AIKEN, S.C.--Keri Brion saddled Rampoldi Plan to win the $50,000, 2 3/8 mile Holiday Cup Ratings Handicap Hurdle Stakes at the Aiken Fall Steeplechase meet on Saturday,Oct. 31.

Rampoldi Plan (File photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Leipers Fork Steeplechase and ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, Rampoldi Plan won by 1 length over Sweet Will (Ire), trained by Arch Kingsley, and Time Song, trained by Jack Fisher.

"What a cool horse," said Brion. 

"He came to me in June, and he needed ankle surgery," said Brion."It had been two years since he'd won, but the owners were super patient and said, let's see if we can get him back." 

"He's a little quirky," she said. "There are certain places he likes to train. But he's a very classy horse."

"We'll see how he comes out of this race and then maybe take a shot at the Colonial Cup," said Brion. "He should improve off this race." 

Kate Dalton saddled Nothingbutbluesky, owned by Joseph F. Fowler, Jr., and ridden by Bernie Dalton, to win the $30,000, 2 1/8 mile Maiden Hurdle by 7 1/2 lengths over Trevesso, trained by Mark Beecher, and Uncle Boss (Ire), trained by Tom Garner.

 

JULIE GOMENA saddled Noble Stables' Perky, ridden by Mulqueen, to win the $30,000 Filly and Mare Maiden Hurdle by 1 length over Tricky Kitty, trained by Garner, and Loving Look (GB), trained by Barry Foley.

Kathy Neilson saddled Armata Stables' Better Bet, ridden by Freddie Procter, to win the $25,000 Optional Starter Allowance Hurdle by a neck over Biggerthanbigtime, (re), trained by Foley, and Benjis Benefit (Ire), trained by Kingsley.

Protective, owned by Steve Robbins, trained by Matthew Sims and ridden by Gustav Dahl, won the Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 2 3/4 lengths over Bjorn, trained by Neil Morris, and Give It A Whirl, trained by Beecher.

Morris trained all three in the Training Flat, with Slingshot Racing;s Primed to Go winning by a neck over Modern Master with Auction Kingdom third.