On a card that might prove crucial toward determining this season’s Ohio-bred champion Thoroughbreds, Silent Rule improved to a perfect 10-for-10 lifetime while defeating males in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Honey Jay Stakes. Meanwhile, on the same Thursday card at Thistledown, the $100,000 Best of Ohio Miss Ohio went to the exciting Kontiki, who rolled by 12 lengths. The filly is trained by Brad Cox for Stonestreet Stables and improved to 3 for 4 lifetime. She also won the Tah Dah Stakes last month at Belterra.

Both Silent Rule and Kontiki were sold by Legacy Bloodstock at Keeneland September. Silent Rule was bred by Joe Cowles T/C Stables and Kontiki hails from the Smokin C LLC breeding program.

Silent Rule had been cross-entered in both the Honey Jay, at a shorter distance against males, and in the Pay the Man, at a 1 1/8-mile distance at which she had yet to race. Trainer Jay Bernardini said he opted for the shorter distance on Thursday because “she’s just been freshened” and was making her first start since winning the Best of Ohio Diana on June 6 at Belterra.

In the Honey Jay, regular rider Brandon Tapara began to urge Silent Rule while saving ground around the far turn, then shifted outside cutting the corner to confront Ohio-bred champion Diamond Dust, who had come away with the lead after an early duel. She got his measure approaching the furlong grounds and was not seriously threatened to the wire, winning by 2 3/4 lengths while finishing the six furlongs on the fast dirt in 1:10.25.

Defending Honey Jay winner Stage Name, coming up the rail, and reigning Best of Ohio Sprint winner and statebred divisional champion Empire’s Fire made belated bids down the stretch but had to settle for minor awards. Diamond Dust held second, a head in front of Stage Name. It was another 1 1/2 to Empire’s Fire.

Legacy Bloodstock has another stellar draft of yearlings queued up for the 2025 Keeneland September sale that begins on September 9 in Lexington, Kentucky.

-edited from www.drf.com