Contact Information:
Bob Roberts (216-662-8600)
September 18, 2008
www.thistledown.com
THISTLEDOWN AND BUCKEYE-BRED RIDERS WELL-REPRESENTED ON LIST OF TOP 100
Ohio is known as the cradle of football coaches. Paul Brown, Don Shula, Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, just to name a few. Perhaps it should also be known as the cradle of jockeys. The Buckeye state, Thistledown in particular, is well represented on the list of the Top 100 Jockeys by Wins, released last week by Equibase Company.
Larry Snyder, born in Toledo, ranks 11th on the list with 6,388 victories. Perry Ouzts, still riding and a regular at River Downs, is 20th with 5,129 scores. Eddie Maple, a native of Carrollton and who broke his maiden at old Ascot Park in Cuyahoga Falls, is 35th on the victory roster with 4,398 wins. The late Bill Hartack, who still holds the record for most victories (86) at old Randall Park, the track was located directly across the street from Thistledown, is 42nd with 4,264 wins.
Michael Rowland, whose seven overall championships is the most in Thistledown history, is 53rd on the list with 3,997. (Rowland died Feb. 9, 2004 as result of injuries suffered in a spill at Turfway Park on Feb. 4). Danny Weiler, who won riding titles at Thistledown over three decades (60's, 70's and 80's), is 70th on the all-time roster with 3,694. Bobby Ussery, winner of the 1954 Randall Meeting title, is 77th with 3,611, while rounding out the Top 100 are Buck Thornburg, winner of two Thistledown crowns and two Cranwood Meetings, is 92nd with 3,433 victories, and Scott Speith, Thistledown's overall champion rider the last three years, is 96th with 3,401 wins.
OLD LADY HANGS TOUGH --- Thistledown may be 55 years old, but she weathered Sunday's storm without too much damage. Although live racing was canceled Monday because of electrical issues, the plant suffered just minor damage. A tent-style canopy over the grandstand stage was ripped from its mooring and ended up in the infield (after knocking over a portion of fencing), but otherwise the facility is ready for racing when it resumes on Friday.
TROTTIN' AND PACING -- Gates will open at 10:45 a.m. Thursday for those who want to watch and wager on the Little Brown Jug program the Delaware County Fairgrounds in central Ohio. Post time for the Jug program is 11 o'clock.
THISTLEDOWN LEADERBOARD ---- Louis Stokes, looking for a sweep of the two 2008 riding championships, has opened a daylight lead over his rivals. Stokes, who won the Summit-Thistledown Meeting (38 victories), has won 39 races in the first 43 days of the 56-program Randall-Cranwood Meeting. Luis Gonzalez is second with 33 scores, followed by Weldon Cloninger at 32 and Ernesto Oro at 28 . . . Jeff Radosevich paces all trainers with 22 victories, with Rodney Faulkner in close pursuit at 19 winners and Tim Hamm and Burton Sipp third with 17 scores apiece.
OHIO DERBY WINNER UPDATE --- Smooth Air, winner of this year's $300,000 Ohio Derby is being pointed for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, and will prep for the 1 1/4-mile dirt race by running in the $100,000 Needles Stakes at Calder Race Course. He took to the Miami track's turf course on Monday, working seven furlongs over a firm surface in 1:29 4/5.
With regular rider Manny Cruz aboard, Smooth Air started off at an extremely slow pace, covering his opening fractions in 29 2/5 seconds, before picking up the pace and completing his final three furlongs in 36 2/5 seconds, while racing well out in the middle of the track.
"It was a slow work but a useful one," said trainer Bennie Stutts. "We wanted to give him a chance to feel the turf, and Manny said he handled it all right. He could have gone faster, but it's only been two weeks since he last ran." Smooth Air is coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania."
FEED BAG --- Abad Cabassa Jr. looked ready to celebrate his 1,000th career victory at Thistledown in Saturday's sixth race only to have his mount, Dakota's Choice, nailed on the finish line by Raymond Springs, ridden by Marcelo Cardozo Martinez. At the time, track officials believed the victory was Martinez' maiden score, but the native of Mexico later said he had posted his first ever score at Beulah Park last year. Meanwhile, Cabassa got in his car, and drove to Mountaineer Park where he got his 1,000th score in the third race aboard Foot Trick, a horse who gave him his 998th victory a week earlier. Foot Trick races for Thistledown-based trainer Randy Faulkner. "I knew I'd get that winner sooner or later," said Cabassa. "It would have been nice to win the race at Thistledown, but I knew I was getting short in the stretch with Dakota's Choice." Even though Cabassa's milestone score came in West Virginia, he was honored in Thistledown's winner circle the following afternoon. Cabassa's top mount in his long career was Tour of the Cat, on which he won nine stakes, including the 2003 Grade II Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship at Gulfstream Park . . .Amanda Ratliff, sister of Thistledown track announcer Ayers Ratliff, will sing the National Anthem at the North Randall oval on Oct. 4th, which is Best of Ohio Day… Thistledown will offer a special Best of Ohio brunch in the clubhouse for $18.95 per person . . . The popular Breeders' Cup Brunch ($35) is also returning for thoroughbred racing's day of championship racing on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita… Thistledown will be open for late night simulcasting Thursday (Sept. 18) and Sunday (Sept. 21st) this week. Daytime full-card simulcasting is available seven days a week . . . When a buyer defaulted on a $1.1 million purchase of a yearling filly at Keeneland last Thursday, nationally known chef Bobby Flay stepped in and purchased the horse privately for an undisclosed price . . . Marble Cliff, winner of the Cleveland Gold Cup, a race restricted to Ohio-breds, has been found to be a Kentucky-bred and has been stripped of the victory. The official Gold Cup winner is now the filly, Formal Arrangement, who finished second.