First-time starter School Board Prez gets up in Miss Ohio

School Board Prez, a heavily backed first-time starter shipping in from Chicago, ran down pacesetter Ibelieveinmiracles in deep stretch to win Saturday’s $75,000 Miss Ohio Stakes for 2-year-old Ohio-bred fillies at ThistleDown.

Trained by Doug Matthews for owner-breeder John Royer, School Board Prez ($7) went off as the 5-2 second choice among 11 betting interests in the 5 1/2-furlong stakes. The only real clue that School Board Prez might have some talent came in her 1:01 five-furlong workout from the gate, the second best of 26 breezes on July 12 at Arlington.

The foals of her dam, Torrent of Song, were a collective 0 for 20 before School Board Prez’s victory.

Ibelieveinmiracles, a maiden winner on July 3 and subsequently a distant eighth in the Hoover at Belterra Park, led for most of the 5 1/2 furlongs under Terry Houghton before School Board Prez, ridden by Jerome Lermyte, made up a 2 1/2-length deficit in deep stretch and got up in the final jump by a head in 1:06.36.

Purple Flowers, a maiden winner last month, was four lengths behind the runner-up in third. Texas shipper Flashy won a three-horse photo for fourth as the 8-5 favorite.