SHELTOWEE FARM AND JAMES EVANS-BREDS RUN 1-2 IN $75,000 NORM BARRON QUEEN CITY OAKS
It was a good week for O.T.B.O. member Ron Paolucci. He had two track-record setters in two days at Belterra Park. Coming out of sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park, his Nikki My Darling enjoyed a return to the Buckeye State and put in a dominating performance over her 3-year-old counterparts in the $75,000 Norm Barron Queen City Oaks. Well rated by jockey Luis Colon, she extended her lead at every point of call in the 1 1/8 test to stride away to a 6 ½ win margin over My Ticket Home and Cali Dream. Her final time of 1:49.41 smashed the track-record of 1:51 4/5. Paolucci’s Mo Dont No set a new mile mark at the Cincinnati oval the day before.
The Jeff Radosevich trainee now has a record of 5-1-0 from 10 starts for earnings of $181,533. Nikki My Darling is owned by Loooch Racing Stables, Inc and Imaginary Stables. The Grey daughter of Creative Cause out of Zamindarling by Zamidar was purchased for $100,000 out of the March Ocala Breeders Sale as a 2-year-old. The multiple stakes winner was bred by Sheltowee Farm and James E. Evans.
Runner up, My Ticket Home, is a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Shackleford out of the Tiznow mare Where Is the Bling. Trained by George “Rusty” Arnold she is owned by Glen Bromagen II and brought $70,000 at the Keeneland November Sale as a yearling. Sheltowee Farm Mariah Thoroughbreds and James E. Evans are listed as the breeders.
SHELTOWEE FARM AND JAMES EVANS RUNNERS 1 -2 IN QUEEN CITY OAKS
OHIO-BRED MO DONT NO SETS TRACK RECORD AT BELTERRA PARK
2016 Ohio Horse of the Year Mo Dont No added to his accolades on July 22 when he tried a flat mile for the first time and established a new track record in 1:36.75. Under Ricardo Feliciano, the 4-year-old gelding broke to the lead and took an easy time getting the first quarter in 25.29. He was challenged briefly at the half-mile marker by Riding in the Wind and “Mo” increased his speed at every pole thereafter to win under very light urging by 3 ¾ lengths over Riding in the Wind and former state champion Silver Tongued.
Running in the fluorescent green colors of Ron Paolucci’s Loooch Racing Stables, Inc., the allowance win pushed his career record to 10-4-0 in 16 starts for career earnings of $469,515. It was his second win in four starts this season, but you can give him some slack for his only two second-place finishes. Mo Dont No started the season against multiple Ohio Sprint Champion Rivers Run Deep at 6 panels who just missed his own track record at Belterra Park in the Babst/ Palacios Memorial. After beating open company at Jack Thistledown in a $31,000 allowance sprint, he tried turf for the first time and after setting all the pace was caught in the final furlong by Gone too Soon.
Bred by Beechwood Racing Stable, the son of Uncle Mo out of Ohio Broodmare of the Year, Lilah, was purchased for $50,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September Sale.
