Best of Ohio Day saved the best for first on a gloomy, drizzling Saturday at Thistledown, as Slides Choice and Pay the Man renewed their rivalry in the 24th $75,000 Best of Ohio Distaff.
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — Best of Ohio Day saved the best for first on a gloomy, drizzling Saturday at Thistledown, as Slides Choice and Pay the Man renewed their rivalry with another thriller in the 24th $75,000 Best of Ohio Distaff.
Racing head to head almost every step of the 1 1/8-mile event, as they did in the Rose DeBartolo Memorial on Aug. 10, the finish was too close to call for the rail birds. The photo-finish camera gave the nod to Slides Choice ($5.80), a 4-year-old bay filly ridden by Jason Lumpkins.
Covering a track rated "good" in 1:52.1, it was the second straight win in eight starts this season for Slides Choice, trained by Tim Hamm and owned by Mary Crawford and Gerald Brown. A couple of lengths behind the leaders was Honey Be Fleet.
"I was hoping No. 5 [Jojo Jettin] would do the dirty work and pressure Pay the Man early, but it didn't happen," said Lumpkins, whose Slides Choice was almost glued to the outside of Pay the Man, ridden by Ricardo Feliciano, the entire race. When asked the difference between the two horses, Feliciano said, "About two inches" -- the margin of victory.
Hamm and Lumpkins were back in the winner's circle with Startin Something ($3.20), winning the $75,000 John W. Galbreath for 2-year-old fillies, a 1 1/16-mile test. It was her third straight stakes win for Hamm's Blazing Meadows Farm in Ellsworth, Ohio. Night of Romas was 5 1/2 lengths back in second, with Throws It Down third.
Nine-year-old Catlaunch ($6.80) proved you can never count the old fellow out, winning the $75,000 Best of Ohio Endurance with Luis Gonzalez up. He roared to the lead with a hot 23-second quarter and pulled away in the stretch for a four-length win. It was his fifth win in nine starts this season for trainer Ivan Vazquez and Ron Fields' Scioto Farm of Chillicothe, Ohio. Raise the Reward was second, with That's a Heckofacat third.
"I knew he was feeling good, because we had a heck of a time getting a saddle on him," Fields said.
Gonzalez said Catlaunch was just enjoying the ride in the 1 1/4-mile endurance. "And so was I."
Two Best of Ohio winners from 2009, dash victor Tri Uimet and distance champ Sneak a Cold Treat, knocked heads in the $50,000 Best of Ohio Sprint. Tri Uimet ($4.60) easily kept his crown. The 7-year-old brown gelding scampered six furlongs in 1:09.4 for a 4 1/2-length victory with Scott Spieth in the saddle. Trained by Jeff Radosevich and owned by Gerald Silver, Tri Uimet won his third race in seven starts this year. He avenged a five-length loss to Sneak a Cold Treat in the $50,000 Honey Jay Stake at Thistledown on Aug. 10. Perfectly Played was third.
Jockey Yamil Rosario and Jump Boots ($25.20) knocked off favorite Wild Bling in the $75,000 Juvenile Stakes, coming on strong in the stretch to take the 1 1/16-mile race by 6 3/4 lengths in 1:49.1. Making his third career start, Jump Boots earned his first win. He is trained by Joe Woodard and owned by Bill, Donna and Justin Hays. Wild Bling hung on for second, with Elroy J third.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: degan@plaind.com, 216-999-5158