Ding's Thing faces colts again

Ding's Thing, who has won her two lifetime starts by a combined margin of more than 15 lengths, will step out of her division to face the boys in the $40,000 Hoover Stakes at River Downs. The Hoover, for Ohio-bred 2-year-olds, will be contested at six furlongs.

The winner of an open maiden against colts by more than seven lengths on July 5 at Thistledown, Ding's Thing returned to the track a week later to register an eight-length win in the Tah Dah Stakes for Ohio-bred fillies at River Downs.

Ding's Thing's victory in the Tah Dah - trainer Tim Hamm's fourth consecutive in that stakes - earned her a Beyer Speed Figure of 71, highest among the Hoover entrants. Regular rider Julio Felix is back aboard Saturday.

The top three finishers from Thistledown's Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes on July 4 face off again in the Hoover. Catch My Cat easily won the Kindergarten wire to wire by more than three lengths. Trained by Bill Napier, Catch My Cat was an impressive 10 1/2-length winner of his maiden at River before winning the Cleveland Kindergarten. Joddie Fortner will ride.

The Kindergarten runner-up, Paris Gold, is still a maiden, while third-place finisher Another Freddy encountered a rough trip in the Kindergarten and has room to improve in the Hoover.

Also of interest is Holiday Account, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Harlan's Holiday. Holiday Account, trained by Jevon Crumley at Thistledown, is making his career debut in the Hoover and enters the race with moderate works.