Eightthehardway gets class break in Catlaunch Stakes

Despite losses in his last two races at odds of 47-1 and 65-1, plus an 0-for-8 record at Thistledown, don’t be surprised if Eightthehardway goes favored in Saturday’s $75,000 Catlaunch Stakes there.

The 4-year-old Eightthehardway chased the top Ohio-breds Mo Dont No and Rivers Run Deep in his two most recent outings and did well to finish second to the 3-year-old Mo Dont No in the 1 1/4-mile Governor’s Buckeye Cup three weeks ago. With the distinct class drop into a stakes restricted to horses foaled in Ohio and sired by a stallion standing in the Buckeye State, Eightthehardway has a big shot in the 1 1/16-mile Catlaunch.

To snap a five-race losing streak, however, Eightthehardway will have to turn the tables on Plain Ol’ Willard, who beat him by a length in the 1 1/8-mile George Lewis Memorial in June and won the 2014 Catlaunch. Eightthehardway finished 13 1/2 lengths ahead of Plain Ol’ Willard in the Buckeye Cup.

The eight-horse field also includes Pyrite Mill, who has collected nine of his 10 victories in sprints but was a creditable third in last year’s Catlaunch.

Catlaunch, Race 7

KEY CONTENDERS

Eightthehardway, by Parents’ Reward

Last 3 Beyers: 74-65-73

◗ Mo Dont No, who beat him the Governor’s Buckeye Cup, has gone 5 for 8 this season, including two stakes victories.

◗ He needs sufficient pace to set up his closing kick.

Plain Ol’ Willard, by Pacific Waves

Last 3 Beyers: 55-52-39

◗ He has been dull in three starts since winning the Lewis at 14-1 odds in mid-June. He won this race in 2014 by 2 1/2 lengths coming off a sixth-place finish in the Buckeye Cup but was a distant fifth in last year’s running.

Pyrite Mill, by Mercer Mill

Last 3 Beyers: 50-69-59

◗ His only win going two turns came way back in 2013.

◗ Jockey Ricardo Feliciano likely will try to set a tepid pace and ration his mount’s speed.

Mound, by Mercer Mill

Last 3 Beyers: 51-38-50

◗ Trainer Ivan Vazquez is removing the blinkers, and two years ago, Mound won four straight races, including a pair of stakes, without blinkers. But since adding blinkers in August 2015, Mound has gone 1 for 13. The equipment switch and stretch-out in distance could prove a wake-up call at a big price.