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Salmo Returns to Gold Cup Winners' Circle in Convincing Fashion
On paper, Saturday's $75,000 Virginia Gold Cup read like a grudge match. The two most recent Cup champs — 2007 winner Salmo and 2008 winner Bubble Economy — were expected to lock horns, with five others, each with a verifiable chance.
For once, the real thing lived up to the hype, with the four-mile 'chase coming down to the final strides as Virginia-bred Salmo beat Bubble Economy by two lengths in a close decision.
On the sodden Great Meadow course, the 84th running of the timber stake proved a classic destined for the history books. From the start, it had ingredients of an epic as the locally-connected front-runner established himself and held firm despite stalking bids by classy rivals.
“He just did it. Easy,” said 21-year-old Irish bug rider Darren Nagle, aboard Salmo. Loose on the front end, Nagle said Salmo “enjoyed himself” making the pace, though dogged throughout three-and-a-half miles by outsider J. Alfred Prufrock, who with amateur owner-rider Conrad Somers actually took the lead briefly at the race's halfway point.
Contending just off the leading pair was form-heavy Bubble Economy, two-time timber champ and winner of the last two timber stakes at Great Meadow, fresh off a winning tune-up at Glenwood.
Nagle said he noticed reigning champion jockey Xavier Aizpuru and Bubble Economy a few lengths back as the field rounded the sharp bend to the water jump, fence 19 of 23 with just over a half-mile to run. Just behind Bubble Economy, Erin Go Bragh, third in the Glenwood prep, nosed into contention as the group straightened up the long homestretch.
Nagle knew his rivals had the leader in their sights.
But Salmo met the final three fences flawlessly, with Nagle – who still claims a five-pound “bug” allowance – staying cool under pressure and allowing Salmo to pick his own spots.
At the wire, Salmo handled Bubble Economy's final drive, with Erin Go Bragh just back in third. J. Alfred Prufrock was fourth.
Thirteen-year-old Salmo, who won this race in '07 when trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Chip Miller, was bred in Casanova by Sara and Bruce Collette. (See story at right) Coincidentally, the Collette's Pageland Farm is next door to Spring Hill Farm, where injured 2009 former Kentucky Derby hopeful Quality Road was born.
The son of Northern Baby gave owner Irv Naylor his third Gold Cup win.
Naylor could barely contain his enthusiasm. “Darren gave him a beautiful ride,” gushed the current leading timber owner.
Naylor said Nagle “gets along famously with the horse” because he “leaves him alone. Salmo put two of the top jockeys in the nation on the ground – Chip Miller and Matt McCarron – because they tried to adjust his stride” too close to a jump for the big gelding's comfort. “He's not so adroit,” Naylor said of the rangy Salmo. “He can't adjust that easily. He likes to gallop and jump.”
Salmo trainer Desmond Fogarty agreed. “He likes this course ... there's a nice lean to the fences,,” said Fogarty, 35, who moved to the U.S. from his native Ireland in 2002...See the Wednesday print edition of the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story.
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