Get ready, Ohio-breds: It's stakes time at Thistledown

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Saturday's $40,000 Angenora will be Thistledown's first stakes of the year. The six-furlong race has drawn a competitive field of 11 Ohio-breds, including three stable couplings.

The Angenora brings out Ohio's 2001 champion 3-year-old filly, Ashwood CC, who will be co-highweighted with Paige's Boo at 120 pounds.

Ashwood CC, trained by Rodrigo Madrigal Sr., posted a 5-6-2 record from 20 starts, earned $169,440, and won two stakes last season, including a victory over older horses in the Best of Ohio Distaff at Beulah Park. Ashwood CC was unplaced in her seasonal debut in a six-furlong allowance at Philadelphia Park on Jan. 23. She has posted two bullet works since returning to Ohio and should be ready for a top effort. Her regular rider, Scott Saito, has the mount.

First Dibbs, an Al Corrado homebred, came out running to win her seasonal debut impressively April 5. She has made three of her six career starts here, and is undefeated locally. First Dibbs will making the jump to stakes company Saturday but should be competitive. Mike Rowland will ride for trainer M. D. Owens at 118 pounds.

Eye Slew the City, owned by the Buckerine Stable, held her own in stakes races last season and will be a solid factor. Jane Magrell will ride for trainer Gary King at 114.