Mobil Solution, Drillit trying for repeat wins

Ohio begins one of the biggest stretches of its racing calendar, with a pair of stakes for Ohio-breds on Thursday at Thistledown setting the table as the track prepares for an influx of out-of-town horses for open stakes action next week.

The $75,000 George Lewis Memorial, which drew a field of eight, and the $75,000 J. William Petro Memorial Handicap, with 10 fillies and mares entered, are set for Thursday afternoon. The defending winner was entered in each race – Mobil Solution in the George Lewis and Drillit in the Petro. Both are coming back on 20 days’ rest after contesting the Best of Ohio program on May 28 at Belterra Park, where Mobil Solution was third in the Sydney Gendelman Stakes and Drillit was second in the Diana Stakes.

Next Saturday, Thistledown hosts the lone graded stakes contested in Ohio, the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby. The race annually draws prominent 3-year-olds, including familiar names from the Triple Crown trail, looking to launch their “second season,” and this year is no exception.

Considered probable for the race are King Fury, impressive winner of the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes before being forced to scratch from the Kentucky Derby with an illness; Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes winner Promise Keeper; and Masqueparade, an 11 3/4-length allowance winner on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Possible entrants include Kentucky Derby also-rans Hidden Stash and Keepmeinmind.

Nominations were to close Wednesday, June 16, for the Ohio Derby and its two supporting stakes – the unrestricted $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes for fillies and mares, and the $75,000 Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds. The Lady Jacqueline, shifted this year from August to June to further support the Ohio Derby card, has quickly become an attractive spot for the connections of prominent fillies and mares due to its rich purse. When the race was most recently contested in 2019 – it was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic – it was won by multiple graded stakes winner Mylady Curlin, with fellow graded winner Escape Clause in third.