English Channel easy Colonial Turf Cup winner

At the head of the stretch of the $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup you could have thrown a blanket over the six-horse field. At the wire, English Channel was all by himself and pulling away.

English Channel lived up to his 2-5 favoritism with a 3 1/2-length score in the Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs. Exceptional Ride closed for second at 12-1 in the 1 3/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds, and Interpatation (16-1) got up for third.

Eleven were entered in the Colonial Turf Cup, but five scratched and ran in the Kent Breeders' Cup the same day at Delaware Park.

With no clear speed in the race, Ryan Fogelsonger took Mad Adam to the lead, and they set extremely slow fractions of 25.08 seconds and 51.02, with Classic Campaign and English Channel in pursuit. Classic Campaign and Jose Santos made the first move on Mad Adam, going after him on the turn through six furlongs in 1:14.59. But John Velazquez had English Channel right behind the leaders, and they came three wide into the straight to take a narrow lead. English Channel spurted clear in midstretch and the race was over.

English Channel ($2.80) finished in 1:56.37 for his third straight victory and second stakes. He was coming off a four-length score in the Woodlawn at Pimlico.

A son of Smart Strike, English Channel is owned by James Scatuorchio and trained by Todd Pletcher. He earned $300,000, bringing his bankroll to $422,000.

* Bright Gold and jockey Horacio Karamanos flew past the leaders in the final furlong to take the $60,000 Buckland Stakes earlier on the card. Bright Gold ($19.80) topped a parade of longshots in the 5 1/2-furlong turf race for fillies and mares, with 10-1 Tight Spin finishing second and 17-1 Spring Kitten third. Forestier, the even-money favorite, led in midstretch but finished seventh. The trifecta came back $2,644.20 for $2.

Owned by Hazel B. Marsh and trained by Mary Eppler, Bright Gold covered the distance in 1:02.21.