Relaxed off the pace early, Tantrum took charge at the top of the stretch and romped to a commanding 7 ½-length triumph in the $75,000 Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup Saturday on the Ohio Derby (G3) undercard at JACK Thistledown.
A homebred for WinBlaze, the alliance between WinStar Farm in Central Kentucky and Blazing Meadows Farm in Ohio, Tantrum settled four wide in sixth of eight runners as Mr Loooch laid down a moderate tempo for six furlongs in 1:13.88.
Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Tantrum was eager to run entering the far turn of the 1 1/8-mile race and made the lead at the top of the stretch, dispatching Mr Loooch and runner-up Sammy's Smile to finish the trip unchallenged in 1:51.20. He returned $3.60 as the 4-5 favorite.
Sammy's Smile was three-quarters of a length in front of third-place finisher Mr Loooch.
Tantrum is an Ohio-bred 3-year-son of graded stakes winner Speightster, a top-five U.S. second-crop sire when he was euthanized earlier this year after fracturing a hind leg in stall at Northern Dawn Stables in Ontario where he was to stand the 2022 breeding season. The 10-year-old son of Speightstown had stood his first five seasons at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.
Trained by Timothy Hamm, owner of Blazing Meadows Farm in North Jackson, Ohio, Tantrum won for the second time in five starts this year after capturing the Daryl E. Parker Memorial Tall Stack Stakes in May at Belterra Park.
In his start prior to the Cleveland Gold Cup, Tantrum was fourth in the Best of Ohio Carpet Stakes June 3 at Belterra. He won the Best of Ohio Juvenile Stakes in October at Mahoning Valley Race Course. With Saturday's win, his career record improved to 5-2-1 from 11 starts and $223,794 in earnings.
Tantrum's dam is the unraced Tiznow mare Go Go Tammy.
Last year, Hamm, WinStar, and Blazing Meadows Farm won the Cleveland Gold Cup with homebred Historically.
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