Cellist Towers Over Colonial Cup Rivals
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Photo: Coady Photography
Cellist wins the Louisville Stakes at Churchill Downs
Calumet Farm homebred Cellist , a game winner of the Louisville Stakes (G3T), figures to be the class of an atypical field in the $150,000 Colonial Cup Stakes July 27 at Colonial Downs.
A late bloomer who didn't break his maiden until February of last year, the George Arnold-trained 4-year-old earned his first stakes victory in the Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs and scored his first graded stakes victory in the May 21 Louisville. The son of 2015 Eclipse grass champion Big Blue Kitten has consistently shown a penchant for route races, handling the 1 1/2-mile Colonial Cup distance in the Louisville and placing third in the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) and 1 5/16-mile Big Ass Fans Dueling Grounds Derby at 3.
Julien Leparoux retains the mount on Cellist, who will break from post 8 in the field of 11.
In addition to Cellist, the field includes Team Block's Another Mystery , a recent victor against Illinois-breds in the June 3 Black Tie Affair Handicap at Hawthorne Race Course, and Trinity Farm's Red Knight , a grade 3 winner over this distance who has been winless in his last six starts but runner-up twice in graded stakes, among them the 2021 Louisville Stakes.
Another Mystery, a 6-year-old son of Temple City , has won twice this year, capturing the John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) in his seasonal debut at Sam Houston Race Park. Two races later, he was second to multiple grade 1 winner Channel Maker in the Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland. Jareth Loveberry, who was aboard for the John Connally win, has the mount in the Colonial Cup and will break from post 7.
Red Knight, an 8-year-old gelded son of Pure Prize, will be making his first start in 11 months for new trainer Mike Maker. Horacio Karamanos will be aboard Red Knight in post 4. Bill Mott previously trained the gelding.
Joining the fray are two steeplechasers, Snap Decision and The Happy Giant . Snap Decision, a former Phipps Stable color bearer, was graded stakes-placed on the flat before becoming a star over the hurdles for trainer Jack Fisher and Bruton Street-US. The Hard Spun gelding hasn't competed on the flat in 3 1/2 years but comes into the Colonial Cup off a 7 1/4-length win May 14 in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes (NSA-G1) at Percy Warner in Tennessee. Snap Decision will be ridden by Forest Boyce and break from post 2.
The Happy Giant has been racing over hurdles and on the flat since 2020. He won his first maiden special weight on the flat July 11 at Colonial Downs, a 1 1/16-mile turf race he took by three-quarters of a length.
Colonial Downs, Wednesday, July 27, 2022, Race 8Entries: Colonial Cup S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Royne (KY)
Feargal Lynch
122
Michael W. Dickinson
10/1
2
2Snap Decision (KY)
Forest Boyce
122
Jack Fisher
8/1
3
3Always Above (KY)
Alex Achard
118
Michelle Nihei
15/1
4
4Red Knight (NY)
Horacio Karamanos
122
Michael J. Maker
4/1
5
5Nathan Detroit (KY)
William Humphrey
122
Norman L. Cash
15/1
6
6Bakers Bay (KY)
Trevor McCarthy
122
Claude R. McGaughey III
8/1
7
7Another Mystery (IL)
Jareth Loveberry
126
Chris M. Block
6/1
8
8Cellist (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
126
George R. Arnold, II
3/1
9
9The Happy Giant (NY)
Mickaelle Michel
122
Allison B. Fulmer
20/1
10
10La Lune (GB)
Adam Beschizza
117
Edward Vaughan
6/1
11
11Bluegrass Parkway (KY)
Victor R. Carrasco
122
Michael J. Maker
12/1
