Thistledown-based horseman Tim Hamm enjoyed one of the most successful weekends of his career, winning $100,000 and $75,000 stakes races, then finishing third in another worth $200,000. He did so with a trio of horses that he not only trains, but owns.
Hamm began his big holiday weekend by sending out Afternoon Stroll, a freshman filly, to win Saturday's $100,000 Bassinet Stakes at Cincinnati's River Downs. She earned him $60,000. On Monday, Hamm's Smarmy posted a mild upset when he rallied to win Thistledown's $75,000 Governor's Buckeye Cup over heavily-favored and defending champion Catlaunch. Smarmy earned Hamm $45,000. Less than an hour later, Hamm saddled Appalachian Trail in the $200,000 Cradle Stakes at River Downs, and the freshman colt responded with a game effort to finish third. He earned Hamm $20,000.
"We did have a good weekend," said Hamm. "The horses ran well, but it's just one weekend and there are plenty more races we'd like to win."
SMARMY EDGES CATLAUNCH IN BUCKEYE CUP
Blazing Meadows' Smarmy outdueled the heavily-favored Catlaunch to win the $75,000 Governor's Buckeye Cup at Thistledown on Monday. At the wire, after 1 1/4 miles in 2:06 1/5, Smarmy, ridden by Luis Gonzalez, was three-quarters of a length the better of Catlaunch, who won last year's renewal of Ohio's longest handicap division stakes race and was 3-5 in the wagering to repeat.
"The race set perfectly for my horse," said Gonzalez. "I thought there would be pressure on Catlaunch and there was."
Go Johnny Go, ridden by Weldon Cloninger, dueled from the starting gate to the top of the stretch turn with Catlauch, ridden by Dean Sarvis. Smarmy sat third in the early running. When Go Johnny Go retreated, Gonzalez asked Smarmy to challenge Catlaunch. The two then raced head-and-head from the eighth pole to near the finish line.
"Catlaunch is very good," said Gonzalez. "I had to stay busy on my horse to win."
Smarmy paid $8 to win and earned Blazing Meadows $45,000. Tim Hamm, who heads Blazing Meadows, is Smarmy's trainer.
PFORPERFECTSPISTOL BLAZES TO VICTORY IN THISTLEDOWN'S $50,000 HONEY JAY STAKES
Sharen Hunter's Pforperfectspistol set sizzling fractions but had enough energy left to hang on for a brave half-length nose decision in Sunday's $50,000 Honey Jay Stakes at Thistledown. The six-year-old chestnut gelding, ridden by Mike Allen, also withstood two claims of foul to post his eighth victory in nine lifetime starts at Thistledown.
Louis Stokes, the rider of runner-up Never Forget, who was a head before show finisher Ben's Reflection at the line, complained to the governing stewards that the winner may have carried him wide in the stretch. Luis Martinez, the rider of the unplaced Dooze, told the stewards that Pforperfectspistol engaged in a bumping match with his mount during a spirited duel in the first part of the six furlong race that saw the twosome run the opening quarter of a mile in 21 2/5 seconds and the half-mile in a breakneck 44 2/5 seconds. After several minutes, the stewards declared the Honey Jay official with no change in the order of finish.
"I sweat out every one of these," said Jeff Radosevich, a retired jockey and the trainer of Pforperfectspistol. "Yes, he drifted, but he was tired. They ran awfully fast the first part of it."
Pforperfectspistol, who won the Honey Jay in 2006, missed last year's renewal because of a chronic right front knee.
"He's had it operated on three times," said Hunter. "This is a very courageous horse. We take special care of him, too. He is X-rayed after each of his races."
Pforperfectspistol ran the Honey Jay's three-quarters of a mile in 1:10 4/5. He earned $30,000 and paid $4.40 as the race's 6-5 favorite.
PAY THE MAN ROMPS BY EIGHT LENGTHS IN THISTLEDOWN'S DEBARTOLO MEMORIAL
Pyrite Stable's Pay The Man, leading every jump of the way, became the first Ohio-bred to win three stakes races in 2008 by drawing off to an eight-length victory in Saturday's $75,000 Rose DeBartolo Memorial at Thistledown.
"I would think that puts her in position to be the Ohio Horse of the Year," said trainer Miguel (Angel) Feliciano. "Her next start will be in the ($100,000) Best of Ohio Distaff at Thistledown (on Oct. 4.)"
Adding to Feliciano's victory celebration was that Pyrite Gem, another Pyrite Stable runner that he trains, finished second, three lengths clear of Casey's Jet, who ran for purse money only due to a clerical problem at the time of entry. For wagering purposes, Cryptohio, who finished fourth, was third.
Pay The Man also won last year's renewal of the DeBartolo. If she remains in training next season, she could become only the second filly or mare to win three consecutive DeBartolo Memorials. Tougaloo did so from 1987 through 1989.
"This is a classy filly," said Andrew Ramgeet, the regular rider of Pay the Man. "She just goes to the front and stays there. I really wasn't worried about the stablemate."
Deshawn Parker, who rode Pyrite Gem and challenged for the lead at the quarter pole, said, "I tried to beat the winner. We just couldn't get there."
Pay The Man has won all three of her starts in Ohio this year at Thistledown. She began with a score in the May 2 Angenora, then added the June 21 Petro Memorial. A four-year-old daughter of Bernstein, Pay The Man earned $45,000 for her DeBartolo score, lifting her career bankroll to $318,610. Pay The Man ran the DeBartolo's 1 1/8 miles in 1:51 1/5 and paid $4 for a $2 win wager as the even-money favorite.
LEADERBOARD --- Strong performances have lifted Louis Stokes and Jeff Radosevich to clear leads in Thistledown's jockey and trainer races, respectively. Stokes has 29 winners after 34 days of the 56-day Randall-Cranwood Meeting. Ernesto Oro is second with 25 winners, followed by Weldon Cloninger and Luis Gonzalez, both on 24 winners. Radosevich had two winners on Monday and now has 19 for the meeting, three more than Rodney Faulkner. Randy Faulkner, Rodney's older brother, is third with 13 winners.
WELL DONE, WELDON --- Veteran rider Weldon Cloninger Jr., refreshed following a trip back home to Texas, became just the second jockey this season to ride four winners on a single Thistledown card when he clicked four of his six mounts on Sunday (Aug. 31). Cloninger won the first, seventh, 11th, and 13th races, all on horses for different trainers. The first jockey to post a four-bagger this year was Luis Gonzalez, who did so on July 21.
FEED BAG -- This Thursday (Sept. 4) will be the final live Thursday program of the year. Thistledown will race four days a week the remainder of the season, dark Tuesday through Thursday . . . Smooth Air, winner of this year's Ohio Derby, finished third in Monday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park… Robert Van Worp's Wanna Try Me became the winningest horse at the current Randall-Cranwood Meeting when he rolled to his third score last Thursday (Aug. 28). The Adolfo Exposito-trainee, a sophomore filly, was winless last year but has come on strong this season. If not for a head defeat on Aug. 15, she'd be riding a four-race winning streak . . . Thistledown will be open Thursday, Sept. 4 and Sunday, Sept. 7, for late night simulcasting. The North Randall oval is open each and every day for daytime full-card simulcasting . . .Veteran handicapper Fred Kanter, who calls Thistledown his home track, recently qualified for the National Handicapping Championship by finishing second in the Dog Days of Summer Handicapping Tournament at Canterbury Park in suburban Minneapolis. Kanter will be competing in the national finals in Las Vegas for the second time, having qualified previously in a tournament at Keeneland . . .Thoroughbred racing lost one of its most colorful characters when Bill Donovan died in Maryland last week. He was 75. Donovan trained Lost Code, winner of the 1987 Ohio Derby.