With a powerful late charge, PathFinder Racing’s Cognashene roared to a half-length victory in the $20,000 Budweiser Holiday Cup, the featured race at Saturday’s Aiken Fall Steeplechase.
Indy’s Legacy, who shadowed the pace of Show King throughout the 2 1/4-mile race, took second money, 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Show King.
Trained by Neil Morris, the veteran Cognashene settled near the back of the field with Bernie Dalton as Shannon Hill Farm’s Show King set the pace under Declan Queally with pressure applied by Indy’s Legacy and jockey Shane Crimin.
Show King maintained the lead over the last fence, but Cognashene came flying late to overtake the two front-runners in a dramatic, driving finish.
Cognashene, a 10-year-old Dynaformer gelding, ran the Budweiser Holiday Cup’s 2 1/4 miles in 4:21 1/5 on turf rated as good.
The victory was the second of the year for Cognashene, who had won a $15,000 claiming hurdle at the Willowdale Steeplechase on May 14.