Fair and Square, a WinStar Farm and Blazing Meadows Farm homebred, broke on top and made all the pace en route to winning the $75,000 Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup for 3-year-olds by 4 1/4 lengths on Saturday at Thistledown Racino.
The Ohio-bred Super Saver gelding added a third stakes victory to his record after covering the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.86 on a fast track.
Ridden by Jeffrey Sanchez for trainer Tim Hamm, Fair and Square set all the fractions: :23.82 for the opening quarter mile, :49.08 for the half, 1:13.62 for six furlongs, and 1:39.44 for one mile en route to the comfortable win. Runner-up Trojan Tale pursued from second throughout and got to within a half length of the winner through three-quarters. Despite drifting to the five path in the stretch he held on for the place, just a head in front Returnoninvestment, who rallied from next to last to just miss second.
Even-money favorite Hey Eugene was never a factor and finished fifth.
Sent away at 3-1 in the field of eight state-breds, Fair and Square paid $8 for the win and collected the $45,000 winner's share, boosting his lifetime bankroll to $204,540. He has never failed to place in his seven outings, his career line standing at 4-1-2.
Fair and Square was produced by the stakes-placed Drosselmeyer mare Marathon.
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