After a successful season in 2014, Andretti S had some time off, which resulted in a few setbacks, but Saturday he proved he is back in top form. Laura Kraut piloted the 10-year-old gelding to the quickest clear jump-off, setting a blistering pace to beat out Ireland's Paul O'Shea aboard Skara Glen's Machu Picchu and Colombia's Roberto Teran with Woklahoma in the $85,000 Fidelity® Investments Classic at the American Gold Cup.

Only 11 of the 48 entries were able to master Alan Wade's first round track on the Old Salem Farm Grand Prix Field, which featured a technical triple combination at the end of the course. Kraut set the initial pace to beat with her first mount Constable II, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm, crossing the finish line in a clear 39.73 seconds, but that would only hold up for sixth place as the slowest of the clears.

Molly Ashe-Cawley on Louisburg Farm's Balous Day Date and Mario Deslauriers on Karen Polle's Global van T Braunerthof were each able to clear the jump-off course in times of 39.57 seconds and 38.34 seconds to finish fifth and fourth, respectively.

O'Shea was the first rider to break the 37 second mark, laying on the gas with Skara Glen's Machu Picchu and cruising to a faultless time of 36.58 seconds to take the initial lead.

Kraut was warming up on Andretti, owned by Star and Stripes, and did not get to see O'Shea's round, but when she heard his time she knew she would need to go as fast as possible. Luckily, Andretti S was up to the challenge, dashing over each obstacle to break the beam at 35.22 seconds, taking over the lead and relegating O'Shea to second. The only other rider to cross the timers in less than 37 seconds was Teran with Woklahma, but they would settle for third in a clear 36.72 seconds, while Kraut led the lap of honor.

"I didn't see Paul's round at all; I only heard his time, which was really, really fast compared to my time on my first horse," admitted Kraut. "I was always going to go in and go as fast as I could.  I thought I had an uncomfortably fast gallop to the second jump. All the turns worked, and it was his day."

Andretti S was very successful last fall, which led Kraut to give the talented chestnut gelding two months off, but when it was time for his return there were a few snags in the road. "He had a breathing issue, partial paralysis of his larynx, that had to get operated on," explained Kraut. "That took a month and a half, then he had a bruised heel that took a while to resolve. Finally, in July, he started to get back with some form of consistency."

Kraut is thrilled to have Andretti S back on form and believes he is a crucial addition to her string. "The horse can jump anything; he's got all the scope," she noted. "He's a little bit of a quirky horse, so it's taking him longer. He missed half he year, so I'm playing catch-up with him. Right now he feels like he did when he finished last year, so if he keeps developing like this, I think he can jump anything."

Richie Moloney and Alsvid Score $35,000 Hermès Sellier Speed Derby Win

Earlier in the day, the athletes made full use of the large Grand Prix Field when they galloped over the hills and up the bank during the $35,000 Hermès Sellier Speed Derby. Roberto Teran was once again one of the fastest of the day, going second in the order and setting time to beat at 78.76 seconds on Ark Partners' Farina. Ireland's Lorcan Gallagher came very close when he cleared the course on Alexander Devries' Esquina van Kalpscheut, and stopped the clock at 78.82 seconds.

The winning time would come from one of the last to show though. Richie Moloney and Equinimity LLC's Alsvid had a huge gallop throughout the course. They soared over the final oxer and tripped the timers at 76.61 seconds to take home the victory by two seconds, while Teran and Gallagher settled for second and third, respectively.

"My plan was to just be as quick as I could really and try to get the turns as smooth as I could," said Moloney. "I was pretty quick everywhere, but I slowed down towars the end a tiny bit just to make sure I left the last one up." Moloney concluded, "I've been riding Alsvid for over four years, and he always gets results - every show he goes to just about. He's a great horse; he can do everything."


RESULTS: Saturday, Sepetember 12, 2015

$85,000 Fidelity® Investments Classic
1.    290     Andretti S     Kraut, Laura     USA         28050.00 US      0 penalties 35.22 sec
      chest 10y.G /Corland/Animo/KWPN/103WG35/ Stars and Stripes      USA      jump-off
2.    430     Skara Glen's Machu Picchu     O'Shea, Paul     IRL         17000.00 US      0 penalties 36.58 sec      bay 8y.G /Silverstone VDL/Matterhorn/KWPN/104OE14/ Skara Glen Stables, Whipstick      IRL      jump-off
3.    475     Woklahoma     Teran, Roberto     COL         12750.00 US      0 penalties 36.72 sec
      bay 12y.M /Sheraton/Calvados/KWPN/102ZG74/ Ark Partners Llc      COL      jump-off
4.    689     Global van T Braunerthof     Deslauriers, Mario     USA         8500.00 USD      0 penalties 38.34 sec      chest 9y.G /Vigo d'Arsouilles/Landetto/BWP/103OK48/ Karen Polle      USA      jump-off
5.    205     Balous Day Date     Ashe-Cawley, Molly     USA         5100.00 USD      0 penalties 39.57 sec      black 10y.M /Balou du Rover/Domino/OLDBG/103RB34/ Louisburg Farm      USA      jump-off
6.    291     Constable II     Kraut, Laura     USA         3825.00 USD      0 penalties 39.73 sec
      chest 8y.G /Harley VDL/Lupicor/KWPN/103ZB45/ Cherry Knoll Farm      USA      jump-off
7.    678     Indigo     Engle, Margie     USA         2550.00 USD      4 penalties 37.30 sec
      grey 15y.S /Indoctro/102VB74/ Gladewinds Farm Inc      Elm Rock      jump-off
8.    141     Hitchcock vd Broekkant     Oken, Alise     USA         2125.00 USD      4 penalties 41.20 sec      8y.G /Canturo/Heartbreaker/BWP/103NS58/ Hi Hopes Farm, Llc      USA      jump-off
9.    377     Cassinja S     Jacobs, Charlie     USA         1700.00 USD      8 penalties 39.16 sec
      bay 9y.M /Carinjo/Cassini I/ZWEIB/103TL23/ Cmj Sporthorse, Llc      USA      jump-off
10.    830     Helios     Sternlicht, Adrienne     USA         1700.00 USD      8 penalties 40.23 sec
      bay 8y.S /Couleur Rubin/Grandeur/BWP/104KQ87/ Michael Whitaker      USA      jump-off
11.    300     Hh Ciske van Overis     Mcalary, Maggie     USA         850.00 USD      8 penalties 40.75 sec      bay 13y.M /Celano/Darco/BWP/102UA44/ Double H Farm      USA      jump-off
12.    272     Rubens LS la Silla     Mannix, Vanessa     CAN         850.00 USD      1 penalty 83.95 sec      chest 9y.S /Rebozo LS la Silla/Cash/SLS/104AO57/ Vanessa Mannix      CAN      round 1
      
$35,000 Hermès Sellier Speed Derby
1.    421     Alsvid     Moloney, Richie     IRL         11550.00 US      76.61 seconds
      black 14y.G /Escudo I/Azur/HANN/102PL65/ Equinimity Llc      IRL
2.    476     Farina     Teran, Roberto     COL         7000.00 USD      78.76 seconds
      bay 9y.M /Marome/Orville/AES/103VP17/ Ark Partners Llc      COL
3.    117     Esquina van Klapscheut     Gallagher, Lorcan     IRL         5250.00 USD      78.82 seconds      bay 11y.M /Thunder van de Zuuthoeve/Ahorn Z/BWP/103LX69/ Alexander Devries      IRL
4.    133     Capall Zidane     McGuigan, Ronan     IRL         3500.00 USD      78.85 seconds (74.85)      bay 11y.G /Concorde/Baloubet du Rouet/KWPN/103VP94/ Mr Ronan Peter Mc Guigan      IRL
5.    702     Cosma     Mcardle, Abigail     USA         2100.00 USD      79.37 seconds (75.37)
      dches 12y.M /Couleur Rubin/Stakkato/HANN/102RV57/ David Mc Ardle      USA
6.    420     Carneyhaugh Manx     Lutz, Peter     USA         1575.00 USD      81.00 seconds
      chest 10y.G /VDL Douglas/Hampton Clover/103UR37/ Katherine Gallagher      Davenport
7.    728     Verdi     Rodriguez, Andres     VEN         1050.00 USD      81.25 seconds (77.25)
      bay 13y.G /Andiamo/Libero H/SCSL/102LX52/ Midas Business Group S.A.      VEN
8.    703     Harriri     Mcardle, Abigail     USA         875.00 USD      81.54 seconds
      chest 8y.M /Nabab de Reve/Darco/BWP/104VT92/ Plain Bay Sales      USA
9.    853     Farfelu du Printemps     Henselwood, Jill     CAN         700.00 USD      82.01 seconds
      bay 10y.G /Action Breaker/Darco/BWP/103MK42/ John Madigan      CAN
10.    453     Luxina     Hughes, Michael     USA         700.00 USD      82.97 seconds (78.97)
      bay 11y.M /Lux/Ahorn/KWPN/103WB13/ Christina Fried      USA
11.    598     Central Park     Flores, Vasco     PUR         350.00 USD      83.54 seconds (79.54)
      chest 8y.G /Perigueux/For Feeling/HANN/104BG56/ Gotham Enterprizes, Llc      PUR
12.    362     Boemerang Van Generhese     Garza, Eugenio     MEX         350.00 USD      84.94 seconds (80.94)      bay G /Moujik De Sohan/Isabelle/SBS/103SF42/ El Milagro      El Milagro

Source: Press release from Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International.