FINGERS CROSSED FOR A LUCKY 13TH

COUNTESS COLETTE

The racing stable will have two runners heading to post on Thursday the 13th, as Countess Colette and Lust for Life will see action. HMDC’s 4-year-old Countess Colette will take on a full field of Accredited fillies and mares in the $75,000 Leona’s Reward at Mahoning Valley. Carded as the 7th race with a 3:03 post time, the race is contested at 1 mile 70 yards– a distance Countess Colette has run only once, resulting in a second-place finish in last season’s Bobbie Bricker Stakes.

Tagged at 6-1, the Megan Fadlovich trainee will be making her fourth start of the season, two of her outings have come in stakes company. She was asked to go 11/8 mile in the Best of Ohio Distaff last out, the slight turn back in distance could play to her benefit. David Haldar will again be astride and will break from post position 9. The weather has been a little dicey this week and for Countess Colette – that’s not a bad thing. Over “off” tracks she has a record of 5-2-2-0.

Tagged at 6-1, the Megan Fadlovich trainee will be making her fourth start of the season, two of her outings have come in stakes company. She was asked to go 11/8 mile in the Best of Ohio Distaff last out, the slight turn back in distance could play to her benefit. David Haldar will again be astride and will break from post position 9. The weather has been a little dicey this week and for Countess Colette – that’s not a bad thing. Over “off” tracks she has a record of 5-2-2-0.

Lust for Life will head to post in the following race, an open, conditioned $25,900 event at six furlongs. Running for HMDC and Taste of Victory Stables, Lust for Life’s resume shows favorable signs, as 3 of his 4 lifetime wins took place at Mahoning, with two of those victories coming in sprints there over “off” tracks. Trainer Mike Rone is having an impressive season with a 36%-win rate, and he has named Luis Rivera to ride. The 4-year-old Cowtown Cat gelding was bred by Mapleton Farm and will break from post 7 in a 8 horse field.

On Monday, half of the field in a $33,700 allowance field of Registered-breds were turning back to six panels after unsuccessful tries in the $100,000 1 1/16 Best of Ohio JW Galbreath Stakes. HMDC, Taste of Victory and TBC Stables’ Gray Perfection, was among that group and on a wet snowy day had to break from the rail. Rider Luis Rivera was content to track the pace, and it appeared he was trying to get away from the deepening inside path. As the Daily Racing Form’s chart caller saw it, “Gray Perfection was shuffled back a bit nearing the quarter marker, angled to the three path into the upper stretch and was no match for the winner into the drive and ran on into the final sixteenth and bested the race

for place honors.”

The 2-year-old daughter of Creative Cause was bred by Huntertown Farm. The Mike Rone trainee looked to gallop out strongly in her second-place finish. Hopefully next time we will draw a more favorable post position over a fast surface.