Mayas Queen Neetee shakes off stumble, wins Best of Ohio Distaff

Entering May, Mayas Queen Neetee was still a maiden. Just over five months later, the mare completed a stellar turnaround with a 5 3/4-length victory in the $150,000 Best of Ohio Distaff on Saturday evening at Belterra Park.

Campaigned by Ron Paolucci's Loooch Racing Stables, Mayas Queen Neetee was transferred to the barn of trainer Jeffrey Radosevich earlier this year after going winless through her first five starts. She promptly reeled off five consecutive wins by a combined 23 lengths, including a three-length victory in the Vivacious Handicap at Belterra. However, her win streak ended when she was third, beaten nine lengths, behind stablemate Proper Discretion and the consistent La Nina Bronca in the Diana Stakes.

Looking to rebound in the Distaff, Mayas Queen Neetee ($10.80), under regular rider Luis Colon, stumbled at the start, but quickly recovered to stalk the pace, second by a length as Flashy G took the field through the opening half of 48.83. She inched up on that leader, took the lead entering the stretch and drew off smartly to her final margin.

The mare finished the 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.10

School Board Prez was second by 1 3/4 lengths over a fading Flashy G, who was the longest shot on the board.

** Awaken cemented himself as the top Ohio-bred 2-year-old male of the season with a half-length victory over Tiz a Rush in the $150,000 Juvenile Stakes.

Awaken and jockey James Graham poked a head in front with just over a quarter-mile remaining in the two-turn test, but were quickly confronted by a rallying Tiz a Rush and Luis Rivera. Those two dueled for the length of the stretch as they separated themselves from the rest of the field.

Tiz a Rush briefly gained the lead, but Awaken battled back and edged clear for his half-length victory. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:45.28.

After the top two, it was another nine lengths back to Charlee's Magic in third.

Awaken ($4), bred and owned by the partnership of trainer Tim Hamm's Blazing Meadows Farm and WinStar Farm, has never finished off the board in five career starts. After finishing second to stablemate Candy Exchange in the Hoover Stakes, he rolled by seven over that rival in the Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes. He then took on open company in the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth, finishing a creditable third.

** Missap and jockey Dean Sarvis got away with slow early fractions and poured it on in the stretch for a six-length victory in the $150,000 John W. Galbreath Memorial Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, handing Tango Run her first defeat in the process.

Missap ($7.20), sent away as the second choice off a runner-up effort behind Tango Run in the Tah Dah Stakes in August for trainer Kellyn Gorder, comfortably led through early splits of 24.57 and 50.19. Jockey Rex Stokes III asked Tango Run, a multiple stakes winner who was stretching out around two turns for the first time, for run around the far turn, but Missap had more than enough left in the tank and poured it on in the stretch en route to her final margin. She finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.06.

Ucantkeepup rallied late to finish second, a length ahead of Tango Run.

** Favored Awesome Gent ($3.40) won the $25,000 One Last Chance Stakes for older horses who had raced in Ohio since April 27 and who had not won a stakes at a mile or over. The Awesome Again gelding, who was ridden by Stokes for trainer William Cowans, pressed the pace in second before taking over in the stretch and pulling clear to win by two lengths. He finished the mile and 70 yards in 1:41.40.