Missap meets boys again in Gold Cup

The filly Missap, who already beat the boys last out, looks to continue establishing her name as one of the best Ohio-bred 3-year-olds of either sex as she faces a distance challenge in the $75,000 Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup on Saturday at Thistledown.

None of the 11 entrants for Saturday’s race has gone the 1 1/8-mile distance. However, Missap, trained by Kellyn Gorder for breeder Beckett Racing, won stakes at 1 1/16 miles on both dirt and turf. The filly distinguished herself last year by winning the John W. Galbreath Memorial Stakes by five lengths on the Best of Ohio showcase program. In her most recent outing, she won the Green Carpet Stakes against males on her first try on turf, holding on by a half-length.

Missap, who owns the best career Beyer Speed Figure in the field with a 74, has regular rider Dean Sarvis aboard for the Cleveland Gold Cup. They leave from post 4.

Forewarned and Deer Creek Road were second and third behind Missap in the Green Carpet, and they return in the Cleveland Gold Cup. So does Charlee’s Magic, who won the Tall Stack Stakes sprinting in May and finished fifth in the Green Carpet. Over Icce, second to Charlee’s Magic in the Tall Stack, came back to romp by 7 1/2 lengths in a six-furlong allowance race and returns on Saturday.

Distinctive Flower, another filly, is making her stakes debut, but comes off back-to-back victories here at Thistledown, the latest going a mile and 70 yards. Midnight Mikey, a stakes winner last year, also comes off consecutive victories at Thistledown, taking two spring allowances by a combined seven lengths.