Rivers Run Deep, Candy Bites get rematch in Cardinal Handicap
Rivers Run Deep and Candy Bites, the top two finishers in the Best of Ohio Sprint three weeks ago, meet again at the same six-furlong distance in Saturday’s $75,000 Cardinal Handicap for Ohio-breds at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
The 4-year-old Rivers Run Deep has dominated sprint stakes for statebreds over the past two seasons, winning seven straight, including last year’s Cardinal when it was contested at ThistleDown. Last out, he overcame a two-length deficit at the eighth pole to blow past Candy Bites by 1 3/4 lengths as the 1-5 favorite to take the Best of Ohio Sprint for the second time.
Rivers Run Deep must spot Candy Bites five pounds as the 127-pound highweight in their rematch, but he proved he can handle a similar burden when he romped in the Edward Babst/Albert Palacios Memorial by nine lengths while carrying 128 pounds in May at Belterra Park.
Candy Bites improved 13 points on the Beyer Speed Figure scale to an 81 when making his first start off the claim for Nabu Morales in the Best of Ohio Sprint. Morales, the leading trainer at the ThistleDown meet that ended last weekend, is 8 for his last 24 the second time off the claim with runners back in fewer than 30 days.
The seven-horse field also includes Dubacious, who cuts back from 1 1/4 miles after winning the Best of Ohio Endurance. The 4-year-old Dubacious was beaten seven lengths by Rivers Run Deep the last time he sprinted in mid-August.
The 3-year-old Alliseeisgold takes another crack at Rivers Run Deep after finishing third three weeks ago while making his first start since the West Virginia Derby in early August. A four-time winner this season, he’s eligible to move forward while making the second start of his form cycle.
◗ The co-featured, $75,000 Emerald Necklace for Ohio-accredited 2-year-old fillies drew seven maidens, none of whom has displayed much ability. The best career finish by Pretty Gritty was a third going two turns on Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs, but she was far back without any early speed in her previous two sprint tries.
Ebby, fifth at 5-2 in her career debut at Belterra in July, and Glorious Sunset, part of an entry favored at even-money just 10 days ago at ThistleDown, both will be racing for just the second time.