Catlaunch takes Best of Ohio Classic

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Catlaunch won his fourth stakes of the year with a very courageous head victory over eighth Ohio-bred rivals in the $100,000 Endurance, the feature of the Best of Ohio card at Thistledown. Allsarott was a rallyilng second in the 1 1/4-mile race, 2 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Type A Personality.

Under Luis Martinez Jr., Catlaunch led every step of the way while turning back three serious challenges, stopping the timer in 2:05.22 over the fast track. Owned by his breeder, Scioto Farm, and trained by Ivan Vasquez, he won the 25th race of his 62-race career and boosted his earnings to $595,236. He returned $5.80.

In other four Best of Ohio stakes:

* Pay the Man set all the pace en route to a handy 6 1/4-length win in the $100,000 Distaff. Cryptoquip finished second, a half-length in front of Pyrite Gem. A 4-year-old Bernstein filly, Pay the Man is owned by Pyrite Stable and trained by Miguel Feliciano and ridden in the 1 1/8-mile race by Andrew Ramgeet. Pay the Man $4 in winning her fourth stakes of the year.

* I Cant Refuse sprinted to a daylight lead soon after the start, widened on the turn, and held on gamely under Victor Urieta to register a neck decision over Ds Dessert in the $75,000 Sprint at six furlongs. Royal Nemesis was third. I Cant Refuse, who won this race in 2006, paid $71.40.

* Bold Captain rallied from just off the pace to score a 2 1/4-length win in the $75,000 Juvenile, giving Pyrite Stable and Feliciano two winners in the Best of Ohio series. Raise the Reward outgamed Halmi for the runner-up spot by a neck. Bold Captain, ridden by Deshawn Parker, paid $11.40.

* High Pin caught odds-on favorite Slides Choice in the final strides for an $81.60 victory in the $75,000 John W. Galbreath Memorial. Pyrite Score finished third. High Pin is trained by William Napier and was ridden by Otto Thorwarth.