River Downs: Bakers Haulover seeks third straight in Horizon

Bakers Haulover will try to make it three in a row when he heads a field of five Ohio accredited 3-year-old colts and geldings in the $50,000 Horizon at River Downs on Saturday.

Trained by Doug Cowans, Bakers Haulover won an entry-level statebred allowance May 16 by more than 10 lengths. He then won a second-level statebred allowance June 8 by more than six lengths. Both victories came at six furlongs on the main track. The Horizon is scheduled to be contested at 1 1/16 miles over the River Downs turf course. It will be Bakers Haulover’s first turf race and two-turn race, but he sports a 334 Tomlinson figure, which suggests he should handle the turf course well.

Cowans has been on fire at the meet, winning 10 of 18 starts, a 56 percent win rate. Perry Ouzts retains the mount, and the Cowans-Ouzts combo has won at a 58 percent clip locally the last two seasons. Bakers Haulover signaled his readiness with a bullet work July 18.

Uncle Virgil appears to present the biggest challenge to Bakers Haulover. Trained by Kathy Lowry, Uncle Virgil finished third in the $75,000 Cleveland Gold Cup at Thistledown in his last start July 6 going 1 1/8 miles. It will be the second time Lowry has administered Lasix to Uncle Virgil. Gabriel Lagunes retains the mount.

Door at the Light, Raise the Bounty, and Mercer’s Mark round out the field.

Accredited is the more restrictive of the Ohio registered categories; both the dam and sire must be registered in Ohio.