Mixed Up Wins Colonial Cup

Mixed Up (right in photo) and Danielle Hodsdon rallied latest of all to nail Red Letter Day (center) inside the final sixteenth of a mile in a dramatic renewal of the Colonial Cup. Give Bill Pape’s homebred the Eclipse Award and chisel another line on Jonathan Sheppard’s Hall of Fame plaque. Tax Ruling (left) ran a blinder to be third.

In other action.

1. Sport of Kings Maiden Hurdle. Carrington Racing Stable’s Here Comes Art and Bernie Dalton led most of the way to best Ballet Boy and Jimtown for local trainer Arch Kingsley.

2. Raymond G. Woolfe. Trade Winds Farm’s Jogja (Jody Petty) dominated his 3-year-old rivals, rolling to an impressive win and a double for Kingsley. Parker’s Project ran well to be second with Class Century third.

3. The Springdale Timber. He’s A Conniver, owned by the Estate of Calvin Houghland, controlled the pace and the race, easing away to a facile score for Robbie Walsh and Jonathan Sheppard. Bon Caddo finished second with Plum Brush third in a photo.

4. Colonial Cup. Supreme effort by the 1-2 finishers. Red Letter Day ran a winning race, but settled for second (a neck behind Mixed Up) as the first four finishers – Mixed Up, Red Letter Day, Tax Ruling and late-arriving Zozimus were within just a few lengths at the wire. Mixed Up completed a four-win season with victories coming at Aiken Spring, Block House, Saratoga’s Grade I A.P. Smithwick and the Colonial Cup. The 10-year-old earned $184,495 to lead all steeplechase horses and shouldn’t be denied an Eclipse Award vote. Sheppard claimed his 14th Colonial Cup. 

5.  Hobkirk Hill starer allowance hurdle. Sunshine Numbers (Bernie Dalton) gave Kingsley his third win of the day – at his hometown meet – by rating off the early pace and powering home late to deny Eagle Beagle his sixth win of 2009. Motel Affair finished third.

6. Training flat. Owner/trainer Ernie Oare took the wraps off new purchase Pick Six (Barry Duncan), who rolled through the stretch to catch Hidden Trail and Ziggly late.