Dougie D Oro among stars of Best of Ohio card at Thistledown

Dougie D Oro and Altissismo both look to become multiple winners of the $100,000 Best of Ohio Honey Jay Stakes when the sprint for older horses is renewed Saturday at Thistledown, as one of five stakes on the program showcasing Ohio-breds.

The Best of Ohio has evolved into a series of showcases throughout the year at all three of the state’s Thoroughbred tracks to promote the Ohio racing and breeding programs. The series kicked off with stakes at Belterra Park in early June, followed by this summer program at Thistledown. The annual fall showcase program of five season-capping stakes will be held Oct. 29 at Mahoning Valley.

Altissimo, who will have Alexander Chavez in the irons for trainer Richard Zielinski, has been a mainstay at the top of the Ohio circuit. The graded stakes-placed millionaire won the Best of Ohio Sprint on the fall showcase program in 2018, 2019, and 2021 to lock up three titles as statebred horse of the year. In total, he has won 12 stakes, including the 2018 Honey Jay; he was second in 2019 and 2020.

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But the star of the moment might be Dougie D Oro. The gelding won the 2021 Honey Jay – in which Altissimo was fourth – then got the better of the champion again in the Best of Ohio Babst/Palacios Memorial on June 3, driving to a 1 1/2-length victory under regular rider Ricardo Feliciano as Altissimo was last of seven after being pinched back at the start. The entire finishing order of the Babst/Palacios was Dougie D Oro, Startdfromdabottom, Chief Buckeye, Morestride, Oaken, Brig, and Altissimo; except for Chief Buckeye, all face off again Saturday.

Following his victory for owner-trainer Jerry Sparks, Dougie D Oro won an allowance race, then finished second in a July 26 allowance at Thistledown to Morestride. The latter has won three straight races, and 5 of 6 this year overall, for owner and trainer Michael Rone. He is the morning-line favorite over Dougie D Oro and will be ridden by Ricardo Feliciano.

There is plenty of speed in the six-furlong Honey Jay, and the tactics of Altissimo, Dougie D Oro, and Morestride will all play a role in that development. All three have scored quality wins running both on the lead or stalking in the next flight.

In other action on the card, graded stakes-placed Forewarned looms a favorite for Uriah St. Lewis in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Governor’s Buckeye Cup. He returns to face statebreds for the first time in 2022 after running in open stakes in Maryland and New York to begin the year, including a win in the Excelsior at Aqueduct. He comes back to this state as the only horse in the field to win at this 1 1/4-mile distance. That includes consecutive wins in the Best of Ohio Endurance in the fall of 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Wicked Warrior has competed successfully at this distance, including runner-up efforts in the last two editions of the Endurance, without yet breaking through with a win.

Feliciano has the mount on Wicked Warrior for his trainer, Benny Feliciano. Dexter Haddock has the mount on Forewarned.

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The $100,000 Best of Ohio Pay the Man Stakes, the sister race to the Buckeye Cup, has drawn the Ohio-bred champion juvenile filly of last year, Candlelight Hours, who has not missed the board in five starts this year, as well as stakes winners Ballroom Blitz, Cali Dream, and Totally Obsessed. Ballroom Blitz won the 2021 Best of Ohio Distaff at this 1 1/8-mile distance by 7 1/2-lengths, but is winless since for Robert Gorham.

Sally Strong and High Fire were second and third, respectively, in the Distaff and are back for more here. The consistent Sally Strong, who has only missed the board once in 12 career starts, is seeking her first stakes win with four placings for Rone, including a second in this event last year.

The program is rounded out by a pair of stakes for 2-year-olds. Fair and Square is looking for his second stakes win in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten after winning the Hoover Stakes for the successful partnership of trainer Tim Hamm and WinStar Farm, which will send out five juveniles between the Cleveland Kindergarten and $100,000 Best of Ohio Miss Ohio for fillies. Grand Isle, second to Fair and Square in the Hoover, also is back for more in the Cleveland Kindergarten.

In the Miss Ohio, Lady Lottie looks to remain unbeaten in three starts for trainer and co-owner Jason LaCosta. The filly was a game, front-running winner of the Tah Dah Stakes, forging her way back to the lead late to win by a neck after being collared.

Back to Ohio, who had briefly gained that lead, is back to try her again. Those top two fillies earned Beyer Speed Figures of 71 and 70, respectively, that day, the highest of any 2-year-old, male or female, in the day’s stakes.