Who Dey and Generous Lover scored dramatic wins in opposing fashion in stakes highlighting the Best of Ohio fall showcase card for statebreds on Saturday at Mahoning Valley.  Who Dey, who has acquitted himself well in open company throughout the season, battled with reigning Ohio-bred horse of the year and defending race winner Fair and Square to win the $100,000 Best of Ohio Endurance by a neck. One race earlier, Generous Lover turned in a virtuoso performance to win the $100,000 Best of Ohio Distaff by 26 3/4 lengths.  Maccabee Farm homebred Who Dey, who had Willie Martinez in the irons for trainer Tom Drury Jr., turned in an unbeaten 2-year-old state championship campaign that included a score in the Best of Ohio Juvenile, as well as an open-company allowance-level win at Churchill Downs in which eventual 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan was fifth. This year, Who Dey was second in the Lafayette at Keeneland, then a deceptively good fourth in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill. He was beaten in a photo for second, but, most significantly, was just more than 1 1/4 lengths behind victorious Seize the Grey, the subsequent Preakness Stakes winner. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Two more stakes placings against open company followed, as he was second in the Grade 3 Matt Winn, and third by a length in the Ellis Park Derby. More recently, Who Dey returned to his home state, and the winner’s circle, with a neck win against older foes at the allowance level at 6 1/2 furlongs. Who Dey stretched out to 10 furlongs for the Endurance, rather than opting for the six-furlong Best of Ohio Sprint.  Who Dey was taken out of his usual forwardly placed game when he was bumped hard at the start. He had recovered to work his way to second by the stretch, edging up on Fair and Square, who had taken the lead after a perfect tracking trip. From there, the two threw down to the wire, with Who Dey prevailing. It was 1 1/4 lengths to Tantrum in third.  The time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:07.45.  Earlier in the Distaff, Generous Lover ($2.40), with Gaddiel Martinez in the irons for Joe Sharp, set an honest but relatively moderate pace en route to her big score, getting her opening half in 47.46 seconds while unchallenged.  She began to draw clear around the far turn, and took a 12-length lead into the stretch. A solid foe was trying to run her down in second in multiple stakes winner Here's the Spider, an Ohio-bred champion after winning on this program in 2023. Still, Generous Lover continued to draw clear in the stretch to her final margin. Here's the Spider was trying to the line, separating herself from the rest of the field to be second by 10 1/4 lengths over Lionistic.  Generous Lover finished the 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.71.  Generous Lover has likely locked up a champion Ohio-bred older mare title with her third stakes victory of the year in the state of her birth - and this final one coming on the fall showcase program that can be key. Claimed for $50,000 by Sharp and Carl Moore Management in May at Churchill Downs, the 4-year-old filly won the Vivacious Stakes in July at Belterra Park, and the Best of Ohio Pay the Man Stakes in August at Thistledown. Her only loss in her home state came when a close second in the Greg Veit Scarlet and Gray Stakes at a sprint distance earlier this month.  Empire's Fire ($13.20) bested a salty field to win the $100,000 Best of Ohio Sprint, overhauling pace-setting multiple stakes winner Dougie D Oro to win by three lengths. Another multiple stakes winner, Trojan Tale, was third.  The field finished the six furlongs in 1:12.26.  Empire's Fire, who had Jose Bracho in the irons for Jeff Radosevich, has won five of seven starts this season. However, the Sprint was his first stakes win of the campaign - and, in fact, his first career stakes win.  Superwolf ($9.80) pulled off the score in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Juvenile. Sent away as the second choice for trainer Robert Gorham, the gelding made a big move around the far turn to reel in stubborn favorite Fortissimo, then held off Ed's Reward in the final yaards for a half-length score.  Superwolf and Gerardo Corrales finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:49.79.  Superwolf made his debut in the Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes, finishing second to Fortissimo, before winning a maiden race by 13 lengths in his next outing. He finished sixth in an allowance race in his most recent start, although against open company at Indiana.  In the sister race, the $100,000 Best of Ohio John W. Galbreath Stakes, Silver Kiss ($2.40) likely wrapped up outstanding statebred 2-year-old filly honors, remaining unbeaten in four career starts thus far with an easy 11-length romp. The filly rolled into the lane with Chelsey Keiser sitting like a statue in the irons. She was hand-ridden in upper stretch to keep her to task with no foes nearby, then wrapped up on again through the final yards. She finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:49.16.  Silver Kiss, who is trained by David Wolochuk, won her first three starts by a combined 23 3/4 lengths, including wins in the Tah Dah Stakes and Miss Ohio Stakes.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.