Mobil Solution defeats elders in Catlaunch Stakes

In a field of Ohio-bred heavyweights, it was 3-year-old Mobil Solution who delivered the knockout blow to his elders, kicking clear in the lane and then hanging on for a three-quarter-length victory in the $75,000 Catlaunch Stakes on Saturday at Thistledown.

Mobil Solution ($16), a 3-year-old Mobil gelding trained by Jeff Radosevich for Gerald Silver, won the Joshua Radosevich Memorial Stakes to end his juvenile campaign. He opened this year with four consecutive runner-up efforts, including a second to Eightthehardway in the George Lewis Memorial and a second to True Cinder in the Buckeye Native Stakes, with Leona's Reward third. He then bested his fellow 3-year-olds in the Horizon Stakes on Aug. 12, setting him up for the Catlaunch, in which he defeated Eightthehardway, Leona's Reward, and True Cinder, all multiple stakes winners.

Mobil Solution and jockey Luis Rivera sat second as Birdacious spurted away to a three-length lead through a sharp opening quarter-mile in 23.68 seconds. Birdacious still led by a length through a more-settled half in 48.08 seconds, but Mobil Solution handily ate into that margin to take command, leading by 1 1/2 lengths through six furlongs in 1:13.08. He kicked clear to a four-length lead in upper stretch, and lasted at the wire as a host of others rallied, stopping the clock in 1:48 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Funnel Cake edged Rosco P. Coltrane by a neck for second, with the latter finishing another neck in front of Eightthehardway to complete the trifecta.

Leona's Reward raced evenly throughout, finishing fifth. True Cinder was in contention early, stalking the pace in third, but hung in the lane and was passed by the others, checking in sixth, finishing off the board for the second consecutive time.