Thistledown kicks off its stakes schedule
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Thistledown kicks off its stakes schedule during the Kentucky Derby simulcast card on Saturday with the $75,000 Michael F. Rowland Memorial for older Ohio-accredited runners.
Stablemates Shadowy and Villian were one-two, separated by just three-quarters of a length, in the 2025 edition of this race. They anchor a strong hand in this renewal for trainer Tim Hamm, his Blazing Meadows Farm, and partners.
The consistent Shadowy earned his third career stakes win in the 2025 Rowland. Villian, already a stakes winner, hit career form after that defeat, winning four more stakes in 2025, including, in succession to end the year, the Buckeye Native Stakes, Catlaunch Stakes, and Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial.
Hamm also will send out six-time stakes-placed Excitement and last-out allowance winner Golden Flag.
Ohio-breds on Derby undercard
Two Ohio-bred standouts who have made creditable forays into graded stakes company will compete on the Kentucky Derby undercard Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Maccabee Farm homebred Who Dey, trained by Tommy Drury Jr., is entered in the third race, an allowance. He has won 8 of 14 starts and has earned more than $500,000, with his exploits in his home state led by three wins on the fall Best of Ohio showcase – the 2023 Juvenile and 2024 and 2025 editions of the Endurance. He has contested several graded stakes at Churchill, including a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Matt Winn in 2024. In his most recent start, he was fourth in the Grade 2 Clark in November.
Crown the Buckeye won the Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten and Best of Ohio Juvenile in his birth state before venturing elsewhere. He finished third in the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds and was most recently second in the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct. He remains at a one-turn mile for the Grade 2 Pay Day Mile on Saturday. The colt is trained by Mike Maker for Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, and Hooties Racing.
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