NEW KENT, Va.--Todd Wyatt saddled Pure Courage to win the $55,000,2 1/4 mile Ratings Handicap at Colonial Downs by 13 lengths on Thursday, July 11, dominating the nine horse field after leading throughout the race.

Pure Courage (Photo by Coady Media)Owned by Mrs.S.K Johnston and ridden by Graham Watters, Pure Courage finished in 4:01.40, the fastest of the three steeplechase races, with Travesuras, trained by Cyril Murphy, second and Outperform, trained by Richard Valentine, third.

"He's a nice horse," said Wyatt. "Sean Clancy picked him out for us. He's been consistently in the money."

Since winning a maiden race Aug. 11, 2023, Pure Courage has finished third twice and second twice in allowance races before this win.

"Elizabeth Scully, who works for us, did a lot of  work with him," said Wyatt. "She didn't ride him today, but she deserves a lot of the credit. He's been running against quality horses, so I thought he was due."

"We'll let the dust settle a little before deciding where he'll go next, but it would be nice to take him to Saratoga," said Wyatt. "There's a couple there that will fit him."

Arch Kingsley saddled his own Exculpate to win the $52,500 Maiden race for fillies and mares 4 and up by three lengths over Long Foreverafter, trained by Neil Morris, and Dark Pool, trained by Keri Brion, finishing in 4:05.33.

 

"I BOUGHT her at the end of last summer,"said Kingsley. "A person I'd made friends with at Monmouth last year, Jeanne Vuyosevich, owned her. She wasn't doing well on the flat, and Jeanne, who'd grown up around steeplechasers, told me she thought she'd make a jumper. I bought her sight unseen. This was her third run over fences."

Exculpate previously ran second twice over fences, in a maiden and in the Percy Warner Stakes, before this win.

"We'll run her back in a filly and mare stake at Colonial," said Kingsley.

Neil Morris saddled Slingshot Racing's Modern Science to win the $52,800 Maiden Special Weight by 5 1/2 lengths over Moonshine Time, trained by Brion, and Ready for the Lady, trained by Kingsley, finishing in 4:09.38.

In this, his first race over fences, Modern Science raced mid pack, moved up on the inside in the stretch and went on to win under steady pressure.