Cornishman may go in West Virginia Governor's Cup
Cornishman on Friday had his first work since capturing the Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap earlier this month at his base of Prairie Meadows.
He went a sharp half-mile in 46.80 seconds. It was the second fastest of 36 works at the distance at the Iowa track Friday.
Trainer Dan McFarlane said next-race plans are to be determined, but the $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Cup will be considered. The 1 1/16-mile race is Aug. 3 at Mountaineer Park.
“I nominated for the West Virginia Governor’s Cup,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to run in it yet. It’s a mile and a sixteenth. I would like to go a little farther with him, a mile and an eighth, if I can.”
Cornishman won over 1 1/8 miles in the Cornhusker and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 94. Cornishman closed from next to last on a track rated good to edge Heroic Move. McFarlane was happy for the overcast weather that hit before the Cornhusker.
“This horse he likes to jump shadows,” he said. “He’s really bad about it. I got a big shadow roll on him. I was glad the sky got kind of overcast because when he’s jumping in the air, he’s not going forward.
“It kind of got cloudy at the right time. In the morning, when you work him, you’ve got to keep him way off the rail. He sees something, boy, he sees it coming and jumps. I think he has a future as a jumper when he’s done running!”
Cornishman is a gelding by Curlin and the Grade 2-winning mare Penwith. He races for Joseph Schumer. Cornishman stands about 17 hands tall, estimated McFarlane.
Heroic Move is being pointed for the West Virginia Governor’s Cup, according to his trainer, Robertino Diodoro. He noted the horse was a close second in last year’s running.
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