Lovable Lyss, cutting back to six furlongs after three consecutive route races during the winter at Fair Grounds, had the best closing kick in Saturday’s $75,000 Austintown Filly Sprint for 3-year-old fillies at Mahoning Valley Race Course. Ridden for the first time by Jose Valdivia Jr., Lovable Lyss ($10) came from fourth in the stretch to blow past New York shipper Absatootly and 43-1 outsider Tia Flor to win for the third time in six lifetime starts for owner-trainer Hugh Robertson. She completed the distance in 1:12.29 and finished 1 3/4 lengths in front. Tia Flor, returning to dirt for the first time since November following five straight races on Turfway Park’s Polytrack, outfought Absatootlyby a neck for second. Previously unbeaten Tiffany Case checked in fourth as the 2-1 favorite. Lovable Lyss, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, was getting class relief after finishing sixth in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra and a distant fourth in the $150,000 Silverbulletday. Prior to that, she had won a six-furlong maiden race and a first-level optional $50,000 claimer going a mile and 70 yards. “We were fortunate to work out a perfect tracking position behind a pretty solid pace battle,” Valdivia said. “When I asked her to go after the leaders at the top of the stretch she kicked in and after catching them was pulling away pretty easily at the end. She is a nice little filly.” Riding in the Wind takes Howard Noonan Stakes Riding in the Wind remained undefeated in four starts against Ohio-breds with a late rally to win the $75,000 Howard Noonan Stakes for 3-year-old statebreds. Based in Kentucky with trainer Jose Lopez, Riding in the Wind ($7.40) rallied from third inside the sixteenth pole to overtake dueling leaders Buckeye Bullet and Intacto to win the six-furlong race by three-quarters of a length. Ridden by Marco Ccamaque for owner-breeder Bobby Rankin, Riding in the Wind covered the distance in 1:13.09. A son of Tiz Wonderful, Riding in the Wind is 4 for 4 in restricted company at Mahoning Valley and 0 for 5 facing open company, including a third in the Space City Stakes at Sam Houston and an 11th-place finish in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park. Buckeye Bullet, making his first start since dominating maidens in December, finished second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Intacto, the 5-2 second choice. My Pardner Cal, the 2015 Ohio-bred 2-year-old champion, disappointed his backers who made him the 2-1 favorite. He raced second for the first quarter-mile before dropping back and finishing last of nine. Ohio-bred 2-year-old filly champion School Board Prez was an early scratch.