TWO STAKES POSTPONED – ALTISSIMO TAKES HIS SHOW ON THE ROAD – OH-BREDS IN KENTUCKY

HEAT WAVE CANCELLS BUCKEYE NATIVE AND NORM BARRON QUEEN CITY OAKS

HEAT WAVE CANCELLS BUCKEYE NATIVE AND NORM BARRON QUEEN CITY OAKS
VALLEY OF MO’ARA BURNS THE FIELD IN THE MISS OHIO
ALTISSIMO CONTINUES HIS HOT STREAK
The late July “Heat Dome” that covered a third of the U.S. necessitated cancellations of over a half-dozen tracks over the weekend. The Buckeye Native and Norm Barron Queen City Oaks were not run as Belterra Park held no live racing that weekend. Pending approval, it is hoped that both races can be moved to the 27th and 28th. The good news is the fact that there are no stakes that following weekend and the stakes scheduled for the first weekend in August are run for different conditions and divisions.

VALLEY OF MO’ARA SAILS TO A COOL WIN IN THE MISS OHIO

The heat wasn’t as intense to the North at JACK Thistledown and the $75,000 Miss Ohio for 2-year-old fillies was run as scheduled. As legendary track announcer Kevin Goemmer used to exclaim, “…the race is for PLACE!” Another “Goemmerism” came into play for the Miss Ohio winner Valley of Mo’ara who “…went from flag fall, to that’s all!”

The chestnut filly trained by O.T.B.O. President Emeritus Tim Hamm, broke from the gate quickly under Scott Speith and in workwomen-like fashion the odds-on favorite increased her lead at every point of call. Valley of Mo’ara dispersed two challenges and drew away by 4 lengths in 1:06.46 in the 5 ½ furlong sprint. In a four-horse photo finish for the second spot was Ohio Mixed Sale graduate Edge of Night catching Calusa Queen who was a neck clear of Moonlight Mission.
The heat never came into play for Valley of Mo’ra. “Surprisingly it was cooler this morning than expected,” said Hamm. “We had clouds and a breeze come in and it blew out the humidity. It’s when it’s hot and humid all day that’s concerns us. She never sweated up.”
Bred by Michael William Soehnien, the Ohio-bred daughter of Overanalyze out of Pola Golden R N was a Keeneland September Sales graduate bringing a final bid of $13,000. “I usually just race horses I’ve bred or in partnership as a breeder,” Hamm stated. “This horse caught my eye and created a new partnership with members of TEC Racing and RTA Family Trust. We thought we might have to go almost twice that price. At this point she is very racy and precocious and about 15.3 hands. We expect she will continue to mature.”
Valley of Mo’ara in three starts has never finished worse than second. She ran second in her debut vs. open company and returned against state breds to break her maiden by 10 lengths prior to the Ohio Miss.

OHIO HORSE OF THE YEAR TAKES HIS SHOW ON THE ROAD
When you’re hot – you’re hot! Although trainer Ricard Zielinski quoted that, “We’ll probably follow last year’s schedule,” after winning the Gendelman Memorial at Belterra Park. He recently changed the timetable and crossed state lines with Ohio HOY Altissimo in the $100,000 Hockessin Stakes at Delaware Park on July 13.

In the words of the DRF chart caller…” ALTIMMISO vied inside Athur’s Hope before giving that one the slip…and widened under mild left-handed urging.” With regular rider Christian Pilares in the saddle, Altissimo cut out brisk early fractions of 21.77 and 44.54 and went on to win by a widening 5 ½ lengths getting the six furlongs in 1:09.31. That impressive performance pushed his career record to 37-16-4-4 for earnings of $624,388.
Altissimo was bred by Nancy Lavrich & Niknar Farm LLC. The six-year-old is owned by Nancy Lavrich and Ronald Zielinski.

OHIO-BRED SELLS FOR $120,000 AT FASIG-TIPTON JULY SALE
A dark Bay or Brown Filly consigned by Sheppell Thoroughbreds for C.J. Thoroughbreds brought a final bid of $120,000 by agent Ben McElroy. The daughter of Darby Dan stallion Dialed In is out of Redheaded Rita by Tale of the Cat. Her female family traces to $1.8 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner Unrivaled Belle who is the dam of two-time champion Unique Bella a earner of $1,272,400.
Additional Buckeye-breds who went through the ring in Hip number order were: Hip 212 sold for $70,000 to Homepride Farm and was consigned by Sheppell Thoroughbreds as agent. The son of Kantharos is out of Female Drama by Indian Charlie. Female Drama was 2-for-2 as a juvenile including the Wings of Jove Stakes at Belmont Park.
Hip 258 was consigned by Ballysax Bloodstock, Agent and purchased by Owls Bloodstock for $17,000. The son of Sky Kingdom is out of Ivory Treasure by Runaway Groom. He is from the female family of Grade 1 winner Malibu Mint a track-record setter and earner of $723,829.
Hip 271 sold for $55,000 to Michael Foster and is a chestnut son of the promising stallion Palace. Consigned by Michael and Julia O’Quinn, Agent the colt is out of stakes-placed Klondike Kate by Henny Hughes. The family has European roots through the third dam, stakes winner River Jig, the dam of multiple group/graded stakes winner Dance Parade.

2019 OHIO MIXED SALE NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES

NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR OHIO MIXED SALE – AUGUST 5TH ENTRY DEADLINE

The Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners are currently accepting entries for the 2019 Ohio Mixed Sale. Deadline for entries of horsed of all ages is August 5. For entries contact Duaneswingleyauctioneers@yahoo.com
The sale will again be held at Majestic Farm in Batavia and the sale will begin Sunday, October 20 at 1:30 p.m. Horses will be on the grounds for inspection Saturday the 19th. “This will be the third year for the revitalized sale and we have grown incrementally through the first two,” said Executive Director John Engelhardt. “The sale committee has met with the auction company to improve the process of reporting RNA’s and we have redesigned the layout of the sales ring for a smoother process for the horses in the ring and the active bidders. We are having it on a day that does not conflict with any Kentucky Sales or live racing in Ohio.”
The O.T.B.O. wants to remind consignors that this sale is not restricted to Ohio-breds.

OHIO RACING UPDATES MAY – JUNE

2019 Ohio Racing Recap May

ALTISSIMO SMOKES ‘EM ON THE GRASS IN CINCINNATI
Ohio’s 2018 Horse of the Year checked off another box in his storied career on June 8 in the $75,000 Sydney Gendelman Memorial Handicap. He won the 1 1/16th mile race by 8 lengths last year, and while pleased with the result, trainer Richard Zielinski was disappointed that the race was taken off the turf.
The weather cooperated at Belterra Park this year and the 6-year-old gelding got to race over the greensward for the first time of his career and while the surface was different, the result was the same with a wire to wire leisurely win. Breaking from the 8 post in a full field of 12 he increased his lead at every point of call under regular rider Christian Pilares in 1:40.99. Cape Rojo, making his stakes debut, put in a strong five-wide bid to clearly gain the second spot over Gliding Alone.

Altissimo enjoyed his career turf debut. Photo: Coady Photography

Surprisingly, the betting public made former two-time Ohio Horse of the Year Mo Dont No the 4 to 5 favorite even though he finished second to Altissimo in the Babst/Palacios Memorial on April 27. “Mo” checked at the 5/16th pole and re-rallied to finish fifth. Altissimo, a poster boy for soundness is owned by Nancy Lavrich and Ronald Zielinski and was bred by Lavrich and Niknar Farm LLC. Now 6-years-old, Altissimo pushed his career earnings to $564,388 with a record of 35-15-4-4.

PROPER DISCRETION PASSES THE $ 500,000 MARK IN MACKEY/ ANGENORA
There was little left to doubt after the gates opened in the $75,000 6-furlong Michael G. Mackey Memorial Memorial Angenora Stakes at JACK Thistledown on June 1. As a matter of fact, you could have stopped the race after 50 yards as the field never changed positions to the wire. 2 to 5 favorite Proper Discretion and Scott Speith pulled away quickly to win with ease by 9 lengths in 1:10.68. Multiple stakes winner True Cinder held off a stubborn Ali Blue throughout for the minor placings.

Proper Discretion cruises home by nine lengths under Scott Speith. Photo: J.J. Zamaicko

For the Jeffrey Radosevich trainee, there is no place like home. The 6-year-old mare has 15 lifetime wins – 13 of those at the North Randall oval and 10 at six panels. Owned by Ron Paolucci Racing LLC, Proper Discretion has now bankrolled $534,741. The muscular mare is a daughter of Discreetly Mine out of Prizes by Prized and was bred by Bruce Talisman.

ALAN SOBOL BACK IN THE RACING GAME CAPTURES THE GREEN CARPET
If the name Alan Sobol rings a few bells in your racing memory it should. So should the name of multiple Ohio Champion Writin’ Mama, Best of Ohio winner Portentum, graded stakes winner Big Bamboo and Ohio standouts Donnavega and Athenavega to name a few. When the purses began to spiral downward prior to full-card simulcasting an the advent of Racinos in Ohio, Sobol moved into the world of corporate business. He was very good at his job, maybe too good. After he brought back two slumping companies to prominence they were sold. He didn’t go to the races back then, but it was always in the back of his mind.
“Last October I started intently watching the Ohio races on the internet and came up with a list of 20 horses that I wanted get for some younger investors who had disposable income. I reached out to several breeders and ended up getting ten from Dr. George Sikora to train,” said Sobol from his home in Chagrin Falls. “Manga Man (not to be confused with another Ohio-bred currently racing – Magna Man) was one of the horses on my list and I bought him privately for a client in New York. He had conditions left and I thought we could win the price back with a few good wins.” Sharp thinking and training on Sobol’s part.
Manga Man just missed in his first start for his new owner Martha Borland but quickly covered his purchase price with a “good” win in the $75,000 Green Carpet at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. With Luis Gonzalez in the saddle he was 10th and last after 6 furlongs. They angled out into the stretch and he responded with a quickened stride. In front of him the odds-on favorite and 2018 Ohio 2-Year-Old Champion, Diamond Dust looked to be making the winning move when he ducked in sharply from a right-handed whip and dropped rider Luis Colon just short of the rail (both rider and horse came out unscathed). Manga Man was clear of the incident and went on to win by a length in 1:45.44. Send Me On was bothered by the Diamond Dust incident, but rallied to just catch longshot Danefield for the second spot.
Manga Man is a 3-year-old gelded son of the deceased Ohio sire Kingship out of Sligo Knows by Sligo Bay (Ire) and was bred by Joshua Faulkner. He now sports a record of 13-3-4-2 for earnings of $120, 232.

LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER IN $75,000 TOMBOY STAKES
It was a Fair Winds Farm family affair in the Tomboy Stakes at Belterra Park on May 12. Patiently handled by Gerardo Corrales, H. F. Carmel was asked to wait to make her move and then quickly slipped through an opening along the rail to draw off by 4 ¼ lengths. Her dam, Flip Side by Devil His Due won the race just in front of two other Fair Winds raised horses over a decade ago. Dr. Harold Fishman, the father of Lori Williams (who operates Fair Winds with her husband Kim) arranged the matings.

Flip Side beats tablemates Marketable and Nitty Gritty in 2005 Tomboy. Pat Lang Photos

The 2019 edition for 3-year-old fillies was scheduled for 1 1/16th miles on the turf, but rains moved it to the sloppy main oval. Despite three scratches, a field of ten went to post. Undefeated Absorb was favored but had to break from the outside post and was rushed into the first turn, Totally Obsessed, who was 3 for 3 this season was coming out of a win in the $75,000 6 furlong Southern Park Stakes at Mahoning Valley and led just ahead of Absorb for ¾ of a mile. About that point, the two pace setting favorites were passed by H. F. Caramel, Market Success and Drillit for the same order of finish at the wire.

H. F. Caramel enjoyed the sticky going. Photo: Coady Photography

The Tomboy was only the second start of 2019 for H. F. Caramel. Trainer Mike Rone wisely put her in a solid prep for this race finishing a troubled 2nd against older allowance competition on April 17 at Mahoning. H.F. Caramel is a 3-year-old daughter of Revolutionary and is owned and bred by Dr. Harold Fishman covering the sloppy surface in 1:47.27. With her win in her stakes debut, she now has earned $73,730 from only five trips to post.