Back to Ohio will get break before stakes-laden 2024 campaign

Back to Ohio will be heading back to Ohio at some point. She made a rare start outside of the Ohio-bred ranks on Dec. 16 at Oaklawn and won a two-other-than allowance for fillies and mares by more than two lengths. With the win, the 3-year-old filly by Midshipman improved her record to 9 for 10.

“How about that?” trainer Larry Rivelli said. “What a horse. She’s unbelievable. She’s just a picture of consistency.

“The other day was a jump up for her at Oaklawn. It’s a pretty neat condition. Pat Pope writes a pretty good book, gets pretty creative with conditions. It was a condition she fit – all her statebred wins didn’t count against her.”

Rivelli said Back to Ohio is at Turfway Park and while she’s being considered for another start at Oaklawn, he said she also could head to Ocala, Fla.

“We usually send her to Ocala, turn her out for the winter,” he said. “There’s nothing until late April, beginning of May for her in Ohio. We’ve mapped out $400,000 in stakes next summer and fall for her. We’ll give her 60 days off and bring her back, or find one more race and do the same thing.”

Rivelli trains Back to Ohio for Patricia’s Hope. She is out of the mare Sheza Runaway Star, a 15-time winner and half-sister to 20-time winner Rivers Run Deep.

◗ Canterbury Park has been awarded a 54-date meet from May 18-Sept. 28, and purses are projected to average $197,000 per card, up 10 percent.

◗ Eric Jackson, senior vice president of Oaklawn, will be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

◗ Zia Park averaged $830,000 per day in handle during its 30-date mixed meet, up 72 percent over last year’s 48-date season. Purses averaged $432,000 per card.

◗ Butterbean, winner of the Mistletoe at Oaklawn, is to make her next start in the track’s Pippin, trainer Kenny McPeek said.

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