenge to win the Governor's Buckeye Cup at Thistledown.
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — On Kid's Day at Thistledown, the veteran Catlaunch showed the younger thoroughbreds he's still one tough customer.
The 9-year-old son of Noble Cat muscled his way to the early lead, then responded to a major challenge going into the final turn in the $75,000 Governor's Buckeye Cup. It was no contest for the oldest thoroughbred in the race, as jockey Luis Gonzalez turned Catlaunch loose to easily notch a two-length, wire-to-wire victory. It was Catlaunch's fourth win in eight starts this season, 33rd in his career and pushed his career earnings to $838,554.
The 1-2 favorite, Catlaunch ($3) clocked the 1 1/4-mile race in 2:07. Smarmy circled the field in the final turn to finish second, with O'Riain third.
"Catlaunch knows what he's doing, so you don't want fight with him," said trainer Ivan Vasquez. "You know he wants to go right to the lead, and he's tough enough to battle at the end."
Owner Ron Fields of Scioto Farms in Chillicothe, Ohio, called Catlaunch a "once in a lifetime horse."
"You don't have to push Catlaunch," said Fields. "He's so competitive, you have to hold him back. Catlaunch likes to run early, and he really settled in well after getting the lead. Gonzalez said it was like taking a morning gallop with him."
The trotting mares kicked off the four divisions of the Scarlet & Gray Stakes for older horses at Northfield Park on Saturday night, and Tom's Ok Lady ($2.20) with Hall of Fame driver Dave Palone in the sulky, needed to set a Northfield track record for older mares to get the job done in the $32,000 stake. Heavily favored at 1-9, she trotted a 1:56 mile, sticking a nose in front of B Vs Sister, a horse she'd beaten at The Meadows last week.
Rembrandt Spur ($16.60) driven by Richard Stillings was on top most every step of the way to win the Scarlet & Gray's $40,000 Horse Trot, holding off favored Master Begonia at the finish line in 1:55.2. The $43,000 Horse Pace belonged to War Boots ($4), trained and driven by Ray Paver, clocking a 1:53 mile. In the $37,000 Mare Pace, Don't Blame Her ($3) was a wire-to-wire winner in 1:54.2 driven by Greg Grismore.
Doc's Yankee ($3.20) comfortably won the $37,200 Ohio Sires Stakes pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings in 1:53.4, his fourth victory in his last six starts. Bay Racing Stables of Delaware announced the Ohio-bred son of Yankee Cruiser will be entered in the prestigious $650,000 Little Brown Jug on Sept. 23. In $15,000 Ohio Sires Stakes trotting miles for 3-year-old males, Buckeye Man ($5.60) rallied outside in the stretch with Chip Noble in the sulky and Wolf Creek Ted ($5) trotted a career mile of 1:56.4 reined by Dan Noble.
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