I Wanna Win takes fifth straight in Best of Ohio Endurance

In pitched stretch battles, I Wanna Win took his fifth straight race in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Endurance and Morestride finally scored a breakthrough win in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Sprint, with those two besting two of the strongest respective fields assembled on a statebred showcase program on Saturday at Mahoning Valley.

The Best of Ohio has evolved into a series of three rich programs held at Ohio’s three Thoroughbred tracks throughout the season. This fall showcase program at Mahoning Valley included five stakes for various divisions, worth a total of $500,000, and this card typically goes a long way toward determining annual statebred champions.

In the final race on the program, I Wanna Win ($7), under Malcolm Franklin, led into the stretch and then, in a long drive, held off two-time defending Endurance winner Forewarned by a neck at the wire. It was another 10 1/2 lengths back to three-time Endurance winner and three-time Ohio-bred horse of the year Mo Dont No in third.

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The final time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:06.90.

I Wanna Win, who races as a homebred for Elkhorn Oaks and is trained by James Jackson, has now won five straight races, also including the Best of Ohio Governor's Buckeye Cup in August at Thistledown and three allowance races.

Morestride ($5.80) also prevailed in a long drive in the Sprint, wearing down Dougie D Oro to win by a neck under Luis Rivera. Dougie D Oro was looking for a Best of Ohio sweep after winning sprint stakes on the other two showcase cards this year. Meanwhile, three-time Ohio-bred horse of the year Altissimo, who had won the fall Sprint three prior times, was eight lengths back in third.

Morestride stopped the clock for the six furlongs in 1:10.72.

Morestride was fourth in last year's Best of Ohio Sprint, but has blossomed this year for owner-trainer Michael Rone, winning six times - all in allowance races before Saturday's stakes score - and finishing second once.

In other stakes action on the card:

* Favored I Recall ($4.60) and Angel Stanley left no doubt with a 7 3/4-length win in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Distaff over Market Success.
I Recall, who races as a homebred for Lowell F. Allen and trainer W. John Bourke, is a three-time stakes winner this season, as she also won the Best of Ohio Pay the Man Stakes at Thistledown and the Vivacious Handicap at Belterra.

* Grand Isle ($14) pulled clear late for a 5 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Juvenile with Jeffrey Sanchez in the irons for the successful breeding and racing partnership of WinStar Farm and trainer Tim Hamm.

* Back to Ohio ($2.80) remained undefeated with a 7 1/4-length score in the sister race to the Juvenile, the $100,000 John W. Galbreath Stakes. The filly did win the Tah Dah Stakes via disqualification, but has since won the Best of Ohio Miss Ohio Stakes, the Presque Isle Debutante, and now the Galbreath for Patricia's Hope LLC and trainer Larry Rivelli. Jareth Loveberry was aboard.

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