Heading toward the final big state showcase program of the season, reigning Ohio-bred horse of the year Generous Lover gets a chance for one more prep Thursday as she headlines the field in the $75,000 Greg Veit Scarlet and Gray Stakes for Ohio-bred fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs at Thistledown.
Generous Lover, trained by Joe Sharp for Carl Moore Management, was the 2024 Ohio horse of the year on the strength of a campaign that included a 26 3/4-length tour de force in the Best of Ohio Distaff at Mahoning Valley. She had been second by a neck in the 2024 renewal of the Scarlet and Gray about three weeks prior. This year’s Best of Ohio Distaff is set for Oct. 25, and the Scarlet and Gray should set Generous Lover up for a sharp effort in that showcase.
Generous Lover opened this season with a pair of strong runner-up finishes to stakes performer Lemon Muffin in an open-company allowance at Churchill Downs and unbeaten Silent Rule, who has since gone to the sidelines, in the Best of Ohio Diana. Another foray into open company followed, and Generous Lover finished seventh in the Anchorage Overnight at Churchill.
Generous Lover bounced back to win the Vivacious Stakes back in Ohio. She was then second in the Best of Ohio Pay the Man to fellow statebred champion Candlelight Hours. Most recently, she rolled by 6 3/4 lengths in the Michael G. Mackey Memorial Angenora Stakes on Sept. 5.
Her Beyer Speed Figures in her last four races, beginning with the Anchorage, have been 69, 82, 65, and 83. If Thursday’s performance follows that pattern, she may be beatable in the Scarlet and Gray but then set for a prime effort on the Best of Ohio program later this month.
If Generous Lover plays her B game on Thursday, the consistent My Girl Kew, who owns four wins and three thirds from nine starts this year, may be ready for a step-up victory. The winner of last year’s Southern Park Stakes, the filly is coming off back-to-back allowance-level wins for Mike Maker. Both of those were key races, and in her most recent score, on Aug. 29, she bested another Ohio-bred champion in Here’s the Spider.
Multiple stakes winner Lionistic was a distant third in the Best of Ohio Distaff last year behind Generous Lover. Although her only win this year came in allowance company for Jeff Radosevich, she was third in the Vivacious in July behind Generous Lover and Here’s the Spider.
City Scene was a stakes winner as a 2-year-old back in 2023 and has earned five stakes placings since, including a runner-up effort in the Mackey Memorial last out for trainer James Jackson.
Completing the field are Sweet Unique, third in the 2024 Scarlet and Gray but winless this year; Officially Yours, an allowance winner this year; and Lady Jasper, whose lone win in 2025 came in claiming company.
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