Contact Information:
Bob Roberts (216-662-8600)
June 16, 2009
www.thistledown.com
Thistledown Trumps National Trend; Field Size Shows Sizeable Increase
With racetracks across North America struggling to fill races -- some even trimming their live race calendars --- Thistledown is bucking the trend with strong field size statistics. Through June 13, which includes the first 27 programs of the year, Thistledown is averaging 8.45 starters per race. Last year at this time, the field size average was 7.44.
"That makes for an increase of 12 percent," said Thistledown Vice-President and General Manager Brent Reitz. "Field size is very important to our business because it impacts on wagering total. Our improved field size has made for a very good increase in our export handle."
Thistledown Director of Racing Bill Couch points to his racing department staff for the field size increase.
"They have done an outstanding job," said Couch. "They know our horse colony and they encourage trainers to race their horses. Our racing surface, one of the finest in the country, also deserves credit. It's kind to horses."
POWERFUL PETRO ---With official entries due Wednesday, the field for Saturday's $50,000 J. William Petro Memorial Handicap at Thistledown is shaping up as an outstanding feature. The 1 1/16-mile test for Ohio-bred fillies and mares is likely to attract three state champions from last year and another from 2007. Pay The Man, Ohio's handicap mare of the year in 2008, is the 124-pound high weight and trainer Miguel (Angel) Feliciano plans on starting the winner of $433,685 along with stable mate Pyrite Gem.
"Both are doing very well," said Feliciano. "Pay The Man is training good. She doesn't have a pimple on her. The weight? I think she'll be okay."
Slides Choice, one of two three-year-olds nominated to the Petro, is primed to try the older ladies. "It has to happen some time," said trainer Tim Hamm. "This might be too soon with Pay The Man in there, but my filly is pretty solid herself."
Money Card, voted Ohio's accredited female horse of the year last season, could be in the entry box. She prepped for the Petro on June 4 with a runner-up finish in an allowance race. The other state champ that is nominated is Sarasponda, voted Ohio's outstanding juvenile filly in 2007. She has run just once this year, an off-the-board finish in the May 23 Classen at Thistledown, but turned in a bullet workout on Monday at Thistledown, getting five furlongs in 1:01. The only sophomore filly likely to start in the Petro is Yankee Cruz, a Jevon Crumley-trainee who has won three of five starts. Its lone defeats were runner-up finishes in the Royal North and Miss Ohio Stakes.
"She's yet to go long," said Crumley. "I know the field is tough, but we finished second to Slides Choice in two stakes."
Casey's Jet won the last year's renewal of the Petro, which honors the memory of the late chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission.
THE LEADERBOARD --- Ernesto Oro continues to be the runaway leader in the Thistledown jockeys' derby. Through 28 days of the 46-day Summit-Thistledown Meeting, Oro has 29 winners. His closest pursuer is Weldon Cloninger, Jr. on 19 winners. David Cardoso is third with 17 scores . . . The trainers' race is a totally different story. Jeff Radosevich and Jamie Ness are tied for the lead with 13 winners. Jevon Crumley is just one back, followed by Randy Faulkner at 10 winners…Ness may be the hottest trainer in North America. He has started just 19 horses at Thistledown and his win rate is 68 percent.
HOME, AT LAST --- One might think that an Ohio-bred daughter of Donnavega, Ohio's champion juvenile filly of 1993, would show up at Thistledown for a Buckeye stakes start or two. That wasn't the case for Donamour, who made her first appearance at the North Randall oval on Monday as a six-year-old in an allowance race. Donamour, bred by Marshall Thoroughbreds, made her career debut at Churchill Downs on June 24, 2005 in a maiden claiming race and was promptly haltered for $80,000. She spent the next 33 starts mainly at Beulah Park, River Downs, and Turfway Park. Sired by the crack sprinter Langfuhr, Donamour races for owner Billy Hays and trainer Joe Woodward. Donamour made her Thistledown debut a winning one, scoring a 3 1/4-length victory, her 13th triumph in 35 career starts. She has earned $127,494.
NIGHT AFTER NIGHT --- Horseplayers who love wagering on full-card simulcast racing at night should gear up for a busy July. Director of Mutuels Bob Hickey announced earlier this week that Thistledown will be open until midnight four nights a week in July, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Among the available signals are popular tracks like Presque Isle, Mountaineer Park and The Meadowlands. Another signal that draws plenty of pari-mutuel fire is Evangeline Downs, due to its full fields.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION --- Variety, the Hollywood news magazine, reports that Diane Lane will play Penny Chenery in the Disney Studio production of "Secretariat," a film about the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Racing and movie fans can follow the production's progress by visiting www.Secretariat.com.