Slides Choice leads potent one-two punch

Trainer Tim Hamm holds a strong hand as he saddles two of the eight Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies going six furlongs in the $50,000 Miss Ohio Stakes at Thistledown. Hamm's fillies Slides Choice and Holy Harem will race as separate interests.

Slides Choice, a bay daughter of Devil His Due, debuted by winning the 5 1/2-furlong Tah Dah Stakes at River Downs on July 27. She battled with her stablemate Holy Harem until deep stretch before asserting her authority to draw off by 1 1/2 lengths. Since that race, Slides Choice has two sharp half-mile works and appears to have retained her form.

Slides Choice will be ridden by Anne Sanguinetti, who handled her in the Tah Dah.

Holy Harem is a quick Holy Bull filly who will probably be the pacesetter. She has made three starts. Prior to her second in the Tah Dah, she won and was second at Presque Isle Downs.

Trainer Miguel Feliciano has three entrants, who also race uncoupled. Pyrite Score appears to give him the best chance of upsetting the Hamm duo. She has made two starts, both in stakes, and was fourth while trying males in the Cleveland Kindergarten in her last start on Aug. 8 and third, beaten 6 1/2 lengths, in the Tah Dah behind Slides Choice and Holy Harem.

Yankee Cruz will be making her career debut and prepped for the race with two bullet five- furlong works. Ricky Feliciano will come up from Mountaineer to ride for trainer Jevon Crumely.