Hoover attracts pair of impressive debut winners

Ohio-bred 2-year-olds get their first opportunity to earn black type in Saturday’s $75,000 Hoover Stakes at Belterra Park. Awaken and Candy Exchange, both homebreds for the partnership of Eclipse Award-winning breeder WinStar Farm and trainer Tim Hamm’s Blazing Meadows Farm, are the top two choices on the morning line and enter off impressive debut wins.

Morning-line favorite Awaken, by Super Saver, turned heads on June 14 at Thistledown, taking a five-furlong maiden race by 6 1/4 lengths on the front end. His Beyer Speed Figure of 62 is the top number in this field by 14 points. Paired again with Irwin Rosendo, the colt drew post 2 in the field of eight for the Hoover, setting him up for another front-running trip.

Maiden winners Rebel’s Revenge, Little Blaker, and Candy Exchange, drawn in posts 5, 6, and 7, all won their career debuts on the front end and should provide Awaken with company.

Candy Exchange, whose ownership group also includes Capeheart Equine, owns the field’s second-highest Beyer, a 48 earned for winning his June 23 debut at Thistledown by 9 1/4 lengths at this 5 1/2-furlong distance. That victory came on a sloppy track; the forecast for the Cincinnati area called for thunderstorms on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday but mostly sunny conditions on Saturday. Pablo Morales picks up the mount on Candy Exchange, a son of Sidney’s Candy.

The maidens Run the Numbers, Tiz a Rush, and Lavaca and the first-time starter Circus Rings complete the field. Run the Numbers was second to Awaken on debut.