Life’s Illusion Recap
©Tod Marks
Camanoe topples Gold Charm in day of upsets
The New Kent, Va., track hosted a trio of National Steeplechase Association races today, a pair of maiden special weights contests and the featured Grade 2 $100,000 Life’s Illusion filly and mare handicap hurdle stakes, and in each of the events there was a modest longshot winner.
In the Life’s Illusion, the second leg of Colonial’s Triple Tiara for distaff runners during the summer meet, Sheila Fisher and Northwoods Stable’s Camanoe, ridden by Freddie Procter, stalked in second (of nine) for much of the going, made her move leaving the far turn the final time around, and powered home 1 1/4 lengths clear of a couple of strong finishers.
Sent off at 8-1, the lightly raced five-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Catholic Boy, trained by Jack Fisher, was coming off of a maiden score at Colonial in late June, her second try over jumps. Runnymoore Racing’s Timeto Shine (Dan Nevin), rallied strongly from sixth to take the place spot as the 4-1 second choice, while Hill Parker’s Red Tone, who chased runaway leader Love Foreverafter for much of the going, hung in gamely to hold third at 39-1.
Irv Naylor’s odds-on favorite and starting highweight Gold Charm, who captured the first leg of the series, the G2 Theodora Randolph, was eighth after the first mile and a half, rallied wide on the far turn and, after looming large, flattened out to be fourth.
In the first of two $60,000 maiden hurdles, Ballybristol Farm’s Flash Frozen, another relative newcomer to steeplechasing, overcame adversity in the late going while in the midst of a rally, to score by a half length at 6-1 for jockey Evan Dwan riding for trainer Tom Garner.
Settling in seventh (of 10) for the first mile, the four-year-old son of Frosted advanced two wide on the far turn, was forced in toward the rail in the stretch, then was bumped passing the sixteenth pole, but persevered to get up in the final strides. Runnymoore Racing’s Steadfast Resolve, the favorite for the always-dangerous-at-Colonial combination of trainer Neil Morris and jockey Graham Watters, encountered problems of his own over the sixth fence, but still ran strongly only to be overtaken late. Matthew T. Groff’s Onrush (Jamie Bargary) was third after the bumping incident with the winner during the stretch run.
Sharon Sheppard’s Investment Mandate (Graham Watters), was no threat in his ambitious NSA debut in the Speedy Smithwick Memorial stakes at Great Meadow in May, but was more than up to the challenge today, when he went from sixth (of nine) to first to get up by a length in the second $60,000 maiden hurdle.
The four-year-old son of Constitution, trained by Leslie Young, was reluctant to line up for the start, but soon settled, and after racing at the back of the pack, made an inside move in the stretch, opening up at the furlong marker and holding the advantage. Team Valor International’s McLovin (Bernie Dalton), 10-1, rallied to take the lead late but was outkicked by the winner. Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Cameo Performance (Stephen Mulqueen) was far back in third.