Sue Sensor’s Top Striker, flashing the talent that carried him to a commanding Carolina Cup victory in March, took command at the third to last fence of the Steeplechase at Callaway’s $50,000 AFLAC Supreme Hurdle and gradually pulled away to a 7 1/4-length victory on Saturday.
Gil Johnston’s Syros set the pace in the 2 1/4-mile race for novices and duplicated his second-place finish in the Foxbrook Supreme Hurdle at Far Hills, N.J., two weeks earlier. Owner-trainer Jonathan Sheppard’s One Giant Step, fourth in the Foxbrook, finished third in the AFLAC Supreme Hurdle at the Georgia course. Robert A. Kinsley’s Tempt Me Alex finished fourth.
Trained by Arch Kingsley Jr. and ridden by Bernie Dalton, Top Striker ran the AFLAC’s distance in 3:59.80 on turf rated as good.
In the $50,000 Crown Royal, an allowance hurdle, owner Johnston’s Broxborne and Dahoud took the top two spots, with Broxbourne finishing first by 3 3/4 lengths under leading jockey Willie McCarthy. Broxbourne and Dahoud both are trained by Jack Fisher, who also won the Montpelier Cup, an optional allowance hurdle at the Montpelier Hunt Races, to pad his lead in the trainer standings with three meets remaining in the 2014 season.