Leona's Reward turns table on True Cinder in Catlaunch

In a rematch between two of Ohio’s standout fillies, Leona’s Reward got the better of True Cinder this time, driving between horses for a half-length victory in the $75,000 Catlaunch Stakes for Ohio-accredited runners on Saturday at Thistledown.

True Cinder had won six straight races coming in, including a 1 1/4-length win over Leona's Reward in the Dr. T.F. Classen Memorial Stakes in early May.

Leona's Reward ($6.20) returned to win two of her four subsequent starts entering the Catlaunch, posting a game victory against males in the George Lewis Memorial Stakes and, more recently, winning an allowance-optional event at Thistledown by 3 3/4 lengths to set her up for the rematch.

Leona's Reward settled in fourth, covered up on the rail, under Pablo Morales as True Cinder broke alertly to take the field unchallenged through modest opening splits of 24.62, 49.44 and 1:14.22, leading by a length at the latter call. True Cinder shook clear by two lengths into the stretch, with Mixed Colors rallying powerfully on the outside to loom a danger as Morales looked for room with Leona’s Reward. Leona's Reward and True Cinder split horses inside the furlong grounds and, with Morales applying strong left-handed urging, edged clear for the win.

True Cinder nosed out Mixed Colors to hold second, with the top three finishing seven lengths clear of the rest of the field. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:46.42.

“I brought Pablo in to ride her three races back because she needed to learn to settle and I knew he could teach her,” said trainer Tim Hamm, who bred Leona's Reward in the name of his Blazing Meadows Farm and co-owns her with Michael Friedman. “She won that race [the Lewis Memorial, by a nose]. Today she was where I wanted her, but I did get a little concerned about the half-mile pole when she was still bottled up and the other filly was loose on the lead. But I knew Pablo has an extremely strong left hand, and the lessons she learned really paid dividends today.”

One race prior, heavily favored Nikki My Darling ($2.10) rolled to an eight-length victory in an open allowance-optional claiming event. It was the third straight victory for the filly, as she came in off a 6 1/2-length, track-record-setting win in the Norm Barron Queen City Oaks at Belterra, and then an eight-length romp over the formidable Justalittlesmoke in the Pay the Man Stakes.

The filly was ridden by Luis Colon for trainer Jeffrey Radosevich and owners Ron Paolucci and Imaginary Stables.