NEWS
McDynamo back for Colonial Cup
Posted: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 5:44 PM
by Myra Lewyn
Michael Moran’s McDynamo, who scored an unprecedented fifth straight victory in the Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase last month, could lock up his fourth Eclipse Award as champion steeplechaser with a victory in the $150,000 Colonial Cup on Sunday at Springdale Race Course in Camden, South Carolina.
The ten-year-old Dynaformer gelding has won three of the past four editions of the prestigious Colonial Cup and finished fourth in 2004.
McDynamo, who is trained by Pennsylvania-based Sanna Hendriks, received a short break from training after the Breeders' Cup on October 20 at Far Hills, New Jersey. The time off included a visit to the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup on November 4 where he was paraded for fans.
Hendriks said she has been focused on keeping McDynamo in a positive frame of mind. In his only other race this season, he finished fourth in the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville on May 12.
"I'm just hoping I can keep him as happy as he is today," she said last week.
"He came out of the Breeders' Cup great, and hopefully we don't have some unforeseen adventure between now and the race. Right now, he seems great."
McDynamo’s chief competition in the nine-horse field appears to be Harold Via Jr.’s Good Night Shirt, who finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup.
The six-year-old Concern gelding won two of four starts over the jumps this season, including a comfortable victory over McDynamo in the Iroquois Steeplechase.
Good Night Shirt also captured the Lonesome Glory Steeplechase on September 22 at Belmont Park and opened this season with a close runner-up finish in the Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings Hurdle Stakes on April 20 at Keeneland Race Course. He leads North American steeplechasers by earnings this season, with $224,163, and a victory in the Colonial Cup would make him a strong contender for divisional honors.
Unlike the Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase and the majority of North American jump races, which are conducted over National fences, the fences for the 2 3/4-mile Colonial Cup are tightly packed brush.
Hendriks said McDynamo loved the timber fences and added that he had a distinct advantage over his opponent.
"The fences will be a little bit of a challenge to Good Night Shirt, but he is still a good horse," she said.
Myra Lewyn is a Thoroughbred Times daily news editor
All horses carry 156 pounds.
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, and trainer:
1 Luongo (Foligno), Chip Miller, Jonathan Sheppard;
2 Gliding (NZ) (Lord Ballina), Paddy Young, Doug Fout;
3 Good Night Shirt (Concern) William Dowling, Jack Fisher;
4 McDynamo (Dynaformer), Jody Petty, Sanna Hendriks;
5 Sovereign Duty (Kingmambo), Xavier Aizpuru, Jonathan Sheppard;
6 Three Carat (Storm Broker) Danielle Hodsdon, Jonathan Sheppard;
7 Four Schools (Ire) (Raise a Grand [Ire]), Lucy Horner, Gary Brown;
8 Orison (Pulpit), Matt McCarron, Doug Fout; and
9 Underbidder (Awad), James Slater, Jonathan Sheppard.
