Snow Top Mountain, Turbo Compressor win at Colonial

For video of the Edward P. Evans All Along Stakes (G3), click here.

by Nicole Russo

Snow Top Mountain rallied up the rail to post a narrow victory in the 100,000 Edward P. Evans All Along Stakes (G3) Saturday night at Colonial Downs.

Speak Easy Gal and Thundering Emilia bounded away from the field of nine fillies and mares, leading the rest of the pack by as many as ten lengths through early fractions of :24.09 and :48.21.

Fourth after three-quarters of a mile, Snow Top Mountain saved ground around the far turn under Paco Lopez and found running room along the rail in midstretch, poking a head in front near the sixteenth pole. She held off a furious late bid from Clare Skies Ahead, who closed six-wide, to prevail by a neck. The final time for 1 1/8 miles on turf rated firm was 1:49.48.

Shimmering Moment finished third, a head behind Clare Skies Ahead.

Trained by Tom Proctor, Snow Top Mountain won the Suwannee River Stakes (G3) in February at Gulfstream Park but had finished unplaced in two graded stakes tries since. The five-year-old Najran mare has won seven starts from 23 career starts with earnings of $486,103.

A homebred for Barbara Hunter, Snow Top Mountain is out of the Storm Cat mare Motokiks and is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Keertana.

One race later, budding turf star Turbo Compressor led gate-to-wire to top a strong field in the $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup Stakes. He finished 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.15 under Joe Bravo.

Multiple graded stakes winner Air Support finished second, 1 ¼ lengths behind Turbo Compressor, and defending champion Rahystrada finished third.

Turbo Compressor, trained by Todd Pletcher for P and G Stables and Off The Hook LLC, is two-for-three this year since being switched to turf, winning an allowance optional claiming event at Gulfstream Park before finishing eighth in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1).

The four-year-old Halo’s Image ridgling was a multiple stakes winner on dirt last year. Overall, he has won six wins from 13 starts with $620,960 in earnings.

For Equibase charts, click here.