Mountaineer: Hot Hot Mama handles slop to take Ohio Valley

Hot Hot Mama, racing over a sloppy track for the first time in her 21-race career, held off 29-1 longshot B J's Estercita by a half-length to win Tuesday night's $75,000 Ohio Valley Handicap at Mountaineer Racetrack.

Ridden for the first time by Luis Rivera, the 4-year-old Hot Hot Mama ($8.60) rallied from fifth with a quarter-mile remaining in the six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares. She completed the distnce over a sloppy, sealed track in 1:10.20 to earn her fifth lifetime victory and first stakes.
B J's Estercita, the lone locally based horse in a field of seven, had to settle for second, a length in front of Venado, the 6-5 favorite who edged Leopard Rock by a head for third.

A Kentucky-based filly trained by Kellyn Gorder for owner Jared Hughes, Hot Hot Mama was racing on dirt after competing on turf or Polytrack in her last four starts dating back to December. She has 2 wins, a second, and a pair of thirds since being claimed for $25,000 at Calder last October.