Full brothers square off in Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap

A racing rarity occurs on Saturday at Mahoning Valley, as full brothers Geppetto and Mound meet in the $75,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap. The 1 1/8-mile race for Ohio-accredited older horses is the co-feature on the weekend program, along with the $75,000 Glacial Princess Stakes for Ohio-accredited 2-year-old fillies.

Both 6-year-old Geppetto and 5-year-old Mound are by Mercer Mill and out of the multiple stakes-winning Storm Boot mare Scioto Bootski. The two geldings and their dam were both bred by Ronald Fields of Scioto Farm Supply, who is best known for breeding and campaigning statebred champion and millionaire Catlaunch. Scioto Bootski is a half sister to Catlaunch. Mound still races in the Scioto colors, and is trained by Ivan Vazquez. Geppetto races for Ron Paolucci and Jeff Radosevich after being claimed in September.

In his first start off the claim, Geppetto finished 13th in the Best of Ohio Endurance Stakes after leading for the first half-mile. The victory went to a new stablemate, reigning Ohio horse of the year Mo Dont No. Radosevich then put jockey Luis Rivera on the gelding, and he wired the field by seven lengths in a claiming race last out at Mahoning Valley.

Off that victory, and ideally drawn on the rail, Geppetto looks primed as he makes his 64th career start in the Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial – as well as his fourth consecutive appearance in this race. He finished third in 2014, won the 2015 edition, and was second last year to Eightthehardway.

Mound, a three-time stakes winner as a juvenile and stakes placed last year, has not won since March 2016 at Mahoning Valley. The gelding is making his 50th start.

Eightthehardway has not won since defeating Geppetto by 1 3/4 lengths in winning last year’s Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial. Eightthehardway, who is the top earner in the field with a bankroll of $311,723, finished sixth in the Best of Ohio Endurance and fourth in an allowance race last out. However, his Beyer Speed Figure of 74 earned in the allowance is the top last-out number in the field, and the 80 he posted when finishing second to Mo Dont No in the Governor’s Buckeye Cup is the field’s top figure this year.

Seven of the eight juvenile fillies entered for the Glacial Princess earlier in the day are emerging from the Emerald Necklace Stakes on Oct. 21 at Thistledown, and the lone outsider is Gift From Mom, who is making her career debut Saturday. Silky Tassels finished second in the Emerald Necklace, beaten 6 3/4 lengths by winner Pure Justice, and No Truer was third. The Emerald Necklace was the first start for both of them.

The only filly in the field with a win is Mandi’s Pride, who took her debut in October at Belterra before finishing sixth in the Emerald Necklace.