McDynamo guts out Colonial Cup win

McDynamo earned his fourth BC Steeplechase win prior to taking the Colonial Cup (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com)

Dual champion MCDYNAMO (Dynaformer) essentially wrapped up a third

steeplechase Eclipse Award on Sunday after taking the $150,000 Colonial Cup

(NSA-G1) at Springdale Race Course in gutsy fashion. In the process of racking

up his third Colonial Cup, the nine-year-old gelding defeated his archrival for championship honors by

holding Hirapour (Ire) (Kahyasi) to third.

Mon Villez (Fr) (Villez) set the pace in the 2 3/4-mile turf test, but could never

shake free of McDynamo. Heading down the long stretch, the defending champion challenged Mon Villez,

who proved to be a stubborn foe, and McDynamo was forced to dig in to subdue that opponent. Stopping the clock in 5:16 1/5 after jumping 17 fences, McDynamo was a length up on Mon Villez, who held second by a half-length

over Hirapour.

Trained by Sanna Hendriks and ridden by Jody Petty, McDynamo is likely to

become the seventh three-time steeplechase champion in history.

"He definitely had to work today, but that's what makes him the horse he

is," Petty explained. "When I needed it, he gave it to me. He was all out today,

and showed he wanted to win it more than anyone else."

McDynamo was purchased by owner Michael Moran for $82,000 as a Keeneland

September yearling. He collected the 2006 earnings title with $285,000, including the

$90,000 winner's share from the Colonial Cup, which he also won in 2003 and

2005. This year, the bay won his fourth straight Breeders' Cup

Steeplechase (NSA-G1) and also scored in the Somerset Medical Center Hurdle H.

(NSA-G2) to push his lifetime steeplechase record to 14 wins from 22 races. He's

earned an American steeplechase record of $1,163,104 in lifetime prize money.