There’s a Danny Almonte-style scandal swirling around Ohio thoroughbred racing at the moment.
Unlike Almonte, the tarnished Little League sensation of 2001, this mess involves place of birth, not date of birth.
Marble Cliff, the winner of the $100,000 Cleveland Gold Cup for Ohio-breds on July 3 at Thistledown, might not have been born in Ohio. Because of this, the $60,000 winner’s share is being withheld.
Marble Cliff was sired by Jump Start, of Overbrook Farm in Lexington, Ky. The mare was Leza. He’s owned by Charles Ruma, owner of Beulah Park, and Joe Sugar, one of his breeders.
If Marble Cliff was born in Ohio, all is well. But the possibility that he wasn’t has sparked an investigation by the Ohio State Racing Commission.
Sam Zonak, an executive director of the OSRC, could not comment on the investigation, but said that details or results of the investigation could be released as early as Monday.
He added that all horses who want to race in Ohio must have a certificate giving the name of the sire, the name of the dam, the date and time of birth and the location of the birth. It must be notarized by the breeder and submitted to the commission.
The problem here is that, unlike human babies, foals are rarely given names at birth. How prevalent is this sort of cheating? How easy is it to get away with it?
Marble Cliff won the Gold Cup by easily outdistancing a field of 14. Should he be found to have been born in Ohio, it’s likely he will enter the $75,000 Governor’s Buckeye Cup at Thistledown on Sept. 1.

Spotlight on Summit

Northfield Park will host the Summit County Fair Stakes tonight. The races will be spread over the 15-race card, with a total purse of $125,000. The track will open at noon for simulcasting. The live racing begins at 7 p.m.
The Cuyahoga County Fair stakes races will be on a rare Tuesday night of harness racing Aug. 5.

News in Jersey

New Jersey will be the place to be next weekend for racing fans, with the Meadowlands hosting the $1.7 million Hambletonian on Aug. 2 and Monmouth Park doing the same for the $1 million Haskell Stakes the following afternoon.
Favorite Deweycheatumnhowe will attempt to make it 13 wins in 13 races tonight in the Hambletonian elimination features. Big Brown is likely to make the Haskell his comeback race, as the stable for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness champ said it prefers he race in the ocean air at Monmouth rather than the mountain air at the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 23.

Winning women

Thistledown history was made in the 11th race on Thursday as female jockeys finished first, second, third and fourth, grabbing all four spots in the superfecta wager.
Kirsten Swan won the race aboard Wegotta. Tiny Facts, ridden by Patricia Trimble, came in second. Anne Sanguinetti rode Numerically to a third-place ending. Lady Spirit, ridden by Jane Magrell, was fourth. The $2 superfecta paid $193.20.
Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. 

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