The heralded Colonial Cup, the primary hundred-thousand-dollar steeplechase within the U.S., returns to the autumn calendar at Springdale Race Course in Camden, S.C., after an eight-year hiatus, giving the Nationwide Steeplechase Affiliation an exciting second championship day to assist determine year-end honors for horses and people.
Final run within the fall in 2016 (it was contested in 2018 within the spring as a part of the Carolina Cup card), the now $150,000 Grade 1 typically served as a tiebreaker for the championship following the Grand Nationwide at Far Hills a month earlier.
This yr, nevertheless, the two ⅝-mile fixture, through which all seven entries will carry 156 kilos, is prone to be a coronation for Bruton Avenue-US’ spectacular Snap Determination. A marquee identify on the NSA circuit for six years, the 10-year-old has gained three of his 4 2024 begins together with two of its largest Grade 1 occasions, the Grand Nationwide and Iroquois in Nashville. Together with his victory within the $250,000 Grand Nationwide —his first in 4 tries—Snap Determination put himself on the entrance of the road for his first Eclipse Award, and have become steeplechasing’s second main all-time cash earner, vaulting previous Lonesome Glory and Good Evening Shirt, and trailing solely McDynamo (by $193,204). In his illustrious profession, Snap Determination has amassed 15 victories and 13 stakes whereas going through top-flight competitors yr in and yr out, typically giving freely hefty quantities of weight. He’s the one two-time Grade 1 winner this season.
The $150,000 he earned at Far Hills raised his NSA earnings to $1,116,900, and in addition catapulted coach Jack Fisher over the million-dollar mark in 2024 earnings.
In contrast to McDynamo, who competed at Springdale 5 occasions, Snap Determination has by no means run over the course. On Sunday, he’ll face six challengers, three of whom are additionally G1 winners.
Keystone Thoroughbreds’ Noah and the Ark, who upset Snap Determination within the 2023 Grand Nationwide and 2022 Lonesome Glory (G1), has completed behind his rival 3 times this season, however enters the Colonial Cup off of a victory within the Grade 3 Noel Laing at Montpelier two weeks in the past. Madaket Stables and Paul and Molly Willis’ Jimmy P broke via with a 34-length romp within the G1 Jonathan Sheppard at Saratoga, however was no issue within the Grand Nationwide. Hudson River Farms’ L’Imperator earned his first stakes victory over hurdles within the inaugural G1 Beverly Steinman in June, completed a detailed second as the favourite to Freddy Flintshire within the Lonesome Glory in September, and put in a belated rally to complete fourth, overwhelmed nearly three lengths within the Grand Nationwide. Irv Naylor’s Too Pleasant, a seven-time winner abroad, seeks his first NSA rating following a sixth in his debut within the Sheppard and third to Carloun within the G1 Will Allison on the Worldwide Gold Cup Races final month. Moreover Snap Determination, Fisher saddles two different contenders in Sonny By way of’s Welshman, a Grade 2 winner in 2023, who was second in each the Allison and G1 Commonwealth Cup (to Rampoldi Plan) on the Virginia Gold Cup Races final spring. The opposite, additionally owned by Bruton Avenue-US, is Fast Grasp, who makes his stakes debut following a current 115 handicap victory.
The remainder of the cardboard consists of the $72,000 Hobkirk Hill stakes for horses who’ve by no means gained an open stake; $50,000 Raymond G. Wolfe Memorial three-year-old stakes; $30,000 filly and mare maiden particular weights hurdle; $30,000 non-compulsory starter allowance; and a coaching flat occasion restricted to apprentice riders.
Win or lose, there could also be extra racing in Snap Determination’s future. When requested if retirement was imminent, proprietor Michael Hankin was non committal. “As all the time, we’re taking one race at a time,” he mentioned on Friday. “Hoping for one of the best.”
There’s motive to suppose, nevertheless, that we’ve not seen the final of the long run Corridor of Famer. The Iroquois Steeplechase not too long ago introduced a collaborative enterprise with the Jockey Membership UK, providing the 2025 Iroquois winner a free entry, journey incentive, and invitation to compete within the Stayers’ Hurdle on the Cheltenham Competition in 2026. And as a part of the initiative, Snap Determination—a three-time winner of the Iroquois, has been invited to race at Cheltenham in 2025.
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