Wow, another big Saturday. Pudding Lane continued a streak of stakes, winning the $50,000 4-year-old Stakes at the Virginia Gold Cup Saturday. Zabeel Champion upsetting the Temple Gwathmey, Cyber Ninja rallying in the Daniel Van Clief and Pudding Lane dominting in the Smithwick. Three weekends, three stakes. On to Nashville.
Trained by Kate Dalton and ridden for the first time by Freddie Procter, the son of English Channel found a perfect stalking spot, slid through on the inside, survived a minor miscue at the last and skipped clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths over Bourbonator and Scorpius. Pudding Lane paid $16 and, no, we didn’t bet him. Well, Rich and Dara did! They needed a wheelbarrow.
Sunday morning, I looked back at my texts with Kate, way back when we were trying to put the deal together last summer.
“He’s leggy and lean but I like him.”
Since then, I’ve asked more times than Kate cares to answer, “Has he filled out?” The answer is no and we’re beginning to not notice or care. He’s still leggy and lean and he can run. Proving yet again that they come in all shapes and sizes. The bay gelding is now 2-for-2 this season, earning $42,000.
We warned Procter before the race. “He’s an awkward ride.”
Leggy, lean, light mouth…
“I must have nearly fallen off him 10 times,” Procter said on the way to the winner’s circle. “He has no idea how good he is, after the last, he was just looking around. He was a tricky ride, dynamite to jump, even when he gets in tight, he gets over it, A to B. Just does the job. Made a bit of a hash at the last, quickened up and was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what to do with my legs going this fast.’ Nice horse.”
Owned by Riverdee and Joe Fowler, the Kentucky-bred climbed to eighth, one spot behind Cyber Ninja, on the 2026 earnings list. Water gets deeper from here and we’ll be mindful.
Welshman ran hard again, finishing second in the Grade 1 Commonwealth Cup. The 8-year-old veteran banked $32,000 in a week. Jhirsch finished fourth in the allowance hurdle, solid effort against more seasoned horses. De La Cruz was disappointing in the opener, I’ll take the blame there. He’ll bounce back. Mortal Sin pulled too hard and got tired in his hurdle debut.
With six wins, six seconds, a third in 16 starts and $254,500 in earnings, Riverdee stretched our advantage at the top of the leaderboard. Del Rio Racing moved into second after a big performance from Little Trilby in the Commonwealth Cup. Armata Stable, thanks to Mr. Fine Threads’ Maryland Hunt Cup win, sits in third.
As we said, on to Nashville. We entered Vintage Year, Fulmineo (shares available), Cyber Ninja, Rocket One, Zabeel Champion and Potus at the spring’s premier meet. Tuddenham Green and Include It go to Willowdale.
Pudding Lane soars over a hurdle early in the Speedy Smithwick. Photo by Middleburg Photo.
