Leona's Reward a cut above in Bobbie Bricker Memorial

Nine-time stakes winner Leona’s Reward is the star attraction on Saturday’s card at Mahoning Valley, as she tries to win the $75,000 Bobbie Bricker Memorial Handicap for Ohio-accredited fillies and mares for a third straight year.

Leona’s Reward, who is bred, co-owned, and trained by Tim Hamm, has seven victories from 10 starts at Mahoning Valley. This fall, she finished second in the Best of Ohio Distaff on Oct. 13 before winning the Ohio Debutante for a third straight year on Nov. 3 at Mahoning Valley. Two weeks later, she captured the track’s Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap.

The conditions of Saturday’s race have set up to favor Leona’s Reward. The mare drew the rail post position, where she can use her natural speed under Luis Colon, who has been aboard for her two most recent races. Those wins both came on sloppy tracks, and the National Weather Service forecast shows a 100 percent chance of rain for the area Saturday.

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Only four challengers are entered against Leona’s Reward, including two who are familiar with her. Hope’s Frog Song defeated her in the Miss Southern Ohio Stakes earlier this year, while Grizabella finished second to her in the Ohio Debutante

The Bricker Memorial is the first race on Saturday’s card, which also includes the $75,000 Joshua Radosevich Memorial Stakes for Ohio-accredited juveniles. Several in the field are already familiar foes. Hey Adrian won the Loyalty Stakes and Emerald Necklace Stakes for owner and trainer Josh Faulkner and was most recently third in the Glacial Princess Stakes at Mahoning Valley. Show Me Some Sass, trained by Danny Bird, returns after finishing second in the Glacial Princess. Danefield, who finished second by a neck in the Loyalty, comes off an allowance win at Mahoning Valley for co-owner and trainer John Bourke.

Also entering off a local allowance win is Captain Corn, who rolled by 3 3/4 lengths last out for owner and trainer Charlie Williams. He previously had finished second by four lengths in the Juvenile on the Best of Ohio showcase card.