Parlay may be too fast for the boys in Radosevich Memorial

The filly Parlay, already a multiple stakes winner this year, leads an overflow field of 15 as she looks to beat the boys in the $75,000 Joshua Radosevich Memorial for Ohio-accredited juveniles, the co-feature on Thursday’s card at Mahoning Valley.

The six-furlong Radosevich Memorial, the nightcap on the eight-race card, shares billing with the $75,000 Bobbie Bricker Memorial, for fillies and mares going a mile and 70 yards. These races are the final stakes of the year in Ohio.

Parlay is among the latest young successes for the prominent Winblaze partnership of national standout WinStar Farm and leading Ohio breeder, owner, and trainer Tim Hamm’s Blazing Meadows. The filly is a homebred by their successful young stallion National Flag. Parlay was second against males in the Loyalty Stakes after being bumped at the start and taken out of her usual free-running style. She was beaten two lengths by Just Like Rambo, who she meets again here.

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Parlay immediately bounced back to win the Emerald Necklace Stakes, then was second in the John W. Galbreath on the Best of Ohio fall showcase program while trying two turns. Cut back to six furlongs on this Mahoning Valley track, she won the Glacial Princess Stakes on Nov. 25 in front-running fashion by 6 1/4 lengths.

Parlay earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 65 for the Glacial Princess. The figure is tops in Thursday’s field.

Although plenty of others in the field may want to join Parlay on the engine, including Gretchens Mane Man – who inherited the early lead in the Loyalty before fading to sixth – Drill’s Boy, Colonel Cooper, Ovid, and even Just Like Rambo, she may simply be too fast for them.

Just Like Rambo has won both his career starts sprinting, earning a Beyer of 53 in the Loyalty. He is making his first start since that Sept. 20 race for Larry Smith. He is the only one of the male entrants in the Radosevich – all geldings – with a stakes win, or even more than a maiden win.

The other filly in the field, Perfect Date, would be happy if a quick pace develops up front as she would like to sit in the second flight in her bid to finally get by familiar foe Parlay. She was third in both the Emerald Necklace and Galbreath, and, most recently, a best-of-the-rest second in the Glacial Princess.

One race prior, a field of 10 Ohio-bred fillies and mares line up in the Bobbie Bricker Memorial, which rematches the top two from the 2023 edition, Mobil Chic and Near Perfect. The two come off another recent meeting, as Mobil Chic took the Leona’s Reward here Nov. 14 for trainer Richard Zielinski while Near Perfect, trained by Robert Gorham, finished third.

Gorham also sends out Miz Keeta, who was second by three-quarters of a length in the Leona’s Reward after holding a clear lead in the stretch. The 3-year-old was a stakes winner on turf earlier in the year.

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