Colonial Turf Cup Review and Analysis

by Patricia Woo | Jun 22 2009

The Grand Slam of Grass got off to an explosive start on Saturday, June 20, when 3-year-old turf runners took to the Colonial Downs course in New Kent, Va., for the Colonial Turf Cup. A Gr. 2 race over 1 3/16 miles, the Colonial Turf Cup featured Battle of Hastings, Straight Story and Al Khali trading leads for the winner's share of the $500,000 purse.

Nine were sent off in the Colonial Turf Cup but it was Al Khali, a Todd Pletcher trainee ridden by Kent Desormeaux, who had the early lead with rival Straight Story to his outside as the field entered the top of the stretch of the 1 3/16-mile. Straight Story, piloted by Chuck Lopez, took over the lead briefly but was forced eight paths wide by a drifting Al Khali, leaving just enough space along the rail for 5-2 morning line favorite Battle of Hastings, who had been biding his time just off the pace under Tyler Baze, to slip through. Mid-stretch, Straight Story managed to recover enough to attempt a tremendous rally but could not catch Battle of Hastings, who held on to win by a head in a time of 1:57.79 over a firm turf.

"Once I got him settled, it was just a matter of finding the right way home," Baze said after the race. "Everything opened on the rail."

Rounding out the order of finish were Lime Rickey, Al Khali, Rescue Squad, Mark S the Cooler, Final Count and Winning Vow. Dover Street Art was scratched.

The win was sweet for the duo of Battle of Hastings and Baze, who were chased down in their previous race, the $150,000 Gr. 3 American Turf at Churchill Downs on May 1 by 45-1 longshot Orthodox, and had to settle for second. This time, Battle of Hastings was able to fend off Straight Story's late challenge and pocket the winner's earnings of $288,000; his lifetime earnings now stand at $474,592. Trained by Jeff Mullins for Mike House, the Royal Applause gelding bettered his record to five wins in 10 starts.

Straight Story, a Giant's Causeway colt, also emerged as a horse to watch in future races. This New York-bred 3-year-old who is trained by Alan Goldberg captured his first graded stakes earnings ($96,000) for owner Richard Santulli in the Colonial Turf Cup; previously he won an allowance race in May at Belmont Park.

And Todd Pletcher's charge Take the Points showed a penchant for grass, bouncing back from a last-place finish in the Preakness Stakes on May 16 to take fourth; look for him in future turf races.

Battle of Hastings is possible for the second leg of the Grand Slam of Grass, according to Mullins, the $750,000 Gr. 2 Virginia Derby on July 18. The third leg is the Secretariat Stakes on August 8 and the entire series culminates in the Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 7.

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