Hamm's horses sweep stakes with Bowen aboard
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Parlay and Villian gave trainer Tim Hamm and jockey Rocco Bowen a double in the co-featured events for Ohio-breds on Friday afternoon at Belterra Park.
Parlay captured the $75,000 Tomboy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. Later on the card, Villian, a 4-year-old gelding, won the $75,000 Buckeye Native Stakes for 3-year-olds and up on the turf. Both runners are by National Flag, who stands at Hamm's Blazing Meadows Farm in Ohio in partnership with Kentucky-based WinStar Farm, which campaigned him, and these two runners were bred under the "WinBlaze" moniker for the partnership.
Parlay is now owned by Hamm in partnership with America's Thoroughbred Investors, a partnership launched by his family. Villian runs in the name of Hamm and his son, Shane.
The Tomboy was the fourth career stakes win for Parlay ($3), who also owns multiple stakes placings against males. The filly has shown a liking for the Belterra turf, winning the Cincinnatian Stakes this summer and now turning in a front-running effort on Friday. The favored filly and Bowen took early pressure from second choice Lo Bug but easily disposed of that one around the far turn.
Parlay opened better than a four-length lead in the stretch and easily held sway by 2 3/4 lengths while not hard-handled. Longshot La Artista, who had been last of nine after the opening half, closed for second.
The time for the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf was 1:44.03.
Villian ($4.20) and Bowen used diffent tactics in the Buckeye Native, sitting in fifth early as Factisimflashy was pursued by Just Like Rambo through the opening stages. Just Like Rambo made the lead coming into the stretch, but Villian was poised on him at that point. The two dueled down the lane, with Villian prevailing by a neck in a winning time of 1:43.41.
Villian was last year's champion Ohio-accredited male runner. He did not miss the board in eight starts, including a win in the Catlaunch Stakes. He started this year in similarly consistent fashion and won the George Lewis Memorial Stakes after a pair of stakes placings. On Friday, however, he had to rebound from an uncharacteristically poor showing last out, as he was 11th in the Best of Ohio Governor's Buckeye Cup.
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