Charles C. Fenwick Jr.’s Doc Cebu, a rising star on the timber-racing circuit, went to the lead early in Saturday’s $30,000 Genesee Valley Hunt Cup and rolled away late to an overwhelming 11 1/4-length victory in the upstate New York classic.
Blythe Miller Davies’ and Charles Noell’s Sumo Power showed some power in the run-in and seized second money, a head in front of Class Brahms. Super Saturday finished fourth, and Class Indian fell at the 10th fence.
A seven-year-old Hard Spun gelding, Doc Cebu ran the Genesee Valley Hunt Cup’s 3 1/2 miles in 7:23 on turf rated as good. Hadden Frost rode Doc Cebu for leading trainer Jack Fisher.
The Genesee Valley Hunt Cup victory moved Doc Cebu into contention for the year’s timber championship. The $18,000 first-place purse raised his 2017 timber earnings to $51,600 and within striking range of Virginia Gold Cup winner Ebanour, who leads the purses table with $66,150. Irv Naylor’s Ebanour has been nominated to next Saturday’s $50,000 New Jersey Hunt Cup.
Doc Cebu now has three wins and one second in four starts this year. In his previous start, he had won the Willowdale Steeplechase by nine lengths on May 14.