Despite the presence of Cashmere and Koala Kat, a pair of standout horses that are a combined seven-for-10 this fall, Rompaway Beau scored a deserving victory in the Roy Massie Memorial’s $7,000 second leg Saturday evening at Colonial Downs
.
Don Harmon’s Rompaway Beau got beat by Cashmere in a tight half length defeat in last week’s first leg, but the three-year-old Chip Chip Hooray gelding was not a surprising winner Saturday. With a 2009 bankroll of over $62,000, Rompaway Beau figured to be a force in the series.
Koala Kat, who missed the first leg, cut the early fractions as expected while her stablemate, Cashmere, trotted alongside for three-quarters of the race. After clockings of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:25.4, Koala Kat led as the field turned for home, but Harmon’s trotter loomed a threat courtesy of a perfect pocket journey.
Rompaway Beau did come outside in the stretch and prevailed by 1-1/4 lengths over Koala Kat at 1:54.4, a seasonal mark. Harmon’s trotter, who returned $9.80, now has 17 “in the money” finishes in 20 starts this year. Canaco Orville finished third.
(Colonial Downs)