Leona's Reward proves best in Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial

Leona's Reward survived a sloppy, sealed track and a stretch duel with Mobil Solution to post her ninth career stakes victory in the $75,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap for Ohio-accredited runners on Saturday at Mahoning Valley.

Favored Leona's Reward ($4) rated kindly early under Luis Colon, and was sitting third as Mobil Solution poked his head in front of veteran campaigner Eightthehardway around the far turn, through a moderate six furlongs in 1:15.59. Leona's Reward drew alongside Mobil Solution in upper stretch, and the two engaged in a duel, brushing near the sixteenth pole as Leona's Reward began to edge away. The mare pulled clear in the final yards for a 2 1/4-length victory, finishing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:54.48.

The consistent Mobil Solution, winner of the Horizon Stakes and Catlaunch Stakes earlier this season, was a clear second, 3 3/4 lengths clear of Mobil At Last.

Leona's Reward, a 5-year-old Parents' Reward mare, is trained by Tim Hamm, who also bred and co-owns her. This was the ninth career stakes victory for the mare, and second straight. She won Mahoning Valley's Ohio Debutante Stakes on Nov. 3, taking that race for the third consecutive year.

Earlier on the card, Mobil Lady, sent away as the longest shot on the board, rallied for an upset of the $75,000 Glacial Princess Stakes for Ohio-accredited 2-year-old fillies.

Mobil Lady ($37) made a sweeping five-wide move in the late stages under Christian Pilares, to get up by three-quarters of a length over Show Me Some Sass, stopping the clock in 1:14.96 for the six furlongs. Favored Hey Adrian, the lone prior stakes winner in the field of five, was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third.

Mobil Lady, who is trained by Robin Schuster, had won once from five prior starts. She came into the Glacial Princess off a 12th-place finish in the John W. Galbreath Memorial Stakes on the Best of Ohio showcase card last month.