Take Cover seeks to defend PA Governor’s Cup title

Take Cover won the 2016 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup. Photo by The Racing Biz.

From a Penn National release

Globetrotting Richard’s Boy looks to string together two wins in a row since returning from a trip to Dubai in March as he looms the likely favorite in Saturday’s 200,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn National. The Governor’s Cup – a five furlong sprint on the Penn National turf course – is one of 11 races on the track’s Penn Mile card that gets underway at a special start time of 3:45 P.M. EST.

Richard’s Boy, a grey son of Idiot Proof trained by Peter Miller for Rockingham Ranch, was beaten just 2 lengths in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) at Meydan on Dubai World Cup day and clearly relished the return to his preferred 5 furlong distance with a gutty score in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico just 15 days ago.

Paco Lopez will return to the irons on the 2-to-1 morning line favorite who will break from post 2.

Drawn at the rail is Ready for Rye with Luis Saez aboard for Tom Albertrani. The five-year-old is the chief earner in the field with $659,260 banked in his career but is coming off a break having last been seen in the Fall Highweight (G3) at Aqueduct in November of 2016. The City Zip gelding will attempt to break a nine-race losing streak in the Governor’s Cup.

New Farm’s seven-year-old Rainbow Heir enters the Governor’s Cup off a Monmouth Park stakes win in the Wolf Hill which was rained off the grass. The chestnut gelding started off the year auspiciously with a nose defeat to stellar turf sprinter Power Alert but then found the Shakertown (G2) at Keeneland a little too tough as he settled for 7th before picking up his first win of the year last out.

Trainer Jason Servis has enlisted the services of Javier Castellano to ride Rainbow Heir on Saturday.

Colts Neck Stable’s Take Over will try and defend his title in the Governor’s Cup having won the race in 2016 over Spring to the Sky and Ben’s Cat. Trained by Alan Goldberg, Take Over will look to find the winner’s circle for the first time since last year’s running with his most recent start coming in the Jim McKay won by Richard’s Boy where he checked in fourth, beaten just 1 1/2 lengths for the top prize.

Local fans will recognize Heiko who brings in a perfect tally on the Penn National turf course into the race but will be facing much tougher competition on Saturday night as those two victories at Penn came in spots he was entered for a $15,000 and $8,000 tag respectively.

Oak Bluffs, Gold Man, Awesome Ghost and Bold Thunder complete the lineup with Gold Man entered as a Main Track Only runner.

The Governor’s Cup is slated as Race 7 on the Penn Mile card and will be part of an all-stakes Pick 4 that begins in Race 6. Post time for the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup is set for 6:40 P.M. EST.

For handicapping and horse-by-horse analysis of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup, please click here.