Cat Singer controls Endurance

Heavily favored Cat Singer lived up to his advance billing when he led every step of the way en route to a 4 1/2-length win over his six Ohio-bred rivals in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Endurance at Thistledown. The Endurance was one of five stakes for Ohio-breds on Friday's card.

Chop Spats rallied from the second flight to be second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Go Johnny Go.

Cat Singer ($2.40) has now won 4 of 5 starts this season, all stakes, with his lone defeat coming in his seasonal debut when he stumbled at the start and was eased.

Cat Singer covered 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:06.76 after setting swift fractions of 46.60 seconds, 1:11.78, and 1:38.10.

"The six furlongs in 11 and change was faster than I wanted to go," said winning jockey Rodney Prescott, "but he was doing it easily and I didn't want to fight him so I just let him go."

The 6-year-old Cat Singer is owned by Joe Sugar Jr. and Eugene Daniels, and is trained by William Cowans.

In the other Best of Ohio races:

o Imahoneytoo ($11.40) defeated odd-on favorite Bright Pyrite by 2 1/4 lengths in the $100,000 Distaff at 1 1/8 miles. The winning time was 1:53.76.

Imahoneytoo was bred and is owned by Ronald Zielinski, trained by his son, Richard, and was ridden by Jeffrey Skerrett.

o Trainer Tim Hamm's entry finished one-two-three in the $75,000 John W. Galbreath at six furlongs. Mini Mom ($3) won by a length over Littlebitabling, who was a half-length quicker than Reapingtherewards. Mini Mom got 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.84.

o I Cant Refuse ($15.40), owned and trained by Cricket Bosley, tenaciously held off the late charge of Pforperfectspistol by a nose in the $75,000 Sprint at six furlongs. I Cant Refuse was timed in 1:10.68.

o Head to Toe ($6) rallied from just off the pace to make the lead in midstretch and drew off to a six-length win in the $75,000 Juvenile. He covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.84.