NEW KENT, Va.--Cyril Murphy saddled Irv Naylor's Gold Charm, ridden by Harry Beswick to win the $100,000, 2 1/4 mile Life's Illusion Stakes for fillies and mares on Thursday, Sept. 5, the last day of his year's steeplechase racing at Colonial Downs.
"We bought her as a 3-year-old at a hoes in training sale in England and brought her here," said Murphy. "She's a nice filly. She ran second to the boys at Malvern and then broke her maiden at Colonial last year. She won the Randolph Rouse Stakes at Colonial and then was third in the stakes at Far Hills."
"The plan was always to come back to Colonial, but horses don't pay bills standing in their stalls, so we had to run her this spring in a couple of races that didn't suit her," said Murphy. "Today she showed what she can do. She's very honest, she jumps well and she got a nice ride from Harry."
"Our whole year was geared to Colonial, and today was the last day, so I'm not sure what we're going to do next." said Murphy. "October at Far Hills is a possibility. There aren't that many opportunities for fillies and mares. But for now, we've achieved what we came to do."
Gold Charm ran off the pace in the back half of the seven horse field for the first six fences and then steadily improved her position, caught the leader, Exculpate, turning for home and pulled clear to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Exculpate, trained by Arch Kingsley and ridden by Parker Hendriks, with My Forever Annie, trained by Leslie Young, third,
KATHY NEILSON saddled Hard Game's Ruthenian, ridden by Hendriks, to win the first steeplechase on the card, the $33,500 Maiden Special Weight.
"My daughter Skylar picked him out," said Neilson."We bought him privately at the end of the season last year. He'd been running on the dirt at Delaware Park. With his breeding, we thought he'd be a good jumper."
Ruthenian is by Union Rags out of Ruthenia, by Pulpit.
"Skylar taught him to jump," said Neilson. "He likes running in steeplechase races at the flat tracks. Now he's figured out what to do. Parker had an abundance of confidence in him today. He gave him a great ride."
"He's a cute horse," said Neilson."He's a barn favorite. His owners were there today to see him win, so that was great."
Jack Fisher saddled Bruton Street-US' St.John's, ridden by Graham Watters, to win the $50,000 Maiden Special Weight.
St. John's has been running mostly on the flat although he has run twice before over fence, once last fall and once in March.
St. John's ran off the pace for the first mile, then steadily advanced, caught the leader on the final turn and pulled clear in the stretch to win convincingly by 3 1/4 lengths over Praghas Ceart, trained by Sean McDermott, and Memento, trained by Arch Kingsley.
Kingsley saddled Richard C.Colton's Ready for the Lady, ridden by Freddie Procter, to win the $50,000, 2 mile Allowance race on the turf for horses that had started at the meet over fences without a win.
Ready for the Lady won by 6 1/4 lengths over Clifton Down trained by Leslie Young, and Icandothat, trained by Sean McDemott.