School Board Prez, Ibelieveinmiracles get rematch in Tah Dah Stakes
School Board Prez and Ibelieveinmiracles, separated by a head as the one-two finishers in last month’s Miss Ohio Stakes at ThistleDown, will clash again in Saturday’s $75,000 Tah Dah Stakes for Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies at Belterra Park.
School Board Prez, based at Arlington Park with trainer Doug Matthews, made up 2 1/2 lengths in the final furlong to run down pacesetter Ibelieveinmiracles while making her career debut in the 5 1/2-furlong Miss Ohio. School Board Prez subsequently worked a best-of-45 half-mile in 47 seconds flat on Arlington’s Polytrack last weekend. She should like the slightly longer distance of the six-furlong Tah Dah.
Ibelieveinmiracles raced poorly in her only previous visit to Belterra but might have disliked the sloppy track she caught that day. Her trainer, Bob Gorham, is 1 for 8 over the past five years with 2-year-olds in non-graded stakes at Belterra and its predecessor, River Downs, including 0 for 3 in the Tah Dah.
Orientate to Luv came from off the pace to win her maiden in her third career start. Over the past five years, trainer Tim Hamm is 4 for 13 (31 percent) with last-out 2-year-old maiden winners back within 30 days and won the 2012 Tah Dah with Significant Bling.
Flashy G was a distant fourth as the 8-5 favorite while facing Ohio-breds for the first time in the Miss Ohio. She might appreciate post 10 after breaking from the rail in each of her last two starts.
Cassie Lou, a $100,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders Sales Co.’s auction in April, has been working swiftly in Kentucky for her career debut. But high-percentage trainer Joe Sharp is just 1 for 11 with 2-year-old first-time starters over the past five years.
The locally based Princess Arya crushed maidens in her third career start but faced just three opponents, and the Beyer Speed Figure came back a 31, far below the leading contenders in this spot.