OHIO MIXED SALES GRADUATES RUN 1-3 IN $75,000 GLACIAL PRINCESS – SEVERAL STATE CHAMPIONS RETURN TO FORM
It was a good week for advertising the Ohio Mixed Sale, as three graduates passed the $100,000 mark. Edge of Night, sold as a weanling in 2017 for $6,500, pushed his 2-year-old earning to $139,500 with a win in the $75,000 Glacial Princess; Firsthand Justice, brought $5,200 as a yearling and finished third in the $75,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial for career bankroll of $103,520 and Oaks Honey, a $10,000 yearling purchase, crossed the $100,000 mark with a five-length win in a $32,700 allowance event.
Edge of Night had never been off the board in five lifetime starts until she tried 1 1/16 miles in the Best of Ohio John W. Galbreath Stakes. The $75,000 Glacial Princess at Mahoning Valley was a turn-back to six furlongs and fell right in the 2-year-old filly’s wheelhouse. Trainer Robert Gorham, who picked her out of the sale as a weanling, didn’t need to do much with her after her Galbreath effort. Backed down to the odds-on favorite, she didn’t disappoint her ticket holders.
Her only competition in the November 23 event came from her stablemate Ting Tang, who provided the tepid pace until the half-mile marker. At that point Christian Pilares asked Edge of Night for her run and she steadily took the lead into the stretch with Christalinda and Heaven Sent Angel (a Ohio Mixed Sale graduate) in futile pursuit. The entire field would not change position in the final two furlongs. Edge of Night drew off under the wire in 1:16.39.
Mast Thoroughbreds LLC owns the daughter of Ohio stallion Added Edge out of Cargo Jet by Discreet. She was bred by Steve DiMaiolo. The two-time stakes winner has now earned $139,500 from seven lifetime starts.
MOBIL SOLUTION FINDS THE ANSWER IN $75,000 RUFF/KIRCHBERG HANDICAP
The question going into the Ruff/Kirchberg was – “Can Leona’s Reward pull off another three-stakes race skein at the end of the season?” In 2018 she ended her season capturing The Ohio Debutante, Ruff Kirchberg and Bobby Bricker Handicap with a month of racing at Mahoning Valley. She came into this year’s edition off authoritative victories in the $150,000 Best of Ohio Distaff and the $75,000 Ohio Debutante. Under handicap conditions she would shoulder topweight of 125 lbs. as the only female in the nine-horse field. In the positive column, she is the quintessential “Horse for Course” as she has made 13 starts over the Mahoning oval, winning 8 of them for earnings of $488,966.
Trainer Jeff Radosevich-trained horses filled 33% of the starting gate and the most accomplished of the trio was Mobil Solution, a multiple stakes winner of $368,020. One of the most consistent Ohio-breds in training he was not off the board for eight starts this season, which included two stakes wins – until her last start in the $150,000 Best of Ohio Endurance. He finished an uncharacteristic eighth, beaten 13 ¾ lengths. Whatever the problem was, Radosevich was able to identify and correct it by race day.
Regular rider Luis Rivera placed Mobil Solution in his comfort zone – near, but not on the lead. Stablemate Pat’s Karma led the field into the turn, while favored Leona’s Reward fell victim to her outside post position and was parked widest of all around the bend. Mobil Solution steadily crept up on the pacesetter and took the lead into the stretch. At the same time, Verissimo launched his bid from sixth and was getting to Mobil Solution who dug in gamely to last by a neck for the top spot in a Radosevich-trained exacta. Ohio Sale graduate Firsthand Justice rallied for the third spot and a check that would push his earnings over the $100,000 threshold.
The winner travelled the 1 mile 70 yards in 146.63 and returned to his record of consistency with current lifetime stats of 24-7-8-5 for earnings of $413,020. The 4-year-old gelding is a son of leading Ohio stallion Mobil out of Perfect Solution by Seeking the Gold. He was bred by Mapleton Thoroughbred Farm and is owned by Gerald Silver.
