Hey Adrian a $95 winner in J. William Petro Memorial Handicap

Hey Adrian was a multiple stakes winner last year as a juvenile before beginning a losing streak that made her the longest shot on the board for Saturday's $75,000 J. William Petro Memorial Handicap for Ohio-bred fillies and mares on the Ohio Derby undercard at Thistledown. But the 3-year-old filly signaled that she is prepared to be a force in the division the rest of this season with her $95 upset win over older females.

Hey Adrian, who races for trainer Joshua Faulkner, won the Loyalty Stakes at Belterra Park and the Emerald Necklace Stakes at Thistledown last September, and also finished second in the Glacial Princess Stakes in December at Mahoning Valley. However, she had finished off the board in four races since then.

Hey Adrian narrowly led Cali Dream by a head through a moderate opening quarter in 24.26 seconds and half in 48.20. Cali Dream shook off her younger foe and opened up a 1 1/2-length lead approaching the stretch, through six furlongs in 1:13. But Hey Adrian came on again, racing in the two-path under Juan Velez. She poked a head back in front of Cali Dream in the stretch and drew clear to win by two lengths. The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:47.44.

Cali Dream easily held sway in second, by 1 1/4 lengths over Mayas Queen Neetee. After the top three came School Board Prez, Drillit, and favored Takechargedelilah, who was never involved.

Another 3-year-old defeated older horses in the day's other statebred showcase, as Sammy Da Bull sprang a mild $16.20 upset to win the $75,000 George Lewis Memorial for Ohio-accredited runners.

Sammy Da Bull, who is trained by his breeder, Rodney Faulkner, rallied by second choice Mobil Solution in the final strides to win by a half-length. Under Erik Barbaran, he finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.68.

After the top two, it was 2 1/2 lengths back to Mobil At Last in third. Favored Leona's Reward faded to be fifth in the field of six.

This was the first stakes victory for Sammy Da Bull, who was second in last December's Joshua Radosevich Memorial Stakes while still a maiden, but was a well-beaten fifth in the Howard B. Noonan Stakes for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds in April. He came into the Lewis Memorial off a runner-up effort in a Thistledown allowance.