Colonial Downs’ steeplechase program continues Saturday with a $30,000 maiden hurdle and a $25,000 ratings handicap that attracted a competitive field of 10.
Four contenders will carry the 158-pound highweight in the handicap based on their 115 ratings. Elizabeth Voss will saddle two of them, Aardwolf and Al, for owner Robert Kinsley. Sean McDermott has the mount on Aardwolf, who finished sixth in a tough Queen’s Cup handicap in his only 2019 start.
Jack Doyle, who swept Colonial’s two jump races on Aug. 17, will ride Al, who is on the comeback trail after missing the 2018 season. In his first U.S. start, he scored a maiden victory at the 2017 Radnor meet and then was second to Dapper Dan in a Parx Racing handicap.
Also carrying 158 pounds in Woodslane Farm’s Pik Em, who is trained by Jack Fisher. The Tapit gelding ran third in Colonial’s ratings handicap at this level on Aug. 10. Willie McCarthy will ride.
Morning Star Farm’s Diplodocus completes the highweight quartet. Trained by owner Ricky Hendriks, he finished seventh in a Middleburg Spring allowance hurdle on soft ground and has been picking up checks on the flat recently at Penn National and Delaware Park. Ross Geraghty has the mount.
Oakwood Stable’s Kensington Court will carry 156 pounds in his second turn on Colonial’s Secretariat Turf Course. Trained by Julie Gomena, the Giant’s Causeway seven-year-old finished fourth in the Aug. 10 handicap. Kieran Norris has a return call.
Trainer Neil Morris will send out two contenders in the handicap. Donna Rogers’ Dapper Dan, who carries 155 pounds, finished second in the Virginia Gold Cup’s steeplethon and fell at the last fence of the Radnor handicap on May 18. Gerard Galligan will ride.
Gill Johnston’s Ack Feisty finished fifth in the Radnor handicap under Michael Mitchell, who has the mount on Saturday. In his prior start on May 4, Ack Feisty won a Virginia Gold Cup handicap at this level by four lengths over Pik Em.