Stakes season starts with full field for Rowland Memorial

With the eyes of the racing world about five hours away across the Ohio River, Thistledown, in North Randall, Ohio, runs its first stakes of the season on one of its few Saturday programs.

The $75,000 Michael F. Rowland Memorial Stakes, for Ohio-accredited runners ages 3 and up sprinting six furlongs, is the last on a nine-race program, with a scheduled post time of 4:20 p.m. That’s well before the Kentucky Derby goes off at close to 7 Eastern Time. The Derby is expected to have a full starting gate, while the Rowland Memorial also has a full field, with 14 entered.

Leading Ohio trainer Tim Hamm, who is also a prominent breeder in the Buckeye State, has four entered, including morning-line favorite Shadowy and second choice Golden Flag. The consistent Shadowy, who Hamm bred and owns with Brian Kahn, has been on the board in 12 of his 13 career starts, with two stakes wins and another five stakes placings. The colt came out and won his season debut – and first start since last June – in an allowance on April 12 at Mahoning Valley, giving him recency edge over some of his foes.

Golden Flag races in the name of Hamm’s Blazing Meadows Farm, which co-bred him with Choice One Bloodstock. The gelding was well-beaten in his two stakes attempts, in late 2023 and early 2024, but appears to have developed since then. He won five of his last six starts to conclude 2024. While he has not raced yet this year, he has been breezing strongly, including a bullet move at Thistledown last week, indicating he is ready to fire.

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Hamm’s other entrants are Villain and Excitement, both bred in his ‘WinBlaze’ partnership with Kentucky’s WinStar Farm. Villain, also making his season debut, has not missed the board in more than a year. His biggest win came at this track, as he won the Catlaunch Stakes at Thistledown last August. Meanwhile, multiple stakes-placed Excitement is making his first start since finishing fifth in a Mahoning Valley allowance in January.

Lust for Life, who has only missed the board once in his career back in 2023, is coming off back-to-back allowance wins. Another newcomer to the level is Eagle Nest. While running against lesser company in claiming and starter-allowance races, he has won three of his last four outings. He is also by an Ohio stallion with an appropriate moniker for Saturday: Twinspired.

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