The Ohio HBPA Board of Directors is seeking the opinions of its members regarding a proposed plan to change the current Ohio Thoroughbred Fund Stakes Schedule in 2020.
The proposed changes would create a “Best of Ohio” type program at each thoroughbred track featuring five $100,000 stakes races. This would replace the current program which has the Best of Ohio at one track each year with five $150,000 stakes.
The proposed changes would not impact the total number of Ohio Thoroughbred Fund stakes run in 2020 it would remain at 43, nor would it impact the total amount spent on Ohio funded stakes races. Rather it would take 10 existing stakes which were run for $75,000 in 2019 and make them $100,000 events in 2020 and also reduce the five Best of Ohio Stakes run for $150,000 in 2019 to $100,000 each in 2020.
Below is a look at how the proposed OTF Stakes Schedule could look in 2020 if it were adopted by the Ohio State Racing Commission.
2020 Proposed OTF Stakes Schedule
March 21 3-year-old fillies $75,000 Southern Park Stakes 6 furlongs Mahoning Valley
April 11 3-year-old $75,000 Howard B. Noonan Stakes 6 furlongs Mahoning Valley
April 18 3-year-olds & up F & M Accredited $75,000 T. F. Classen Memorial Stakes Mahoning Valley
May 9 Best of Ohio Belterra Park Program
3-year-olds & up $100,000 Babst/Palacios Memorial Stakes 6 furlongs
3-year olds $100,000 Tall Stack Stakes 6 ½ furlongs
3-year-old fillies $100,000 Tomboy Stakes 1 1/16 miles Turf
3-year-olds & up F & M $100,000 Mackey Memorial/Angenora 6 furlongs
3-year-olds & up $100,000 Gendelman Memorial Handicap 1 1/16 miles turf
May 16 3-year-olds & up Accredited $75,000 Rowland Memorial Handicap 6 furlongs Thistledown
May 31 3-year-olds $75,000 Green Carpet Stakes 1 1/16 miles turf Belterra Park
June 6 3-year-olds & up F&M $75,000 Petro Memorial Handicap 1 1/16 miles Thistledown
June 20 3-year-olds & up Accredited $75,000 George Lewis Memorial 1 1/16 miles Thistledown
June 27 3-year-olds $75,000 Cleveland Gold Cup 1 1/8 miles Thistledown
July 4 2-year-olds $75,000 Hoover Stakes 5 ½ furlongs Belterra Park
July 4 3-year-old fillies Accredited $75,000 Cincinnatian Stakes 1 1/16 miles Turf Belterra Park
July 11 2-year-old fillies $75,000 Miss Ohio Stakes 5 ½ furlongs Thistledown
July 12 3-year-olds & up F & M $75,000 Vivacious Handicap 1 1/16 miles Turf Belterra Park
July 18 3-year-olds & up Accredited $75,000 Buckeye Native Stakes 1 1/16 miles Turf Belterra Park
July 19 3-year-old fillies $75,000 Queen City Oaks 1 1/16 miles Belterra Park
August 8 Best of Ohio Thistledown Program
2-year-olds $100,000 Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes 6 furlongs
2-year-old fillies $100,000 Tah Dah Stakes 6 furlongs
3-year-olds & up $100,000 Honey Jay Stakes 6 furlongs
3-year-olds & up F&M $100,000 Pay the Man Stakes 1 1/8 miles
3-year-olds & Up $100,000 Governor’s Buckeye Cup 1 1/4 miles
August 9 3-year-old Accredited $75,000 Horizon Stakes 1 1/16 miles Turf Belterra Park
September 6 3-year-olds & Up F & M Accredited $75,000 Miss Southern Ohio Stakes Belterra Park
September 13 3-year-olds & Up F & M $75,000 Scarlet & Gray Handicap 6 furlongs Thistledown
September 20 2-year-olds Accredited $75,000 Loyalty Stakes 6 furlongs Belterra Park
September 26 3-year-olds & Up Accredited $75,000 Catlaunch Stakes 1 1/16 miles Thistledown
October 3 2-year-old Fillies Accredited Emerald Necklace Stakes 6 furlongs Thistledown
October 10 3-year-olds & Up F & M $75,000 Diana Stakes 6 furlongs Thistledown
October 31 Best of Ohio Mahoning Valley Program
3-year-olds & Up F&M $100,000 Best of Ohio Distaff 1 1/8 miles
2-year-olds $100,000 Juvenile Stakes 1 1/16 miles
2-year-old fillies $100,000 John Galbreath Memorial Stakes 1 1/16 miles
3-year-olds & Up $100,000 Best of Ohio Sprint
3-year-olds & Up $100,000 Best of Ohio Endurance 1 ¼ miles
November 7 3-year-olds & Up F&M Accredited $75,000 Ohio Debutante Handicap 1 mile Mahoning Valley
November 21 3-year-olds & Up $75,000 Cardinal Handicap 6 furlongs Mahoning Valley
November 21 3-year-old fillies $75,000 First Lady Stakes 6 furlongs Mahoning Valley
November 28 2-year-old fillies Accredited $75,000 Glacial Princess Stakes 6 furlongs Mahoning Valley
November 28 3-year-olds & Up Accredited $75,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap 1 mile Mahoning Valley
December 5 2-year-old Accredited $75,000 Joshua Radosevich Memorial 6 furlongs Mahoning Valley
December 12 3-year-olds & Up F&M Accredited $75,000 Bobbie Bricker Memorial Handicap 1 mile Mahoning Valley
This proposed schedule is put out only to seek input from our membership. If you prefer the stakes schedule stay the way it has for the past several years we would like to know that, likewise if you prefer the new proposed schedule we would like to know.
Please email your comments to Ohio HBPA Executive Director Dave Basler at [email protected] by October 7th as the board will be addressing this item at its next meeting on October 10th.