Silver Tongued meets Mo Dont No in Buckeye Cup

Silver Tongued, who has consistently hit the board in Ohio-bred stakes since his 2-year-old season in 2012, and the rising star Mo Dont No, a 3-year-old with four wins this season, will clash for the first time at the demanding distance of 1 1/4 miles in Saturday’s $75,000 Governor’s Buckeye Cup at Thistledown.

The Buckeye Cup, a prelude to the Best of Ohio Endurance at 10 furlongs in October, drew 14 Ohio-breds, including three coupled entries.

The 6-year-old Silver Tongued won the 2014 Buckeye Cup and was second in both 2013 and 2015.

Leading trainer Jeff Radosevich will saddle Mo Dont No, the winner of the 1 1/8-mile Cleveland Gold Cup in one of his two career tries going two turns, and Dubacious, who finished a head behind Silver Tongued in last year’s Buckeye Cup and won the Best of Ohio Endurance five weeks later.

The sleeper in the field may be the New Mexico-based Spectacular Array. He was trounced by much better horses than he faces here in the Downs at Albuquerque Handicap while making his first start since June. In his lone start against Ohio-breds, Spectacular Array easily won an allowance at Thistledown.

Governor’s Buckeye Cup, Race 7

KEY CONTENDERS

Silver Tongued, by Flatter
Last 3 Beyers: 53-60-55

◗ He has three wins and four seconds in Ohio-bred stakes during his 41-race career but has lost his last six starts on dirt, including four at odds of 2-1 or lower.

Mo Dont No, by Uncle Mo
Last 3 Beyers: 86-84-81

◗ He owns the fastest figures in the field, but nearly all of his success has come in sprints, and Radosevich hasn’t run a 3-year-old against older horses in a stakes route in the last five years.

Spectacular Array, by Quality Road
Last 3 Beyers: 72-65-75

◗ He was a well-beaten fifth going 1 1/8 miles, but the first three finishers in that race were Smack Smack, the winner of this year’s Grade 3 Cornhusker; Forest Mouse, a winner of 20 races and $758,000; and Code West, a Grade 3 winner with a $586,000 bankroll.

◗ Trainer David Wolochuk is 4 for 17 with a high $6.52 return on investment in stakes routes.

Dubacious, by E Dubai
Last 3 Beyers: 60-67-79

◗ He won last fall’s Best of Ohio Endurance by getting away with soft early fractions, but the presence of Mo Dont No means that won’t happen here.