A well-matched field of eight older horses have been entered in the $250,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup (gr. II) at Hawthorne Racecourse Oct. 2.
At 1 ¼ miles Gold Cup is one of two graded races on the opening weekend card at the Chicago-area track. In the second graded stakes of the weekend, nine older horses have been entered in the Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap (gr. IIIT).
Topping the Gold Cup field is Redding Colliery, a 4-year-old son of Mineshaft trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. Coming off a three-month layoff, Redding Colliery finished third in the Philip H. Iselin (gr. III). Previously, he won the Lone Star Handicap (gr. III) by six lengths, defeating last year’s Hawthorne Gold Cup winner, Awesome Gem. Redding Colliery has won or placed in 10 of his 16 starts and has earned $462,853.
Another recent grade III winner in the Gold Cup field who should get some support is Spendthrift Farm's Temple City , who just finished sixth in the Pacific Classic (gr. I) after winning the Cougar II (gr. III), both at Del Mar. Trained by Carla Gaines, the son of Dynaformer has four wins, a second, and four thirds in 13 career starts.
Going Ballistic, a 6-year-old horse trained by Donnie K. Von Hemel, has won or placed in 20 of his 40 career starts en route to earning $1,167,662. He is, however, winless in nine starts, including eight this year, since taking the Governor’s Handicap at Remington Park on Sept. 7, 2009. His best efforts this year have been second-place finishes in the Maxxam Gold Cup Handicap and Prairie Meadows Handicap.
Coming off a game closing victory in the Greenwood Cup Handicap at Parx (Philadelphia) Park, A. U. Mineris seeking his third victory in four starts in the Gold Cup. The 5-year-old son of Mineshaft , trained by Clark Hanna, won an allowance at Churchill before a seventh-place effort in the Stephen Foster (gr. I) when he was elevated in company. Overall, A. U. Miner has won four of 19 and earned $273,175.
In the Robert F. Carey Memorial at a mile on grass, Kinsman Stable homebred Vanquisher will be seeking his fourth consecutive stakes victory. The 6-year-old gelded son of Gulch, trained by Gregory A. Griffith, is coming off victories in turf stakes triumphs at Colonial Downs and Mountaineer Park.
Hawthorne Gold Cup H. (Grade II, $250,000, Race 8--5:25 p.m., 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles, )
Post, Horse, Weight, Jockey, Trainer
1. Redding Colliery, 116, A R Napravnik, K P McLaughlin
2. Shadowdancing, 115, E Razo Jr., T Gore
3. Racing Bran, 113, M C Baze, S Becker
4. Giant Oak, 114, E E Perez, C M Block
5. Arcodoro, 112, M Mena, E J Guillot
6. A. U. Miner, 113, F Pennington, C Hanna
7. Temple City, 114, E T Baird, C Gaines
8. Going Ballistic, 113, C A Emigh, D K Von Hemmel
Robert F. Carey Memorial H. (Grade III, $100,000, Race 9--5:57 p.m., 3-year-olds and up, Mile, turf)
Post, Horse, Weight, Jockey, Trainer
1. Caberneigh, 114, E Razo, Jr., L G Gabriel, Jr.
2. Quite a Handful, 117, T Riggs, A M Hansen
3. Wise River, 118, F Pennington, C Hanna
4. Tawaared, 114, Q Hamilton, D C Peitz
5. Tybalt, 114, M C Baze, M Stidham
6. My Sonny Boy, 113, T Thornton, S Becker
7. Amazing Results, 114, E E Perez, C M Block
8. Exchanging Kisses, 115, E T Baird, D L Miller
9. Vanquisher, 116, R B Homeister, Jr., G A Griffith