In & Around Horse Country

IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • JUNE/JULY 2011

Jeff Murphy’s second win was aboard Indian Run Farm’s Swimming River in the novice timber race for trainer Dot Smithwick. This race was a match race with DMC Stable’s Crimson Lode (Michael Cooney).

Swimming River made all the running and won easily by what could have been many more than the official 12 lengths.

In the draft horse races, Lani Newcomb’s LB Brimsone carried Lacy Heider to a front running score in the light race and Newcomb’s Scar (Jeff Murphy) won the heavy division.

In the Junior Field Masters Chase Erin Swope rode her large pony Jordan to an easy win and Isabella Eyles’ Lone Arrow was a walkover winner in the horse division.

The finale was a two horse Senior Field Masters’ Chase for Bull Run Hunt members. When released by the Master, Robert Mihlbaugh’s Following Lead pulled away to an easy 10-length triumph over Kristi Clore on Charmer.

Orange County Hunt Point-to-Point 4-3-2011 The Locust Hill open hurdle race at the Orange County Hunt Point-to-Point on April 3 near Middleburg, attracted a good six-horse field. Two 2010 sanctioned winners, Michael A. Smith’s Humdinger and Karen B. Eyles’ Canardly, were facing Kinross Farm’s 2004 NSA leading hurdle horse Sur La Tete, who had been retired three years ago. In the race Sur La Tete (Chris Read) raced slightly off the lead and ran evenly while his stablemate, Humdinger (Matt McCarron) was rated off the pace.

When the racing got serious approaching the last fence, Sur La Tete had a narrow lead over It’s A G Man (Jamey Price) and Humdinger. Shortly after they landed it was clear that Neil Morris was going to win the race, but which of his horses was going to be first was in question until the final strides. Humdinger got to the finish first by a neck over Sur La Tete.

Rosbrian Farm’s More Fascination (Paddy Young) led in the early stages of the open timber race and stayed within striking distance when Sara Collette’s Genghis (Nick Carter) took over pace setting duties.

With a half mile to run More Fascination went to the front with Magalen O. Bryant’s G’Day G’Day (Jeff Murphy) close behind. In the last quarter mile Paddy Young let out a notch and any doubt of the result was quickly put to rest. More Fascination was an easy ninelength winner over G’Day G’Day. Tara Elmore trained the winner.

Trainer Doug Fout saddled Al Griffin, Jr.’s Aero in the novice timber race, and he became the circuit’s first two-time winner over timber. Aero stalked Sara Collette’s Thynnus in the early going, galloped to the lead with five fences remaining, and was not hurried when I’m a Hokie went to the front. With two fences remaining Aero took over and steadily improved his advantage to seven lengths at the finish over Northfield Farm, LLC’s Expel (Liam McVicar).

Will Russell’s Forest Bell, with regular rider Jeff Murphy up, had the lead most of the first time around the course in the maiden hurdle race. When Jacob’s Little Bro (James Slater) took the lead, Forest Bell assumed a stalking role. He regained the lead with three furlongs to run and won easily.

The amateur/novice rider hurdle race was a match race between Alicia Murphy’s Wicklow Bound (Billy Santoro) and Gary Baker’s Marino Feliz (Sam Cockburn). Wicklow Bound went to the front with Marino Feliz in his shadow. The order never changed, and Wicklow Bound won by one length.

In the novice flat race Randleston Farm’s White Holiday (Sam Frederickson) ran forwardly in the early going, took the lead with a quarter mile to run and held off F. Bruce Miller’s Lonesome Nun (Keri Brion) by one length.

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In the Junior Field Masters Chase, Isabella Eyles timed the release from the field master perfectly and opened an advantage that City Diplomat and Natalie Harpole weren’t able to overcome. Erin Swope had a good showing against the horses with her large pony Jordan, who won their division.

Old Dominion Hounds Point-to-Point 4-9-2011 The feature race at the Old Dominion Hounds Point-toPoint near Ben Venue, is the open timber race named after Leeds Don, who won the Virginia Gold Cup three times in the 1960s for ODH MFH David “Zeke” Ferguson. This year’s field on Saturday, April 8, may not have included a Gold Cup winner, but there were two horses, Professor Maxwell and Across The Sky, who were prepping for the Maryland Hunt Cup. Holbrook Hollow Farm’s Across The Sky assumed command in the Leeds Don and made all of the running until he lost his rider with about six furlongs to run.

Mrs. George L. Ohrstrom, Jr.’s Professor Maxwell had run second all the way and inherited the lead with Kinross Farm’s Sand Box Rules close behind. Upon landing after the last fence, these two drove to the finish where Sand Box Rules got up to win by ½ length. This was leading trainer Neil Morris’ third win on the card.

Horses that he saddled accounted for the co-featured open hurdle race and the maiden hurdle race. In the open hurdle race Matt McCarron sent Bertram Firestone’s Lake Placid to the front shortly after the flag dropped, and he was never headed. Lake Placid pulled away to an easy 4½-length win over last year’s winner, Fantastic Foe. In the maiden hurdle race Noble Stables Last Noble (Jacob Roberts) led throughout the race, outjumping the field at each fence and was an easy 10length winner.

In the owner/rider timber race Sam Cockburn sent Scott’s Gold to a commanding early lead. In the final quarter mile George Hundt, Jr. rallied Westbound Road to contend. Less than a length separated them at the last fence where Scott’s Gold lost his rider. Westbound Road galloped home alone at least a furlong ahead of Ken Shreve and Cool Fellow.

In the lady rider timber race Gypsy Beads (Diana Gillam) led until the final five furlongs where Lucy Horner took control with Katie’s Prince. George Slater’s Freddie’s Fortune (Molly White) took over second; but was no match for Katie’s Prince. Freddie’s Fortune subsequently fell at the last fence while trailing by more than a furlong.

In the first division of the novice rider flat race Beverly Steinmann’s Call You In Ten (Vicky Lawrence) went to the front effortlessly with five furlongs to run and easily held Randy Rouse’s One Sea (Eilidh Grant) and Magalen Bryant’s Manhattan Boy (Sarah Green) safe in the stretch. In the second division Better Be Ready raced far back in the field, took the lead with a quarter mile to run and won easily. Doug Fout and Edward Graham were the winning trainers.

James Falk, Sr.’s Daytime (Jeff Murphy) was the front running two-length winner of the Virginia-bred flat race for trainer Simon Hobson.

The Junior Field Masters Chase was a duel from the release to the wire between Zoe Valvo on Questioning and Isabella Eyles on Lone Arrow.

Questioning proved best by 1½ lengths.

Orange County Junior Field Masters Chase Jordan - 1st, Large Pony winner, Erin Swope up; City Diplomat - 2nd, Junior Horses Division, Natalie Harpole up; Lone Arrow - 1st, Junior Horse Division, Isabella Eyles up.

Orange County Novice Timber Aero - 1st, Jeff Murphy up.

Orange County Maiden Hurdle Jacob’s Little Bro - 3rd, Forest Bell - 1st, Jeff Murphy up.

Loudoun Hunt Point-to-Point 4-17-2011 Entries at the Loudoun Hunt Point-to-Point at Oatlands Plantation near Leesburg have always included a good contingent from Maryland and Pennsylvania. This year on Sunday, April 17, the trend continued and a high percentage of trophies went back north of the Potomac.

Continued

Orange County Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdle Wicklow Bound - 1st, Billy Santoro up, Marino Feliz (Chi) - 2nd.