Gouldings Green ships back for more

Gouldings Green, who shipped in to win the 1 1/16-mile Seagram Cup over the inner track here July 30, returns from Kentucky on Sunday and will be a solid choice in the Durham Cup at 1 1/8 miles.

Like the Seagram Cup, the Durham Cup offers Grade 3 status and a purse of $150,000. Gouldings Green will be the 121-pound co-highweight in a field of six.

Gouldings Green has started once since the Seagram, winning the Turfway Park Fall Championship over one mile on Polytrack on Sept. 9. Trainer Tony Reinstedler decided to pass on the Kentucky Cup Classic on Sept. 30 to run in the Durham Cup.

"We've tried to put this horse where we feel like he's very competitive all year," said Reinstedler. "His race at Turfway was a really good race, and I thought the Kentucky Cup Classic was back a little bit too quick for him. This was really a nice two-turn option for us on the Poly that we felt like we fitted very well into."

Gouldings Green will be looking for his first win beyond 1 1/16 miles in the Durham Cup. He has failed in four previous attempts at 1 1/8 miles, finishing third twice. Corey Lanerie retains the mount on Gouldings Green, who drew favorably in post 6.

"It doesn't seem to be his best distance, but he did run against top horses every time he's run a mile and an eighth," said Reinstedler. "It probably would be a little bit too far for him on dirt, but on Poly I don't know about that. The way he closed ground going a mile the other day, you sure wouldn't think it would be a problem."

Devilment, making his second start here since being transferred to trainer Malcolm Pierce this summer, is a good candidate to complete the exactor. He won the Round Table over 1 1/8 miles at Arlington in August 2005 and shipped here two months later to run in the Ontario Derby at 1 1/8 miles, finishing fourth.

The Ontario Derby was Devilment's last start of 2005. He returned Sept. 23 in a third-level allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs and finished third by a half-length. Just Rushing, who won the allowance, came back to notch his sixth straight victory here in last Sunday's Mt. Sassafras.

"It's a big stretchout, to go from 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile and an eighth, but I do think this horse wants two turns," said Pierce. "I was trying to get a two-turn race into him before this race, but it just didn't happen."

Todd Kabel rides Devilment.