On a card that might prove crucial toward determining this season's Ohio-bred champion Thoroughbreds, Silent Rule improved to a perfect 10-for-10 lifetime while defeating males in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Honey Jay Stakes. Meanwhile, on the same Thursday card at Thistledown, statebred champion Candlelight Hours soundly defeated reigning horse of the year Generous Lover in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Pay the Man Stakes.
Five stakes, worth $100,000 each, for Ohio-breds made up this second Best of Ohio program of the season, with showcase cards at each of the state’s three Thoroughbred tracks. The first program, the only one with turf racing, was held at Belterra Park in Cincinnati in June, and Silent Rule earned a victory on that card as well. This second program, with 2-year-old racing entering the picture, is one of the biggest cards of the year at Thistledown in North Randall. A season-capping fall showcase takes place Oct. 25 at Mahoning Valley in Youngstown.
Silent Rule ($3.60) had been cross-entered in both the Honey Jay, at a shorter distance against males, and in the Pay the Man, at a 1 1/8-mile distance at which she had yet to race. Trainer Jay Bernardini said he opted for the shorter distance on Thursday because "she's just been freshened" and was making her first start since winning the Best of Ohio Diana on June 6 at Belterra.
However, he did not appear opposed to stretching her back out in the future, meaning another showdown with Generous Lover or Candlelight Hours in a race such as the 1 1/8-mile Best of Ohio Distaff – a race the latter two have won the two most recent runnings of – is not out of the question. Silent Rule came out on top the only other previous time the two have met, with Generous Lover second by four lengths in the Diana.
In the Honey Jay, regular rider Brandon Tapara began to urge Silent Rule while saving ground around the far turn, then shifted outside cutting the corner to confront Ohio-bred champion Diamond Dust, who had come away with the lead after an early duel. She got his measure approaching the furlong grounds and was not seriously threatened to the wire, winning by 2 3/4 lengths while finishing the six furlongs on the fast dirt in 1:10.25.
Defending Honey Jay winner Stage Name, coming up the rail, and reigning Best of Ohio Sprint winner and statebred divisional champion Empire's Fire made belated bids down the stretch but had to settle for minor awards. Diamond Dust held second, a head in front of Stage Name. It was another 1 1/2 to Empire's Fire.
Two races later, the heavily favored Generous Lover was coasting down the backstretch under a long hold in the Pay the Man, appearing to be in good position for a repeat victory. But she was set upon on the far turn and could not quite respond as she came under a ride. Candlelight Hours ($10.80), under Terry Houghton, scooted clear cutting the corner for home and continued to open up to the wire, winning by 6 1/4 lengths. Generous Lover easily held second, 4 3/4 lengths clear of Here's the Spider.
The winning time was 1:52.73.
Candlelight Hours won the 2023 Pay the Man and Best of Ohio Distaff en route to a divisional Ohio-bred championship – the second of her career after also being named the state's champion juvenile filly. Generous Lover won both races in her championship campaign last year.
Although Generous Lover was defeated, another former Ohio-bred horse of the year won on the star-studded card, as Fair and Square ($8.80), the 2023 honoree, captured the $100,000 Best of Ohio Governor’s Buckeye Cup in an exciting finish.
Never far off the pace under Rocco Bowen, Fair and Square kicked to a four-length lead in the stretch and held on for a half-length win as Private Moment and Silence rallied from last and second-to-last, respectively. Silence, who was in tight between horses, was third by just a head behind Private Moment, who appeared to bump him. The inquiry sign was posted, but no change was made.
Fair and Square, trained by Tim Hamm, was back at a 1 1/4-mile distance at which he has thrived. He won the 2023 Best of Ohio Endurance in the fall and also rolled in last year’s Buckeye Cup. Thursday's score, his sixth career stakes win overall, was his first win since last year's Buckeye Cup. However, he was second by just a neck in the 2024 Endurance.
The card was rounded out by a pair of stakes for juveniles. Crown the Buckeye ($4.20) dominated the $100,000 Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten by 12 1/4 lengths, with Fernando De La Cruz in the irons for Mike Maker. The colt had been second on debut last month in the Hoover Stakes.
De La Cruz doubled in the divisional stakes as the $100,000 Best of Ohio Miss Ohio went to the exciting Kontiki ($2.10), who rolled by 12 lengths. The filly is trained by Brad Cox for Stonestreet Stables and improved to 3 for 4 lifetime. She also won the Tah Dah Stakes last month at Belterra.
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