Dubacious Leads Way in Best of Ohio Endurance

By Bob Roberts

Loooch Racing Stable's Dubacious, sent to the lead in the opening quarter of a mile, led every jump of the way to score a one-length victory in the $150,000 Best of Ohio Endurance, centerpiece race of the annual five-race series for Buckeye-breds held at ThistleDown Racing Oct. 10.

Each of the five races carried a purse of $150,000.

Ridden by Jacob Radosevich for trainer Jeff Radosevich, the jockey's uncle, Dubacious was timed for the 1 1/4 miles in 2:06.20 on a track rated fast. Doctoriat rallied for second money, with the favored Jac's Fact third.

"I've ridden this horse several times and I knew all he needed to do to win was to relax," Radosevich said. "We got him to do that today."

The Endurance marked Dubacious' first victory in an Ohio-bred stakes. The 4-year-old son of E Dubai ran in last year's Endurance at Belterra Park & Gaming but finished 11th, beaten 20 lengths on a muddy track. Dubacious earned $90,000 for his fifth victory in 11 career starts.

In the Best of Ohio Distaff, Needmore Flattery, voted Ohio Horse of the Year the last two racing seasons, put in her bid for another crown by posting a professional victory in the 1 1/8 mile stakes for fillies and mares.

Rating third down the backstretch while eventual show finisher Floral Sky opened a huge lead through moderate fractions, Needmore Flattery and jockey Luis Colon rallied on the far turn, bid for the lead at the eighth-pole, and moved off for a 2 1/4-length victory over Morant Bay in 1:53.80.

"She has really hit her peak," said trainer Tim Hamm, who is co-owner and breeder through his Blazing Meadows Farm with Bruce Ryan. "She'll run once more this year (in the Oct. 24 Diana Stakes at ThistleDown), and then we'll rest her and bring her back next year."

Needmore Flattery, a 4-year-old daughter of Flatter   who paid $2.60 to win as the heavy favorite, is now riding a five-race win streak, four of them stakes. She banked $90,000 for winning the Distaff and has now earned $658,370 in less than three years of racing.

In the Best of Ohio Sprint, James and Ywachetta Driver's Rivers Run Deep successfully defended his title in the only one-turn Best of Ohio race when he rallied to run down Candy Bites to win by 1 3/4 lengths. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Alliseeisgold in third.

Rivers Run Deep was timed in 1:10 2/5 for six furlongs and earned $90,000, lifting his career bankroll to $589,450. The victory was the fourth of the year for the 4-year-old son of Ready's Image  . He is trained by Chris Hartman.

"He didn't break as good as he usually does," winning jockey Malcolm Franklin said. "I wanted to come up the rail but the jock on the lead (Walter De La Cruz on Candy Bites) held his ground. I just eased my horse back and came around. (Rivers Run Deep) is easy to ride. He's a push-button horse."

Unbridled Trick, owned and trained by Jason DaCosta, rallied between rivals to win a prolonged stretch drive by a head over the 2-5 favored Sawyers Mickey in the Best of Ohio Juvenile. It was a neck back to My Pardner Cal in third.

Ridden by De La Cruz, Unbridled Trick rallied from just off the pacesetting My Pardner Cal and Blingitonagain, using an inside-out move on the turn to challenge for the lead. My Pardner Cal held the rail for the drive for the wire while Sawyers Mickey rallied three-wide, but Unbridled Trick, despite taking a bump from Sawyers Mickey, prevailed.

"He ran his eyeballs out," DaCosta said of the winner, who covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:49.22. Unbridled Trick banked $90,000 for his first victory in four career starts and paid $17.20 to win.

In the John Galbreath Stakes, the Best of Ohio event for 2-year-old fillies, School Board Prez, a John Royer homebred, avoided a two-horse spill in the upper stretch and then ducked to the rail to outduel Star Mabee and Proper Discretion for a head victory. The race is named in honor of the late owner of Darby Dan Farm in central Ohio.

Ridden by Jerome Lermyte, School Board Prez remains unbeaten in three career starts. She previously won the July 25 Miss Ohio Stakes at ThistleDown and the Aug. 29 Tah Dah Stakes at Belterra Park.

School Board Prez was time in 1:47. 84 for 1 1/16 miles. Trained by Doug Matthews, the filly paid $5.20 as the favorite.

The accident occurred in the stretch when Cassie Lou, who had the lead and began dropping back, broke down under Radosevich. Touch of Bling, ridden by Victory Lebron, fell over Cassie Lou. Both jockeys escaped injury.

"I was right behind the horse that broke down," Lermyte said. "I moved outside just before she went down."