Tuesday, March 8, 2022
The Runnymede pinhooking graduate set most of the pace and scampered home to win the Black Gold Stakes by five lengths at Fair Grounds on Saturday, March 5th, to score his 3rd career victory. Dowagiac Chief, the three-year-old son of Cairo Prince was purchased from Runnymede by owner Mike McLoughlin for $110,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The young colt got away with easy fractions under jockey James Graham and was never seriously threatened by his five rivals in the one and one-sixteenth mile event on turf. The colt "willingly drew off through the lane" to gain the victory, as the Equibase chart put it, after putting away a minor challenge from Russian Tank at the six-furlong mark. Trained by Tom Amoss, Dowagiac Chief boosted his earnings to $178,000, with the Black Gold win. Congratulations to all his connections, including breeders Ben Henley, Rebekah Henley, Howard Gray, Cassandra Gray and Jim Gray.