Kindergarten rematches Hoover rivals

Cake Pop pulled an 8-1 upset in last month’s Hoover Stakes at Belterra Park, and he faces a rematch with 3-5 beaten favorite Crazycantberighted in Saturday’s $75,000 Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes for Ohio-bred 2-year-olds at Thistledown.

Cake Pop, based at the Churchill Downs training center with trainer Michael Lauer, is 2 for 2 after coming from off the pace to win the 5 1/2-furlong Hoover by 1 1/4 lengths.

Crazycantberighted, who trains and won his maiden on Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs, made his dirt debut in the Hoover. He was shuffled back early and then rallied from sixth to finish third, beaten five lengths.

Ouray and Lunar Heat, who finished a neck apart as the one-two finishers in a maiden race July 18, are the only horses in the eight-horse field to have raced at the six-furlong distance of the Kindergarten. The race they exit, however, came up extremely slow and was worth just a 30 on the Beyer Speed Figure scale, 36 points lower than Cake Pop’s mark for his Hoover victory.

Jocker Justice has finished second to Cake Pop in his first two starts. He broke last of 10 in the Hoover but recovered well enough to lose by just 1 1/4 lengths with a 63 Beyer that compares favorably to most of the competition he meets Saturday. The extra half-furlong could help Jocker Justice finally turn the tables on Cake Pop.

Mobil Sky merits respect after easily disposing of open-company maidens in his career debut June 29. In that 5 1/2-furlong race, Mobil Sky came from fifth, 8 1/2 lengths behind after the first half-mile, to draw clear by 4 1/4 lengths. The runner-up from that race, Screaming Back, won his maiden July 30. Mobil Sky is from the barn of leading trainer Jeff Radosevich, who’s winning at a 31 percent clip at this meet.

Mister Peppers romped by nearly eight lengths in his career debut in early June, then regressed in the Hoover, where he flashed speed for a quarter-mile from post 10 and faded to fifth. He may improve while making his first start at his home track.