Rivers Run Deep eyes 4-peat

Millionaire Rivers Run Deep will look to win his fourth consecutive $150,000 Best of Ohio Sprint on Saturday at Belterra Park. The Sprint is part of a Best of Ohio card at Belterra Park, which includes five stakes for Ohio-breds worth a combined $650,000.

The 6-year-old Rivers Run Deep, who is the reigning statebred champion sprinter, has won 14 stakes races. He nosed out the formidable mare Just a little smoke to capture the 2016 Best of Ohio Sprint in a stellar campaign in which he won 6 of 7 starts, with the loss coming by only a half-length against open-company stakes competition in the Mighty Beau Stakes on the Churchill Downs turf.

Rivers Run Deep comes into the Best of Ohio Sprint in solid form, having won the Honey Jay Stakes at Thistledown for the fourth consecutive year, and then an optional-claiming event on the Churchill Downs turf.

“Once he gets to doing his thing, he just gets it done,” trainer Chris Hartman said. “He’s a virtual ATM machine. He knows his job and he does it well.”

Rivers Run Deep drew the rail in the field of nine under Perry Ouzts. The only other entry in the Sprint who has won a stakes this year is Coincidentally, who is cross-entered Saturday in the Endurance. Owned by trainer Tim Hamm’s Blazing Meadows and WinStar Farm, the 3-year-old gelding won the Howard B. Noonan Stakes in April at Mahoning Valley.

Distaff: Leona’s Reward improved

Leona’s Reward has learned to settle this season, with solid results. The improving filly gets a chance to claim a statebred title in the $150,000 Best of Ohio Distaff for fillies and mares.

Leona’s Reward has won two stakes this season under new partner Pablo Morales, taking the George Lewis Memorial Stakes at Thistledown in June by a nose and, in her most recent outing, recording a halflength score in the Catlaunch Stakes there.

“I brought Pablo in to ride her three races back because she needed to learn to settle and I knew he could teach her,” said Tim Hamm, who bred Leona’s Reward and owns her with Michael Friedman.

Mayas Queen Neetee is a major player in the Distaff. She won five consecutive races after transferring to the barn of trainer Jeff Radosevich for owner Ron Paolucci before finishing third in the Diana Stakes at Thistledown behind stablemate Proper Discretion and La Nina Bronca. La Nina Bronca is entered in this race and the Sprint.

Cali Dream has won two consecutive races, including a 13 3/4-length allowance romp

Juvenile: Stablemates throw down

Awaken and Candy Exchange, who both run for Hamm and WinStar, have traded blows this season. They get a rubber match in the $150,000 Juvenile Stakes for 2-year-olds.

Candy Exchange struck first with a victory in the Hoover Stakes at Belterra, but then finished third in Awaken’s seven-length romp in the Cleveland Kindergarten at Thistledown. Since then, Awaken has acquitted himself well against open company, stretching out to a mile and finishing third in the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park

That effort makes Awaken one of the only members of this field to have experience around two turns. Tiz a Rush, who was stakes-placed while still a maiden, won a maiden race by 15 1/4 lengths for Radosevich going a mile.

Midnight Mikey broke his maiden in the Loyalty Stakes at Belterra last out.

Galbreath: Tango Run streaking

Tango Run, who has clearly established herself as Ohio’s leading juvenile filly, faces a distance challenge as she looks to put a stamp on her outstanding season in the $150,000 John W. Galbreath Memorial for 2-year-old fillies.

Tango Run, trained by William Cowans, has won her three starts by a combined 11 1/4 lengths, including the Miss Ohio at Thistledown and the Tah Dah at Belterra. Regular rider Rex Stokes III will be aboard as she stretches out from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles for the first time.

“We’ve had horses work in front of her in the past and she has run them down in the final eighth every time,” Cowans said. “I think she is very versatile.”

Summit Point, who runs for WinStar and Hamm, has been chasing Tango Run all season, finishing third in the Miss Ohio and a dull fifth in the Tah Dah. Hamm will also saddle Count de Loot, who is still a maiden after five starts, but was second in the Miss Ohio.

◗ The card also includes the $25,000 One Last Chance Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up who have started in Ohio since April 27 and who have not won a stakes at a mile or over.