Thats a Heckofacat streaking

Thats a Heckofacat will try to improve his unbeaten streak to four when he takes on seven other Ohio-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings in the $50,000 Howard B. Noonan at Beulah Park.

The 2009 Ohio champion 2-year-old, Thats a Heckofacat won all three of his starts last year. On July 14 at River Downs, he won his maiden race by nine lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs. Trainer Doug Cowans then entered Thats a Heckofacat, a gelding by Hold That Tiger, in the Cleveland Kindergarten at Thistledown, which he won by 4 1/4 lengths going away. In his final out of the year, the Best of Ohio Juvenile at Thistledown in October, Thats a Heckofacat held on to win by a nose, this time going 1 1/16 miles.

Cowans should have Thats a Heckofacat, a Barbara Johnson homebred, ready for his 2010 debut in the six-furlong Noonan. Cowans is having a career year in 2010 and has won with 21 of his 47 starters. Since the beginning of 2009, he has won with 3 of his 6 starters off a layoff of 180 days or more. John McKee, aboard for both of Thats a Heckofacat's stakes victories last year, will be in from Kentucky to ride.

Should Thats a Heckofacat fail to fire, Ready Victory should be a handful. A Victory Gallop gelding trained by Bill Martin, Ready Victory won a maiden race at Mountaineer Park March 27 by 8 1/2 lengths in ridden-out fashion. Ready Victory has run only twice in Ohio, both times in stake events last year. He has raced at Presque Isle Downs, Oaklawn Park, and Mountaineer. Andrew Ramgeet will be in to ride.