Superwolf won the Best of Ohio Juvenile in October over his Robert Gorham-trained stablemate, Boots Malone, who was pulled up before finishing. But Boots Malone turned the tables next time out with an impressive allowance win, and the geldings get a rubber match in Thursday’s $75,000 Howard B. Noonan Stakes for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds at Mahoning Valley.
The six-furlong Noonan is the second stakes of this calendar year in Ohio, following the Southern Park Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on March 20, and the final stakes of this season at Mahoning Valley. The meet closes April 12.
Superwolf set the pace in the Best of Ohio Juvenile in October at Mahoning Valley, holding sway by a game half-length. He would eventually finish his 2-year-old campaign with two wins in four starts. He finished second in the Cleveland Kindergarten in his debut and only missed the board while going out of state to Indiana.
Meanwhile, Boots Malone was pulled up in the Juvenile after pressing the pace early. In his prior start, he stumbled at the start of an allowance race and lost his rider. But Boots Malone swiftly turned things around. He returned a front-running 12 1/2-length allowance winner, then coasted to a six-length win in his sophomore debut March 18.
In that March 18 race, Superwolf was second in his own 3-year-old debut. Off the bench, he had a poor break, bearing in and exchanging bumps at the start before recovering to be a clear second. A race under his belt should move him closer to his stablemate, who is well drawn to use his speed on the rail.
Lo Bug has been wheeled back to face males by trainer Richard Zielinski after winning the Southern Park for her fourth straight score.
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