Air quality, weather hang over Belterra Friday card featuring Cincinnatian
Both Thoroughbred racetracks currently running meets in Ohio - Belterra Park in Cincinnati, and Thistledown in North Randall – were among the slew of Midwestern tracks to cancel racing on Wednesday due to poor air quality from the ongoing Canadian wildfires. Both tracks were looking ahead to racing the rest of this week, but the weather forecast may continue to play a factor, with heat and thunderstorms moving in to the region.
Belterra is set to run programs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with Friday's card highlighted by the $75,000 Cincinnatian Stakes for Ohio-accredited 3-year-old fillies. Thistledown is also scheduled to race Thursday before it is dark until Monday.
The air quality index, which was an “unhealthy” 175 on Wednesday in Cincinnati, was forecast to drop to 63 before Friday’s stakes-highlighted card. However, a high near 90 was forecast for Friday in the area, with evening thunderstorms potentially moving into the area. Southwest in Henderson, Ky., temperatures are forecast to climb into the high 90s, causing Ellis Park to move its first post to 10:30 a.m. Central in order to run before the temperatures climb. As of Wednesday afternoon, Belterra’s eight-race Friday program was still scheduled to start at 1:25 p.m., Eastern.
The morning-line favorite in the Cincinnatian is Near Perfect, who is listed at 5-2 for trainer Robert Gorham and Mast Thoroughbreds. The filly is the only prior stakes winner in this field, taking the Southern Park Stakes earlier this year; she owns four other stakes placings, including against older runners. This is the first start on turf for the daughter of multi-purpose sire Mobil. Perhaps of more concern, the filly was most recently fourth in the Queen City Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, in her first start beyond six furlongs.
The only member of this field to have previously raced on turf is Better Half, coming off a mile allowance win on the Belterra turf against older fillies and mares. She is part of a three-pronged entry for the Winblaze homebred partnership of WinStar Farm and trainer Tim Hamm, along with maiden winners Go Girl and Secrets Untold.
Driven for Success owns the highest Beyer Speed Figure in this field, with a 57 in an allowance win over older last time out; Near Perfect’s career top is a 55. Allowance winners Factisimflashy, Kettle Kiss, Lemon Mousse, and Williamsbeachbabe and the maidens Canela Fina and Emerald Eyes round out the field.
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