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Bruce Snipes was all smiles after Cordon Rouge, a horse he trained, won The City of Aiken Trophy race at the Aiken Track Trials.
Kevin Martin/The Augusta Chronicle
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AIKEN - Transplanted Northerners and outsiders have long dominated the winter racing scene in Aiken.
So when one of their own staged a rally to claim the final three races at Saturday's 62nd running of the Aiken Trials, the partisan crowd let him know about it.
"You are the man," one fan shouted after the last of the six races at the Aiken Training Track. "Congratulations, Bruce."
Bruce Snipes, an Aiken native who has been training thoroughbreds since 1968, was the top trainer on the day with three wins for Nekia Farm. Jockey James "Bo" Burns, a fan favorite with his colorful dismounts, was in the saddle for all three of Snipes' wins.
"I'm probably one of the few Aikenites here," Snipes said. "I've got 12 horses here in training, and I'm going to take them to Kentucky."
Ron Stevens won the first two races of the day with horses he trains for Dogwood Stable. That set up a showdown in The City of Aiken Trophy, the day's final race, for bragging rights for top trainer.
Cordon Rouge, trained by Snipes, was strong from the start. With Snipes yelling encouragements from the official's stand - "Come on, baby," he implored - the outcome was never in doubt. After bringing Cordon Rouge back for the award presentation, Burns jumped off the horse to the delight of the crowd.
The win for Cordon Rouge came in the horse's final start. Snipes said after the race that he was going to retire her from racing and breed her.
"She's had some problems," he said.
Cordon Rouge also won the City of Aiken Trophy last year, and the Stevens-trained Knievel was second in that race as well.
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James "Bo" Burns leaps off Cordon Rouge after finishing first in The City of Aiken Trophy race at the Aiken Track Trials. Pictured at bottom right is trainer Bruce Snipes.
Kevin Martin/The Augusta Chronicle
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Snipes and Burns also combined to win with Victor Watz in The Iselin Hall of Fame Trophy and with Lil Bit of Pucker in The Von Stade Trophy. All three of their wins came in races for 3-year-old horses or older at 41Ž2 furlongs.
Stevens didn't get the unofficial overall training title Saturday, but he did get some birthday cake.
After winning the first two races, he crossed over to the infield to celebrate his granddaughter's third birthday and had a slice of cake.
"It worked out well," he said.
The Stevens-trained Big Bamboozle won the day's most exciting race, edging General Charley by a nose to take The Coward Trophy for 2-year-olds.
"I'm real proud of him," Stevens said. "He broke to the right, but he wanted to win."
In the day's first race, The Gaver Trophy for 2-year-olds, Remuneration won comfortably over Past Due.
"I thought his time was good," Dogwood president W. Cothran Campbell said. "This colt's time has ben signaling that he can do something lke this. The light came on a couple weeks ago. He quit acting like a rogue and got serious."
Like Snipes, Campbell plans to take his horses to Kentucky and test them at the Keeneland meet.
Rocketeering won The Post Trophy, going wire to wire to give owner Ian Carmichael a win in the race for older maiden colts and geldings.
Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or john.boyette@augustacchronicle.com
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