CHRONICLE CUP PREVIEWS INTERNATIONAL GOLD CUP?

THE WINNER AERO and HE'S A CONNIVER (THIRD)

Al Griffin, Jr.’s Aero and Jeff Murphy defeated G’day G’day by six lengths in yesterday’s $35,000 National Sporting Library Chronicle Cup Timber Stakes.  EMO Stables’ 2010 International Gold Cup winner He’s A Conniver was third in a race that could provide at least three starters when the timber pros come to Great Meadow on Saturday, October 15 in The Plains.

Aero, by Northern Spur out of Best Victory (Fr) by Cardoudal (Fr), settled in the middle of the pack and started to move on the leaders on the backside of the racecourse.  He took over second place with two fences to go and jumped the last with a share of the lead with fellow Warrentonian He’s A Conniver.  He and jockey Jeff Murphy steadily pulled away from there.

In his previous start, the Virginia-bred Aero had won the timber race at Blue Ridge. Aero is trained by Virginian Doug Fout.

Griffin, a popular Warrenton-based orthodontist, has long been involved in the Virginia Gold Cup Associaton and has played a lead role in putting on both the Virginia Gold Cup in May and the International Gold Cup in October.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors and as the Director of Racing.  It would seem likely that winning either Gold Cup race is on his "bucket list."