RACING RETURNS TO JACK THISTLEDOWN RACINO APRIL 29
April 23, 2019 (NORTH RANDALL, Ohio) – JACK Thistledown Racino kicks off its 2019 racing season Monday, April 29. This will be the first of 100 days of live Thoroughbred racing at the historic Cleveland-area track that first opened its gates in 1925.
Director of Racing Operations Patrick Ellsworth will card eight races each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday through Oct. 19. First post on the weekdays is 1:40 p.m. ET and, new for this season, Saturday racing will begin at 12:20 p.m. ET.
The centerpiece of JACK Thistledown’s racing season is the 85th running of the $500,000 Grade 3 Ohio Derby Saturday, June 22. The richest and only graded race in the state, the Ohio Derby confirmed its status with subsequent strong performances by both its 2018 winner, Core Beliefs, and runner-up, Lone Sailor. The other open stake on the calendar is the $200,000 Lady Jacqueline for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, set for August 17.
Supporting Ohio’s breeding program, JACK Thistledown offers 15 $75,000 stakes for state-bred horses. Two of them, the George Lewis Memorial and the J. Wm Petro Memorial, run on the Ohio Derby undercard. Three others—the Miss Ohio in July, the Cleveland Kindergarten in August and the Emerald Necklace in October—give 2-year-olds their first crack at Thistledown trophies. The first of the Ohio-bred series, the Dr. T. F. Classen Memorial Stakes, comes on the first Saturday of the meet, May 4.
JACK Thistledown Racino’s first weekend of live racing begins on the Friday and Saturday of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, respectively May 3 and 4. With post time from Churchill Downs at 10:30 a.m. ET both days, JACK Thistledown’s racing floor and mutuel windows will open at 10 a.m. Advance wagering on the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby begins Thursday, May 2, at 1 p.m.
Otherwise, JACK Thistledown’s racing floor opens at 11:30 a.m. ET. Wagering on the track’s live races begins at 12:30 p.m. except on Saturday, when wagering on live racing begins at 11:45 a.m.
CHAMPION DIAMOND “DUST’S” THE FIELD IN
THE $75,000 HOWARD B. NOONAN
Last year’s 2-Year-Old Male Champion Diamond Dust continued his winning ways on April 15 in the 6-furlong Howard B. Noonan Stakes at Mahoning Valley. Sent away as the 4-5 favorite, he was patiently rated by Gerardo Corrales who let the gray Ohio Player play a game of “catch me if you can” into the stretch. Ohio Player, one of the final foals of Breeders Cup Classic winner, Alphabet Soup, led by as many as 5 lengths for most of the race. Diamond Dust determinedly drew on even terms with the pacesetter and took control at the furlong marker driving to a 2 ¼ length win in 1:12.37 over a fast track.
Longshot Celtic Line passed the tiring Ohio Player for second in his first lifetime stakes start while Ohio Player held on for the third spot. Diamond Dust is by Paynter out of Radiant Sky by Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) and is a product of the partnership formed by Blazing Meadows Farm and WinStar Farm LLC. The win in the Noonan pushed his record to 7-5-2-0 for career earnings of $238,100.
He was with me all winter in Florida where we turned him out and let him grow,” said trainer Tim Hamm. “He’s not real big, probably average size, but he has a lot of muscle, balance and he looks great. We intend to go in the 6 1/2 furlong Tall Stacks at Belterra Park next and hopefully try him on the turf there in late May. He has that Leriodesanimaux blood in his pedigree and we already know he can go long.”
MAHONING VALLEY CONCLUDES SOLID WINTER-SPRING MEET
Austintown, OH (April 25, 2019) – Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course concluded another successful season on Wednesday April 24, with solid wagering and racing during the 62-day winter-spring meet. Wagering per race was modestly down 8-percent to $116,745 per race despite the track experiencing a number of inclement weather days in both January and February.
“Field size remained strong with 8.12 wagering interests per race, identical to the 2018 number,” said Vice President of Racing Mark Loewe. “As we look to the fall meet, we are excited by the reception we have received throughout the simulcast network and on track”.
Jockey Luis M. Quinones added a winter-spring meet title to go along with leading jockey honors he previously garnered after the fall-winter meet and finished third in the nation in 2018 with 282 overall wins. According to agent Billy Johnson, it’s Quinones’ work ethic that sets him apart.
“He’s such a hard worker. He’s out there every morning working hard. He deserves his success.”
Quinones’ 49 wins were 10 more than his nearest competitor, T.D. Haughton.
It was more business as usual in the trainer’s standings as Ohio legend Jeff Radosevich collected another leading trainer award as he swept the crown for both the fall-winter and winter-spring meets.
“I have great owners. Obviously, I couldn’t have done any of this without their continued and unwavering support,” said an excited Radosevich when he collected his trophy ending the meet with 46 wins, doubling the amount of runner up Gary Johnson. “Winning never gets old.”
In spring stakes action, Totally Obsessed notched her third consecutive win and first stakes score in the Southern Park Stakes on March 23 when Quinones sent Totally Obsessed to the front and navigated her to a 3 1/4 length victory. Totally Obsessed now sits atop the Ohio three-year-old filly ranks for owner Ron Paolucci Racing, LLC and trainer Gary Johnson.
Anechoic takes Horse of the Meet (Again!)
After winning all six of his starts at Mahoning’s fall-winter meet, Ron Paolucci Racing’s Anechoic put on quite the encore performance and notched four wins in five starts during the winter-spring meeting and was named Horse of the Meet once again. The Jeff Radosevich trained five-year old bay gelding’s four wins came in consecutive races before suffering his lone defeat on closing day. Jockey Hector Rosario Jr. was in the irons for all four victories.
