While they have a trip to Iowa for the Cornhusker (gr. III) penciled in for Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) winner Colonial Colony, owner Chris Nolan and trainer Walter Bindner say they're also considering The Suburban Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park. Nolan, who owns Lakeside Farm in Sellersburg, Ind., and Bindner may instead put the 6-year-old son of Pleasant Colony in the $500,000 Suburban on July 3 the $250,000-added Prairie Meadows race on the same day. Bindnersaid Saturday that he doubts that the opposition his veteran would face in the Suburban would be any tougher than the field his horse defeated in last week's Stephen Foster and he is confident that Colonial Colony would love the 1 1/4-mile distance at Belmont Park.
But the determining factor in the decision may turn out to be available transportation. There are no equine transport flights scheduled between Louisville and New York next week and that is a major concern for Bindner.
"If we go up there we have to van him and that's going to create a problem," said Bindner. "We might go on back to the Cornhusker, where we were originally going. We've already got those logistics worked out. It's king of a late date to start switching plans, although we'd really like to."
There is a flight to New York that makes a stop in Louisville this Tuesday, but Binder would prefer to travel with Colonial Colony the week of the race.
"If there were a plane going, it would be a no brainer -- we'd be going to New York," he said. "But now we'd have to van him on the road and that takes a lot out of horse. I guess I could go up there and stay a couple of weeks, but I'm not crazy about that. I've got a small stable and I don't really have an assistant, so it's harder for me to get away than some of these other people do."
Bindner said he and Nolan would continue to look at their options and would make a final decision on Colonial Colony's schedule over the next few days.