Times
The A Publication of ST Publishing, Inc.
Steeplechase
The Trainer
Sheppard reaches 1,000 win mark INSIDE THIS EDITION
Arcadius, Easy Red take stakes at Monmouth Park He’s A Conniver soars in Virginia Fall timber stakes
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Vol. 17, No. 9 Friday, October 8, 2010
Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale
Photo by Tod Marks
2010 Helen Haskell Sampson Hurdle Stakes winner ARCADIUS, purchased at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale for 8,500 gns
2009 Maryland Hunt Cup winner MICHELE MARIESCHI, purchased at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale for 43,000 gns
Recent top USA performers purchased as horses in training at Tattersalls include:
Arcadius, Duke Of Earl, Ballet Boy, Dalucci..
Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale The World’s Largest Horses in Training Sale (1400+ lots)
October 25th - 28th Air fare assistance available subject to purchase
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Friday, October 8, 2010
News & Notes from around the circuit
WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY IS IS
RACE NIGHT AT AT
Douglas Lees
Hang Ten.
Timber horse Mach Ten and jockey Brooks Durkee show why steeplechasing is a contact sport while falling in the maiden timber at Shawan Downs. Horse and jockey walked away from the incident.
By The Numbers
4 The magnetic number square tossed up to second level of the stewards’ tower by ST’s Joe Clancy to help the results process at Shawan Downs.
“Good to be here – great to be here.” Exercise rider Ben Garner, who was injured at Saratoga, on attending the races at Shawan Downs
1 Man (Douglas Lees) with a photo of the third fence – Tong leaping The
“I started reducing a little late this fall.” Trainer and amateur jockey Todd McKenna, on why he signed up Brooks Durkee to ride Mach Ten at Shawan
Worth Repeating
“Hey, Granddad.” Assistant trainer Laird George’s greeting to trainer Tom Voss
Guinea Man – of the 1986 Maryland Hunt Cup on his mobile phone.
“I feel like if you’re training these horses you should see them run if you can. A lot of trainers don’t make an attempt.” Trainer Jonathan Sheppard about being at Presque Isle Downs for night racing and Saratoga for morning training “My next goal is 3,000 total wins, I’m not quite sure where I am, I think a couple of hundred wins, that could be another five years, but this was the more present goal and I’m very surprised how quickly we’ve done it.” Sheppard after winning his 1,000th jump race “I left it up to Brian, he asked me a couple of questions, but he had it all figured out.” Sheppard on jockey Brian Crowley’s choice between Arcadius and Sermon Of Love “It’s great, I never dreamt of this, I knew I might do OK, but you only get one shot over here in America, if you don’t succeed . . . Everybody in the yard have been patient with me as I’m getting used to the system, the routine. It’s just great, just great.” Crowley on winning five of 10 races at Saratoga and Monmouth “He’s 4 and he’s 18 hands high.”
Jockey Danielle Hodsdon about Monmouth maiden winner Port Morsbey’s potential
“What part of ‘Follow the horse in front of you’ is confusing? Starter Graham Alcock at Shawan Downs “Well, we ration it.” Owner Diane Naylor, on how she makes the peach jam she buys from the United Methodist Church at Virginia Fall last through the year “Just sit still and say ‘go on boy, put your feet up there.’ ” Jockey Brian Crowley, on his timber riding strategy “There’s nothing to do but wait for Santa, and half the time he doesn’t come.” Crowley, on December plans for jump jockeys
Hollywood Steeplechase The movie Secretariat has Thoroughbred racing abuzz and has a few connections to steeplechasing as well. Jump jockey turned flat jockey Tom Foley has a part in the film, playing exercise rider Jimmy Gaffney. And flat jockey Keith Austin, who plays Sham’s jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. in the movie, was at Shawan Downs Sept. 25 to ride in a training flat race.
Thank You Notes
“Now, that was a monkey off my back.” Trainer Doug Fout after Ptarmigan returned to win after falling at Fair Hill
From ST to the guys at GW Sound: For taking the papers to Foxfield from Shawan Downs. The readers, and editors, appreciated the volunteer effort.
“It would have been so good to have Mom here, all those years of breeding, at least Maggie got to enjoy it.” Trainer Dout Fout, whose late mother bred Ptarmigan, now owned by Maggie Bryant
From trainer Lilith Boucher to Foxfield parking volunteers: For allowing breeders Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Sheppard in the gate (without credentials) to see Jot’s Jib run. “They drove up, told the people they were the breeders of the horse (who finished second in the non-sanctioned flat race) and they let them in. They’d never been to a steeplechase and now they’re excited about it.”
“I just wanted to get over the last, she popped it like she learned from her mistake.” Jockey Jeff Murphy, after winning aboard Ptarmigan who had fallen in her most recent start “The attaboy just went down the drain with that last one.” Jockey Jacob Roberts on the reaction of trainer Tom Voss (who was at Monmouth) to Shawan Downs’ results; Roberts won aboard Sharps Island, but hit the ground when Canardly landed awkwardly while leading over the second-last a race later “I finally won a sanctioned race for Richard and it has to look like that?” Jockey Matt McCarron, on his Shawan victory (sans stirrups) aboard Blue Rider for trainer Richard Valentine
Friday, October 8, 2010
Post Time is 5 o’clock with replays through the evening
Summer Vacation Jump jockey/exercise rider Roddy Mackenzie spent the summer galloping horses for flat trainer Rick Dutrow and left impressed. “I was a bit skeptical the first week or two, because I didn’t know how to take him, but I was impressed by the end. He’s a very good horseman – he likes to give them time, he thinks about everything.” Mackenzie was lucky enough to ride 2-year-old star Boys Of Tosconova for a few gallops in the morning at Saratoga. “I’m used to riding $5,000 and $10,000 claimers and he’s quite a bit nicer than they are,” he joked. “He’s the real deal – collected, strong, a great ride.”
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October 13 Genesee Valley Morven Park October 20 International Gold Cup
Open 11:00am ~ midnight Closed Tuesday 1383 North Chatham Road West Marlborough, Pennsylvania 19320 610.383.0600 thewhiptavern.com
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Entries
What’s Happening and Where To Find It Here’s your newspaper. Arcadius went from best man to groom with a Grade I triumph at Monmouth, which also played host to a stakes win by Easy Red. Timber horses got to work at Shawan, where Delta Park showed the way. Virginia Fall hosted its two-day celebration at Glenwood Park. And Jonathan Sheppard won his 1,000th race – amazing.
Pages 6-11 Looking good at Glenwood
The historic Middleburg, Va. venue hosted the Virginia Fall Races over two days with He’s A Conniver showing why he’s in demand with a timber stakes win for EMO Stable and Jody Petty.
Steeplechase
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The Staff
Page 12-13
Editors/Publishers/Staff Writers: Sean Clancy and Joe Clancy
Photo Finish
Richard and Lilith Boucher teamed up for two wins, including a last-stride thriller by Class Tie in the filly/mare maiden hurdle.
Advertising: Contact the office or call Kathy Rubin (203) 650-6815 Jim McLaughlin (484) 888-0664 Michelle Rosenkilde (410) 692-5977 Reney Stanley (804) 449-2388 Contributors: Maggie Kimmitt, Jane Clark, Tod Marks, Barry Watson, Steve Graham, Sam Clancy, Anne Clancy, Joe Clancy Sr., Ruth Clancy, Ryan Clancy, Jack Clancy, Nolan Clancy, Miles Clancy.
PageS 14-17 Back to Work
The timber horses, jockeys, trainers and owners went after it at Shawan Downs, where Delta Park rallied late to take the feature for Arcadia Stable, Jack Fisher and Fritz Boniface.
2010 Publication Dates March 17 April 9 April 23 May 7
Pages 18-20
May 28 July 2 July 29 September 17
October 8 October 22 November 12 December 10
Don’t Forget to Advertise!
Fencing Feat
Trainer Jonathan Sheppard won the 1,000th American jump race of his long, stellar career as part of a double at Monmouth Park. Fittingly, the milestone came in a Grade I with Hudson River Farm’s Arcadius.
PageS 22-26 Dumbarton Farm homebred Easy Red graduated to stakes winner with a novice score and Ptarmigan returned in style for Maggie Bryant on the undercard at Monmouth Park.
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On the Cover Already in the Hall of Fame, already a legend, Jonathan Sheppard added another chapter to his career by picking up his 1,000th career steeplechase victory. Photo by Tod Marks
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Steeplechase Times
•5
A Keeper
He’s A Conniver rewards faith, takes timber stakes for EMO Stable
He’s A Conniver controls the lead in the timber stakes at Virginia Fall.
Douglas Lees
by joe clancy
virginia fall races
MIDDLEBURG, Va. – Ernie Oare wants to sell all of his horses – except the one everybody wants to buy. And He’s A Conniver showed why at the Virginia Fall Races Oct. 2 at Glenwood Park. The 8-year-old ran away with the $35,000 National Sporting Library/Chronicle Cup timber stakes, taking over on the final trip across the backside and sauntering in well clear of the rest. “I’ve been trying to win the Virginia Gold Cup for 40 years, I really have,” Oare said. “I rode in it myself a few times, my goal is to win that thing. I want that one. I’d rather win that than any other race. If I sell him, I’m going to have to start over with another horse.” In his first start for Oare, He’s A Conniver was pulled up in the Gold Cup this spring after building a fast-paced, shortlived lead. This fall, Oare announced a dispersal sale set for Oct 19 and 20 at Ocala Breeders’ Sale in Florida. He also lined up Jody Petty to ride He’s A Conniver. The goals this fall are harnessing the horse’s energy, winning a race or two and trying to keep him in the gold,
Saturday, October 2 red and blue silks of EMO Stable. Of course, Oare’s phone won’t stop ringing with questions about the rangy chestnut. “I don’t want to sell him,” said Oare. “I’ve tried winning the Gold Cup, I know how hard it is. Fast Steppin Man was in front and fell at the last fence a few years ago. That was tough. Hopefully, this horse can keep improving and we’ll get there. We’ll see.” He’s A Conniver took step one with a training flat win at Colonial Downs Sept. 18. At Virginia Fall, Petty settled the son of Crafty Friend in second just off the pace of Incaseyouraminer. The jockey engineered a slower tempo and more conservative jumping out of his horse, then hit the go button in the final three-quarters of a mile. He’s A Conniver passed Incaseyouraminer easily, dragged Westbound Road and Music To My Ears into contention – briefly – and drove clear at the third-last. With Petty gearing down, He’s A Conniver flew the See Va. Fall Saturday page 8
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Steeplechase Times
•7
Va. Fall Saturday – Continued from page 6
Doug Lees
Hold Your Fire (right) outjumps G’Day G’Day in the maiden timber at Virginia Fall.
October 8, 2010 Dear Steeplechase Community, Many thanks for your involvement in our Jump to the Challenge II ball and fundraising efforts. Because of you, we have raised more than $170,000 to date. Because of you, we are able to continue our support of the course inspections, drug testing, the amateur racing program, photo finish systems and more. Special thanks to auction item donors Breyer Animal Creations, Steeplechase Times, Chris Cancelli, Richard Hutchinson, Sam Slater, and Sally Jeffords Radcliffe. In addition, we are very, very grateful to the attendees, auction buyers, supporters and donors for the Jump to the Challenge II, held Saturday, September 11 at Winterthur Museum and Gardens. And now a glance at the future, the Foundation can continue its mission of serving the sport of steeplechasing only with your continued support. The 2010 Annual Campaign is still active and we welcome your contributions. Our impact is only as great as our ability to rally support, raise funds and focus the community’s collected energy. We want to do more, we want to get involved – we want to be your foundation – but we can’t do it alone. Thank You, Beasie Patterson, Sam Slater, Gail Thayer P.S.: Suggestions for improvement are as welcome as contributions with the goal being 100 percent participation. NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Sam Slater President
Sally Jeffords Radcliffe Vice President
Gail B. Thayer Secretary/Treasurer
Alexandra Hundt, Beasie Patterson, Frances Raffetto, Laura T. Shull, Adair B. Stifel, Susan Strittmatter, Guy J. Torsilieri, Richard Valentine, James H. Whitner IV
400 Fair Hill Drive, Elkton, MD 21921 • Phone: (410) 392-0700 • Fax: (410) 392-0706 • www.nsfdn.org
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last two fences and won by 27 lengths in 6:49 2/5 for 3 1/4 miles. Westbound Road (Brian Crowley) finished second with Music To My Ears (Robbie Walsh) third. “The only thing I messed up on was after we jumped the third to last,” said Petty. “He was still pretty relaxed but I could hear them behind me so I gave him a little smack down on the shoulder and he ran off with me over the last two fences. I didn’t need to do that.” He’s A Conniver made his first 23 starts for owner/breeder Jonathan Sheppard, winning once on the flat (Kentucky Downs, 2006), losing four hurdle starts and switching to timber for good in 2007. Oare bought in this year, watched the Gold Cup defeat and moved the horse to the EMO training string with autumn on the agenda. Once the calendar turned to September, Oare called Petty. “Jody loves to ride timber and a lot of jockeys don’t,” Oare said. “I know he loves it. Very few of those guys ever seek out a timber ride. He was excited about it. It’s worked out great.” He’s A Conniver will step up to the International Gold Cup this fall and aim for the Virginia Gold Cup next spring. “They want him to rate, they want him to try to get 4 miles next spring,” said Petty. “The only way he’s going to win both is if he settles, learns to go short (at his jumps), waits. This fall is all about getting him to go 4 miles in the spring and if he can win, great. So far, so good.” • His horses Hold Your Fire and Imperial Way bounded away from the field in the $15,000 maiden timber, trainer Tom Voss said five words. “No, no, no, no, no.” OK, one word five times, but he wasn’t happy. Hold Your Fire (Paddy Young) and Imperial Way (Matt McCarron) kept each other company early. Imperial Way relaxed first, Hold Your Fire still hasn’t. The Fields Stable’s 6-year-old dragged Young along for 3 miles and refused to let anyone get close while winning by 4 1/4 lengths in 6:18. G’day G’day (Jeff Murphy) was secondbest with Just Say Boo (Jacob Roberts) third. “Just like we drew it up,” Voss said while shaking his head. “He’d never been there before, I wasn’t sure what he’d do in front and the other horse was right there with him. This horse is only about half-fit, he could probably run like that all day looking at him.” Young agreed. “I was strangling him, if I let go of his head I don’t know what he would be like,” the jockey said. “I just had to sit and suffer in front. You don’t know what to expect in these timber races; today we had a bunch of maidens, he’s run a couple of times, the last thing I wanted to do was get him in trouble. I figured I’d break him off handy and drop him in a bit, but then Matt and I were stuck in front on our own.” A half-brother to two-time champion mare Guelph, Hold Your Fire won back-to-back starts in 2008 – on the flat at Colonial Downs and over jumps at Great Meadow – but missed last year. He resurfaced as a timber horse this See Va. Fall Saturday page 9
Friday, October 8, 2010
Va. Fall Saturday – Continued from page 8
spring, finishing second at Winterthur and Fair Hill. “He’s a nice horse,” said Young. “I never moved a muscle on him. The way he jumped the last it was going to take Seabiscuit to come and get him. He never stopped.” • Making just his second start outside of the stakes ranks in a year, veteran hurdler Chess Board appreciated some class relief in the optional claiming hurdle. The English import finished second twice – in the 2009 Noel Laing and the 2010 Temple Gwathmey – but also struggled through four double-digit defeats and a lost rider. This time, Chess Board (Darren Nagle) rolled to the front with a circuit remaining and turned aside Twister Crossing (Petty) and One Sea (Roddy Mackenzie) in the stretch. Now trained by Kristin Close for Irv
Naylor, the well-traveled English import scored by a neck in 4:07 2/5 for 2 1/8 miles while showing some new energy early in the race. “I was just fighting him so much that he was fighting back and I started to think that wasn’t going to work as far as getting home so I let him stride on,” Nagle said. “I thought he’d settle in front, but he didn’t do that either. He got stronger and stronger. I sat on him for the first time (the day before). He seemed like a lovely little athletic horse, a little buzzy but nice. I was glad I got a little feel of him because it helped out today.” Chess Board won two English hurdle starts in 2006 and joined the Doug Fout barn for owner Eldon Farm. Health problems kept the son of Vettori off the track until 2008, and he didn’t win until last fall – in the same race – at Virginia Fall. He moved to David Bourke’s barn late last year and sold to Naylor after placing sixth behind Lead Us Not at Saratoga in mid-August. “Tom (Foley) and Kristin have gotten him fresh and back to his peak form,” said Nagle. “He’s won around here, he was second in the Temple Gwathmey here so I knew he liked this type of track.”
stephen.edelen@Inf.com
Friday, October 8, 2010
john.kessler@Inf.com
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• Paddy Young fell off Dispute This twice while schooling – before the fence – so naturally couldn’t wait to ride the 4-year-old in Virginia Fall’s maiden claiming hurdle. Racing for Christ Is King Stable and trainer Ricky Hendriks, Dispute This sat off the pace of Sir Dynamite early, glided into contention approaching the backside the final time, took control coming to the last fence and won by a neck despite coming off the rail on the stretch run. Last Noble (McCarron) finished second with Sir Dynamite (Crowley) third. The winner covered 2 1/8 miles in 4:19 4/5 while making his jump debut. “The schooling at home has been great, but he’s been a little cheeky,” the jockey said. “On this course, I’d rather be closer to the inside coming around that (final) bend, but with him I wanted to stay off the inside, I wanted to be off the beacons. I didn’t hit him because I didn’t want to take my hand off the reins. The second circuit he jumped better and better. He’s only going to improve.”
Kathleen.beadell@Inf.com
Steeplechase Times
•9
At 1st Sight
English purchase Demonstrative scores in jump debut for Valentine by sean clancy
virginia fall races
Richard Valentine wrote himself a note on Lot 575’s catalogue page at the Tattersalls Newmarket Sale in July. “Love. Love.” Valentine pledged his allegiance to the son of Elusive Quality, putting up 25,000 guineas for Jacqueline Ohrstrom. Consider the love fest going strong. Demonstrative proved demonstrative in the Nelson C. Noland Memorial maiden, Virginia Fall’s annual 3-yearold maiden hurdle which unveils the class of 2010. It offered typical demographics; Jack Fisher ex-flat horses, Lilith Boucher/Mede Cahaba homebred, Ricky Hendriks transferee. And then there was Demonstrative – a gorgeous, placid, dark bay gelding with a soldier’s step. Matt McCarron gave Demonstrative a definitive ride, rating comfortably in third well off New Mambo and Class Moon, while staying out of the usual traffic trouble in a 3-year-old race. Demonstrative jumped smoothly, deliberately picking the right takeoff spots, and won easily over Peace Fire (Xavier Aizpuru) who made up ground to be second. Dance Faster (Paddy Young) finished third. Demonstrative finished 2 1/8 miles in 4:06 2/5 over ground that had firmed up after weekday rain. “I didn’t do anything, I just steered,” McCarron said. “We liked the way he schooled and felt like we’d put him in a
Sunday, October 3 position where he stayed out of trouble and if he could win, then go on and win. He jumps and runs like an old horse. I’m impressed.” Valentine’s been impressed from the first time he looked at Demonstrative. “I looked at the book, there were two numbers. I put ‘love’ on Book Of Numbers and I put ‘love, love’ on Demonstrative,” Valentine said. “I go around and look at what I like then Hyphen Bloodstock points me in the right direction. I have a certain type. He’s it.” Book Of Numbers went for 75,000 guineas at the sale. Selected by Valentine and Hyphen (the same team that selected Maryland Hunt Cup winner Michele Marieschi), Demonstrative was bought and delivered to America for roughly $50,000. “I think he’s the quickest learner I’ve ever been around, jumping-wise, we didn’t think about running him over jumps until we got all that rain. If you spent five minutes with him, you’ll see why,” Valentine said. “We bought him in July, he came over in August and he started jumping at the end of August. He’s a 10-year-old in a 3-year-old body.” Bred in America by Gainsborough Farm, Demonstrative won one race from 11 starts in England while competing for trainer Mark Johnston and
Virginia Fall Races
Middleburg, Va. Saturday, Oct. 2. Turf Firm. 1st. $10,000. Optional claiming hurdle. 2-1/8 Miles. NW $9,100 once or $15,000 claiming price. 1. Chess Board (GB) ............L .............150.............Nagle *-2. Twister Crossing............L..............145 ............Petty 3. One Sea.............................L..............141 ............Mackenzie 4. The Manner Born..............L..............144 ............Hodsdon 5. Farndale............................L..............154.............Young 6. Chivite (Ire).......................L..............136.............Dahl 7. Final Straw........................L..............154.............McVicar 8. Fogcutter...........................L..............148.............Roberts 9. Baron Von Ruckus............L..............155.............Swope PU. Waracha.........................L..............138.............Stettinius Mgn: Neck. Time: 4:07 2/5. O: Irv Naylor. T: Kristin Close. B. g. 7, Vettori (Ire)-Cruinn A Bhord (GB), Inchinor. Bred by Stanley Estate & Stud. Co. (GB). *-Claimed by Irv Naylor (Brianne Slater, trainer) for $15,000. 2nd. $15,000. Maiden Timber. 3 Miles. 1. Hold Your Fire ..................L .............165.............Young 2. G’day G’day.......................L..............165 ............Murphy 3. Just Say Boo.....................L..............160.............Roberts 4. Fond Of A Drop (GB).........L..............167.............Brown 5. Imperial Way.....................L..............160.............McCarron 6. Sand Box Rules.................L..............166.............Read 7. Atrium...............................L..............165.............Walsh 8. Reveillon...........................L..............160.............Beecher 9. Rippin And Runnin............L..............165.............Crowley 10. Michael Over Easy...........L..............165.............Slater Mgn: 4-1/4. Time: 6:18. O: The Fields Stable. T: Tom Voss. Ch. g. 6, Waquoit-Distant Drumroll, Eastern Echo. Bred by Mimi Voss (Md.)
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Steeplechase Times
Demonstrative leads Peace Fire in the 3-year-old maiden hurdle at Virginia Fall.
owner Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. He was bred by Gainsborough Farm. • One race later, another debut hurdler won impressively when Mede Cahaba Stable’s Complete Zen (Richard Boucher) held off experienced maiden Mischief (Young) to take the maiden hurdle. First-time starter One Giant Step (Danielle Hodsdon) finished third. Boucher tried to rate Complete Zen, one of eight first-time starters in the field, but wound up on the lead after jumping four hurdles. Steadied once there, the 4-year-old jumped fluidly and used his flat form to outrun Mischief by a half-length. Complete Zen finished 2 1/8 miles in 4:08 2/5. Bred and owned by Mignon Smith’s Mede Cahaba Stable and trained by Lilith Boucher, Complete Zen won three
3rd. $35,000. Timber Stakes. 3 1/4 Miles. National Sporting Library/Chronicle Cup. 1. He’s A Conniver.................L..............165.............Petty 2. Westbound Road..............L..............160.............Crowley 3. Music To My Ears (Ire)..................L 150 ............Walsh 4. Fieldview...........................L..............165.............Nagle 5. Incaseyouraminer.............L..............155.............Swope PU. Albert’s Crossing............L..............155.............Slater Mgn: 27. Time: 6:49 2/5. O: EMO Stable. T: Ernie Oare. Ch. g. 8, Crafty Friend-Better To Be Lucky, Roberto. Bred by Jonathan Sheppard (Pa.) 5th. $6,500. Maiden claiming hurdle. 2-1/8 Miles. $10,000-$5,000 claiming price. 1. Dispute This......................L..............152.............Young 2. Last Noble.........................L..............152.............McCarron 3. Sir Dynamite.....................L..............156.............Crowley 4. Embarrassed.....................L..............156.............Mackenzie 5. Meshwaar.........................L..............156.............McVicar 6. Baylor Dude......................L..............149.............Merrigan 7. Peace Proposal.................L..............142.............Hodsdon 8. Three Bridge Road............L..............147.............Roberts Mgn: Neck. Time: 4:19 4/5. O: Christ Is King Stable T: Ricky Hendriks. B. g. 4, Domestic Dispute-Heavens Belle, Pulpit. Bred by Teresa Beste (Del.). Sunday, Oct. 3. Turf firm. 1st. $10,000. 3YO Maiden Hurdle. 2-1/8 Miles. 1. Demonstrative...................L..............150.............McCarron 2. Peace Fire.........................L..............150.............Aizpuru 3. Dance Faster.....................L..............150.............Young 4. Class Skip.........................L..............150.............Boucher 5. New Mambo......................L..............150.............Walsh 6. Be Great............................L..............150.............Mackenzie 7. St of Circumstance............L..............150.............Petty 8. Union Army.......................L..............150.............Dowling F. Class Moon........................................145.............Roberts
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Douglas Lees
of 11 starts on the flat including a firstlevel allowance at Colonial earlier this summer. Asked if she expected a win, Boucher was blunt. “Well, yes. He’s a two-other-than on the flat, wouldn’t you?” Boucher said. “We probably won’t run him over jumps again, we’ll probably put the blinkers back on and try to win that two other than condition on the flat. He’s a little erratic when he schools because he’s so keen, but he jumped great today. I’m glad it was here because Mignon could be here. You would like him to rate and be nice, it’s a shame he’s so free, but he’s just galloping along.” • Jimmy Day secured the Virginia owned-and-trained maiden hurdle when Mask And Wig scampered to a See Va. Fall Sunday page 11
PU. Let’s Presume.................L..............150.............Murphy PU. Theladycamehome.........L..............144.............Merrigan PU. Dr. Wheat.......................L..............150.............Crowley Mgn: 4. Time: 4:06 2/5. O: Jacqueline Ohrstrom. T: Richard Valentine. B. g. 3, Elusive Quality-Loving Pride, Quiet American. Bred by Gainsborough Farm (Ky.). 2nd. $10,000. Maiden Hurdle. 2 1/8 Miles. 1. Complete Zen....................L..............150.............Boucher 2. Mischief............................L..............154.............Young 3. One Giant Step..................L..............150.............Hodsdon 4. Primero Peru.....................................154.............Mackenzie 5. Lake Placid........................L..............154.............McCarron 6. Classic Bridges.................L..............145.............Roberts 7. Opera Heroine...................L..............148.............Dowling 8. Knight In Armour..............L..............154.............McVicar 9. Siren’s Echo......................L..............148.............Slater F. Hue Of Crimson.................L..............150.............Murphy F. Cape Doctor.......................L..............150.............Dalton Mgn: 1/2. Time: 4:08 2/5. O: Mede Cahaba Stable. T: Lilith Boucher. Gr./r. g. 4, Cozzene-Complete Number, Polish Numbers. Bred by Mede Cahaba Stable & Stud (Va.) 4th. $7,500. Maiden Hurdle. 2 1/8 Miles. Owned & trained in Virginia. 1. Mask And Wig...................L..............154.............McVicar 2. Vine Hill.............................L..............154.............Walsh 3. Duck Hunt.........................L..............144.............Hinchion 4. Distant Strike....................L..............150.............Murphy 5. More To The Point.............L..............150.............Young PU. Chatuge..........................L..............148.............Slater PU. Different Drum...............L..............150.............Mackenzie PU. Rutledge Classic.............L..............149.............Roberts Mgn: 2-1/4. Time: 4:06. O: Michael Smith. T: Jimmy Day. Ch. g. 5, Distorted Humor-Star Nurse, Eastern Echo. Bred by Charles Nuckols Jr. & Sons (Ky.)
Friday, October 8, 2010
Va. Fall Sunday – Continued from page 10
commanding lead and made it stand over Vine Hill. Ridden by Liam McVicar for owner Michael Smith, the 5-yearold son of Distorted Humor rebounded from a disappointing spring when failing to hitting the board in four starts over fences. Mask And Wig has been busy this year with seconds in maiden hurdle races at Old Dominion and Blue Ridge Point-to-Points and lackluster hurdle efforts at Foxfield, Nashville, Fair Hill and Penn National. Switched to the flat, he hit the board twice at Colonial Downs before a loss at Saratoga in a 12-furlong maiden turf race. He made his fall debut, winning the open flat at Blue Ridge Point-to-Point in September. He made his 11th start of the year at Virginia Fall. McVicar put Mask And Wig’s experience to work, opening up a huge lead over his less-experienced rivals. He sliced boldly through his fences, extending his lead for the first circuit and then holding and hoping it would stand up for the second circuit. It did – barely. Vine Hill (Robbie Walsh) whittled at the lead but ran out of ground, winding up second with Duck Hunt (Muiris Hinchion) third. The winner completed 2 1/8 miles in 4:06. Mask And Wig won three races on the flat for Roy and Gretchen Jackson but had drifted to the $16,000 claiming level for trainer Barclay Tagg. Day purchased him during the off season. “I brought him home and he did everything right, I thought he was going to be a good horse this spring but he lost his confidence,” Day said. “I told Liam to put him on the lead and slow it down to a walk, that was a fast walk, but you can get away with speed around tracks like this. That dude was reeling us in pretty fast, but we got there.” The win completed a big day for Team Day. Emily (wife of Jimmy) won the Theodora Randolph Field Hunter Championship of North America aboard former hurdler Another Look.
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Mask And Wig flies a fence in his maiden hurdle win at Virginia Fall Sunday.
Friday, October 8, 2010
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Doubling Up Bouchers combine to capture two of three hurdle races on card by sean clancy
Foxfield races
Lilith and Richard Boucher love the Foxfield Races. The husband/wife, jockey/trainer duo swept half the card at the annual fall meet Sept. 26. Firm ground and competition from Shawan Downs and Monmouth Park caused many horsemen to scratch or not enter; just 16 horses started in the four NSA races. The Bouchers won the opener when Marilyn Ketts’ Flight Movie took a maiden claiming hurdle and scored again when Mede Cahaba Stable’s Class Tie annexed the filly and mare maiden hurdle. “The guys in the barn said they would both win,” Lilith Boucher said. “They were right.” Class Tie nosed out Lonesome Nun (Brian Crowley) in the final stride of the $15,000 co-feature. Secret Style (Jacob Roberts) finished third. Ironically, Boucher had trained Lonesome Nun for Lonesome Glory LLC and trainer Bruce Miller at Colonial Downs this summer. Making her first jump start since finishing seventh in the open maiden at Queen’s Cup
Sunday, September 26 last spring, Class Tie won for the first time in her ninth career start (flat and jump). The daughter of Black Tie Affair finished third in a $25,000 maiden claimer on the flat at Colonial Downs in 2008 and finished the 2008 season with a third in a Palm Beach filly and mare maiden hurdle. She earned $9,000 for the Foxfield victory. “She was coming off a long layoff and she’s about 15 hands,” Lilith Boucher said. “Instead of being on the head bob, for four strides, she kept poking her nose out like she knew. How do they know? I don’t know if she’s a stakes horse but the filly and mare races look like they’re falling apart. She’s not real scopy but she’s a good jumper. What I notice with the mares is if you can keep them knocking, they develop.” • After 11 starts on the flat, Flight Movie won his jump debut, scoring by 9 lengths over Three Stepper (Paddy Young) and Meshwaar (Liam McVicar) in the maiden claimer.
Class Tie (right) catches Lonesome Nun at the wire in the filly/mare maiden hurdle.
Lilith Boucher took over the training on the Maryland-bred son of Touch ‘N’ Fly before the Colonial meet where he made four starts on the flat. His best finish was a third in a $5,000 conditioned claimer in June. With dual-purpose Richard Boucher in the irons, Flight Movie finished seventh going a mile and a half on the turf in his final start at Colonial in July. “Three days after he ran at Colonial, I called Marilyn and said he would win at Foxfield,” Lilith Boucher said. “We’ve had good horses for Marilyn, he’s a claimer but we like him, he won
Betsy Parker
nicely, he won by 9 in a double handful. He’s keen at the track but my kids could ride him at the farm. He might be one of those that surprise you.” • Trainer Kathy McKenna shook off a hard-luck Saturday at Monmouth (novice Quiet Approval finished fourth in the Grade I Sampson and Saluda Sam unseated jockey Jody Petty in the novice stakes) by winning the maiden hurdle with Great Halo. Owned by McKenna’s Hamilton Farm, the 3-year-old firsttime starter handled four rivals under See foxfield page 13
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Friday, October 8, 2010
Foxfield –
Continued from page 12
jockey Roddy Mackenzie. A $1,200 purchase at Timonium in December 2007, Great Halo won two of five starts on the flat, breaking his maiden for a $10,000 claiming tag as a 2-year-old and taking a non-winners-of-two for $7,500 at Penn National in May. Given the summer off in preparation for his jump debut, Great Halo won by three quarters of a length over second-time starter Zulla Road (Roberts) and Belarion (Young).
The winner is a half-brother to P.C. Plod, who won multiple hurdle races for Kinross Farm, and followed a roundabout path to steeplechasing. Former jump jockey J.W. Delozier bought the bay gelding as a weanling at Fasig-Tipton, and received immediate positive feedback from McKenna’s husband Todd. When Delozier needed to sell horses to make room for a new client, he called the McKennas and Kathy had a new horse. Billy Santoro did the early work and Kathy McKenna’s first 2-year-old starter broke his maiden at nearly 40-1 in December 2009. He went back to Penn this spring for a win in late May. “I got him with the idea he’d go jumping, but he’s been good enough to win twice on the flat,” Kathy
McKenna said. “He broke his maiden going 6 furlongs, coming out of my barn – off the farm. You wouldn’t think that would work. He’s been schooling over fences since he was 2, so running over jumps really wasn’t a big deal for him. He’s been a lot of fun.” • Lear Heights picked up a flat win for Indian Run Farm and Dot Smithwick. Chivite finished second in the field of three. A son of Lear Fan, the winner won two of 29 flat starts at the racetrack for trainers Helen Pitts, Tom Drury, Speedy Smithwick, Holly Robinson and Simon Hobson. The Kentucky-bred sharpened for Foxfield with two starts on the flat at Virginia pointto-points this fall.
Foxfield Fall Races
Charlottesville, Va. Sunday, Sept. 26. Turf Firm. 1st. $10,000. Mdn. Clm. Hurdle. 2-1/8 Miles. $12,500-$10,000 Clm. price 1. Flight Movie L 144 Boucher 2. Three Stepper L 148 Young 3. Meshwaar L 152 McVicar 4. Duck Hunt L 138 Hinchion Mgn: 9 1/2. Time: 4:11 1/5. O: Marilyn Ketts. T: Lilith Boucher. Dr. b. or br. g. 4, Touch’n’Fly (Ire)-Fritzi’s Michelle, Skip Away. Bred by Heather Hayes (Md.) 2nd. Training Flat. 1-1/16th Miles. 1. Lear Heights L 155 Roberts 2. Chivite (Ire) L 155 Crowley F. Mariah’s Promise 152 Harris Mgn: 5. Time: 1:56 4/5. O: Indian Run Farm. T: Dot Smithwick. B. g. 7, Lear Fan-Respectability, His Majesty. Bred by Victory View Farm (Ky.)
Great Halo (right) leads Sgt. Bart early in the maiden hurdle at Foxfield.
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4th. $15,000. F&M Mdn. Hurdle. 2-1/8 Miles. 1. Class Tie 155 Boucher 2. Lonesome Nun L 155 Crowley 3. Secret Style L 151 Roberts 4. Cape Town Queen 151 Young Mgn: Nose. Time: 4:20 4/5. O: Mede Cahaba Stable. T: Lilith Boucher. Dr. b. or br. m. 5, Black Tie Affair (Ire)-Class Babe, Class Secret. Bred by Mede Cahaba Stable & Stud LLC (Va.) 5th. $15,000. Mdn. Hurdle. 2-1/8 Miles. 1. Great Halo L 138 Mackenzie 2. Zulla Road L 151 Roberts 3. Belarion L 154 Young 4. Sgt. Bart 154 Slater 5. Class Indian 138 Boucher Mgn: 3/4. Time: 4:21 4/5. O: Hamilton Farm. T: Katherine McKenna. B. g. 3, Great Notion-Noddy’s Halo, Halo. Bred by Roland Farm (Md.)
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Following his own orders Delta Park rallies late to win stakes by joe clancy HUNT VALLEY, Md. – Jack Fisher went to Monmouth Park, not Shawan Downs, but he knew what happened. “He was out the back, where he wasn’t supposed to be, and got lucky,” the trainer said. “I know it. I didn’t need to see it.” Yeah, yeah, Shawan downs whatever. Fisher complained afSaturday, Sept. 25 terward, but jockey Fritz Boniface put Delta Park in the back of a nine-horse field early to engineer a win in the $25,000 Ski Roundtop timber stakes at Shawan Downs Sept. 25. Owned by Arcadia Stable, the winner drew off from Gather No Moss late to win by 4 1/2 lengths in 6:04.40 for 3 miles. “He was brilliant, I was very impressed by him,” said Boniface. “I know the horse can close and I was very confident where we were.” Run over a hard turf course, the Roundtop turned into survival of the fittest. Major Price rocketed to the front, extended the margin to 60 lengths at See shawan page 15
Douglas Lees
Delta Park (left) catches Major Price in the Ski Roundtop timber stakes at Shawan Downs.
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Shawan –
Gorgeous Charger leads Swagger Stick in the maiden timber.
Continued from page 14
one point, blasted fences, lost little momentum. On the final run up the backside, the other eight runners went to work on the cushion. Prospectors Strike led the parade, pulling Gather No Moss, Patriot’s Path and Delta Park along. Delta Park took over from Major Price in the stretch and outran Gather No Moss (Mark Watts) and Prospectors Strike (Justin Batoff) to the finish. Major Price stayed for fourth, despite the early workload. “Major Price was going to stay there or he was going to come back to us,” said Boniface. “You have to ride like he’s not there. Prospectors Strike (also trained by Fisher) helped us by going when he did – I didn’t want any part of Major Price at that point.” Delta Park won twice over timber in 2009, but lost his first three starts in 2010. Just 6 (at least three years younger than the others in the field), the son of Johannesburg could be on the improve. “He’s still learning, we both are,” said Boniface, a Fisher employee who rode his first jump race in 2009. “They still call me boy at the barn. I wasn’t sure I’d have any rides this fall so to get a win the first day of the season is nice. There’s a little rust. We school and everything at home, but the race helps you get back into it.”
Douglas Lees
• A race later, Irv Naylor’s Gorgeous Charger (James Slater) followed a similar path to victory in the $15,000 maiden timber. The 7-year-old homebred advanced from last of seven early to catch Swagger Stick (Willie Dowling) on the final turn and win by a neck in 6:37.40 for 3 miles. Ordered To Listen (Jacob Roberts) finished third. Trained by Billy Meister, the son of Awad used his experience edge over the final stages – taking aim at recent hurdle convert Swagger Stick leaving the backside, building a lead early in the stretch and holding on in the final yards. “I watched the timber stakes and the speed was almost getting there, but not quite,” said Slater. “I saw Fritz come from behind and I figured, chances are these maidens might just do a little bit too much early and come back to me. I was quite happy sitting there. I wanted to wait.” Fresh off a third in the Grade I New York Turf Writers Cup at Saratoga in late August, Swagger Stick (Willie Dowling) set the pace for better than 2 miles. His jumping improved as he went along, but he made a key mistake at the last fence on the backside – opening a door. Gorgeous Charger, sixth at the Grand National in April and fifth in open company at Nashville in May, used those timber miles late. “(Swagger Stick) made a pretty serious mistake that allowed us to catch up without doing much work,” Slater said. “I waited until we got around the bend and went from there. He absolutely sailed the last and that definitely helped.” • Sharps Island kicked off a big day for owner Dumbarton Farm when he won the opener, a $15,000 maiden hurdle, for trainer Tom Voss. The 7-year-old sat fourth early as Bag Of Hammers built a 30-length lead and advanced to second just before the stretch. Sharps Island (Jacob Roberts) landed running over the fiSee Shawan page 16
Friday, October 8, 2010
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• 15
Shawan –
Sharps Island (center) catches Bag Of Hammers (right) while loose horse Grinding Speed keeps pace near the wire of the maiden hurdle.
Continued from page 15
Douglas Lees
nal two fences, caught the leader in the final yards and won by three-quarters of a length in 3:43 for 2 miles. “Tom said if somebody runs off on the front end, let them go,” said Roberts. “I wasn’t paying attention to that horse on the lead. My horse was in a really good cruising speed and I didn’t want to mess with him. I wasn’t going to ruin his chances by trying to keep up with that other horse. The only chance I had was to let it unfold late and it did.” Sharps Island won seven races and earned more than $225,000 on the flat for Dumbarton and trainer Jimmy Murphy, who died last year. After three flat starts last year with Tim Keefe, the son of Deputy Minister followed stablemate Easy Red to Voss’ barn this year. Fifth at Penn National and pulled up at Saratoga Open House, Sharps Island finished third on the flat for Voss at Saratoga Sept. 1 in the start before Shawan. Owner Joe Keelty, on hand to accept Sharps Island’s trophy, skipped the rest of the day to catch Easy Red winning a novice hurdle stakes at Monmouth a few hours later. “I watched that one on television,” Keelty said. “I haven’t had many days like that as an owner. Both horses did very well on the flat and now they’re doing very well over jumps too.”
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• In the midst of a late rally that took him from last to first in the stretch of the second, a $10,000 conditioned claiming hurdle, Blue Rider skipped awkwardly through the last fence. Matt McCarron stayed in the tack, but his left foot parted company with its stirrup. For balance, the jockey kicked his right foot free and rode for the finish. Whitewood Farm’s Blue Rider obliged, drawing off to win by 3 3/4 lengths over Sword Of Dubai (Robbie Walsh) with Expel (Liam McVicar) third. The winner, trained by Richard Valentine, covered 2 miles in 3:44.20 while winning for the second time in 10 jump starts. McCarron fell/slid off while pulling up, but got back in time for the trophy presentation – tired, sore, a little embarrassed. “The second-last and the last both came up long and he was going so quick and the ground was so hard, he never got his landing gear down quickly enough,” McCarron said. “I went out the back door a little bit, and I lost an iron. The first two strides, I couldn’t get it back. The best scenario I had was to pull the other one too and at least I could egg him on as opposed to trying to hang on for dear life.” Blue Rider nearly lost touch with the field on the backside and was still last at the top of the stretch. Canardly led into the second-last, but juked right at takeoff, twisted on landing and lost Roberts. Expel and Harrys Crown battled briefly for the lead, until Blue Rider swooped to the front at the last. “When they started running away from me down the back I could only do so much, we had a long way to go,” McCarron said. “Fortunately, they just started to come back to me by the turn. I got by one and as soon as I turned for home I pulled him out and got by a few more and all of the sudden his confidence swelled and he started really running.” • Nick Arundel’s Union Army (Roberts) bested Dispute This (Brooks Durkee) by a neck with Our Diva (Paul Madden) third in the first training flat race. Jack Fisher bought the 3-year-old son of Dixie Union from WinStar Farm in the spring. Maggie Bryant’s Dealer Beware (Alex Thomas) ran away with the finale, scoring by 12 lengths over Old Timer (Mark Beecher) and Dance Faster (Durkee). Dealer Beware hit the board over hurdles in the spring.
Friday, October 8, 2010
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Blue Rider outruns loose horse Canardly (and the others) to the finish in the second.
1st. $15,000. Mdn. Hurdle. 2 Miles. 1. Sharps Island L 155 Roberts 2. Bag Of Hammers L 160 Slater 3. Straight To It L 156 Dowling 4. Red Ghost L 160 McVicar 5. Fog Island L 151 Haynes 6. Houghton Regrets L 160 Durkee 7. Sumo Power L 156 Watts F. Grinding Speed L 151 Beecher Mgn: 3/4. Time: 3:43. O: Dumbarton Farm. T: Tom Voss. Dr. b. or br. g. 7, Deputy Minister-Regal Victress, Diamond Prospect. Bred by Richard S. Kaster, Nathan Fox & Deputy Minister Syndicate (Ky.) 2nd. $10,000. Cond. Clm. Hurdle. 2 Miles. NW2 for $15,000-$10,000 1. Blue Rider L 154 McCarron 2. Sword Of Dubai L 162 Walsh 3. Expel L 158 McVicar 4. Harrys Crown L 154 Slater 5. Summersville L 140 Dahl 6. Johann Star L 162 Watts LR. Canardly L 159 Roberts Mgn: 3-3/4. Time: 3:44 1/5. O: Whitewood Stable, Inc. T: Richard Valentine. Ch. g. 7, A.P. Indy-Bluemamba, Kingmambo. Bred by Skymarc Farm Inc. (Ky.) 3rd. $25,000. Timber stakes. 3 Miles. Ski Roundtop Trophy. 1. Delta Park L 165 Boniface 2. Gather No Moss 160 Watts 3. Prospectors Strike L 165 Batoff 4. Major Price L 165 Beecher 5. Patriot’s Path L 165 Dowling 6. Brands Hatch L 160 McVicar 7. Bon Caddo 168 Read PU. Wazee Moto L 160 Williams PU. Incaseyouraminer L 160 Swope Mgn: 4-1/2. Time: 6:04 2/5. O: Arcadia Stable. T: Jack Fisher. B. g. 6, Johannesburg-Excedius, Seattle Dancer. Bred by Earl Silver & Michael Eiserman (Ky.)
Friday, October 8, 2010
4th. $15,000. Maiden Timber. 3 Miles. 1. Gorgeous Charger L 165 Slater 2. Swagger Stick L 165 Dowling 3. Ordered To Listen L 165 Roberts 4. Mr Tack 160 Boniface 5. Glacial Sting (Ire) L 160 Beecher F. Mach Ten L 165 Durkee LR. Just Say Boo L 168 Read Mgn: Neck. Time: 6:37 2/5. O: Irv Naylor. T: Billy Meister. B. g. 7, Awad-Gorgeous Gerty, Darn Than Alarm. Bred by Irv Naylor (Md.) 5th. Training Flat. 1-3/8 Miles. 1. Union Army L 155 Roberts 2. Dispute This L 160 Durkee 3. Our Diva L 157 Madden 4. Orebanks L 160 Thomas 5. Last Noble L 160 Slater 6. Comanche Station L 160 Wyatt 7. Final Straw L 160 McVicar 8. The Other Me L 160 Watts 9. No Mesa With Me L 160 Haynes 10. Pecan Tassie L 152 Austin Mgn: Neck. Time: 2:26. O: Arthur W. Arundel. T: Jack Fisher. B. g. 3, Dixie Union-King’s Fancy, King of Kings. Bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski, Marty Zaretsky and Harry Patton (N.Y.). 6th. Training Flat. 1-3/8 Miles. 1. Dealer Beware L 160 Thomas 2. Old Timer L 160 Beecher 3. Dance Faster L 155 Durkee 4. Chestermite L 160 Dahl 5. Dynaway L 160 Wyatt 6. Torino Luge (Aus) L 160 Merrigan 7. Native Mark L 160 Watts 8. Rawley L 160 Stettinius 9. The Editor L 160 McVicar 10. Colonial Kid L 160 Slater 11. Hiwasee Gem 152 Walsh PU. Lion’s Double L 160 Dowling Mgn: 12. Time: 2:25 1/5. O: Maggie Bryant. T: Doug Fout. Ch. g. 6, Stack-Beware Of The Ace, Caveat. Bred by Jim Carter (Fla.)
Enjoy private tours of leading trainers’ yards Philip Hobbs Sandhill Racing Stables Brian Meehan Manton House Stables Pat Murphy Glebe House Stables
Dine at:
Bibury Court Hotel after opening day at Cheltenham. Trip includes nightly dining at historic racing inns and pubs.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE
Shawan Downs
Hunt Valley, Md. Saturday, Sept. 25. Turf Firm.
Tod Marks
Go racing at:
Cheltenham, Sandown and Taunton with premium seating and hospitality.
For trip details and to reserve your space, visit our website or contact George Wagner, 1-800-368-0872
www.horseracingtripsworldwide.com
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Steeplechase Times
• 17
Monmouth Park Saturday, September 25
1,000
Arcadius delivers win, training milestone for Sheppard in Gr. I BY sean clancy
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Jonathan Sheppard leaned on a bottle recycling container, he checked his program, he looked through a pair of mini binoculars. With a Sport of Kings tote bag hanging from his arm and a baseball hat pulled down to his brows, he paced on the apron and then walked inside the Monmouth Park grandstand and as quickly as he got to the TVs, he was back out front again. The Hall of Fame trainer loitered among a man drinking a bottle of Bud, a fat guy wearing a Rutgers T-shirt, a hunched man smoking a cigarette and rooting for the 3 horse. Sheppard watched the Helen Haskell Sampson Hurdle, the $100,000 Grade I feature at Monmouth Park Sept. 25, in complete anonymity. Hudson River Farm’s Arcadius traveled sweetly the whole way, collared Slip Away at the last and galloped away to a 1-length victory under summer phenom Brian Crowley. Jonathan Sheppard, the greatest of all
time, adjusted his baseball hat and walked toward the winner’s circle. He didn’t pump his fist, he didn’t highfive an owner, he didn’t hug a wife, he simply walked toward the winner’s circle for the 1,000th time after a jump race. Sheppard is the first trainer in the sport’s history to achieve the milestone. Most likely, the last. Among active trainers, Jack Fisher is second with 369, followed by Janet Elliot and Tom Voss (345 each). “I read Steeplechase Times last night and it said I had two to go,” said Sheppard, who won a maiden with Port Morsbey earlier in the card. “It was a nice race to do it in, he seemed to be always going well, in
a nice spot, he’s riding pretty well, this kid.” That’s Sheppard, deflecting the credit and changing the subject (and, yes, Crowley is riding well, he won five of the 10 jump races at Saratoga and Monmouth). Congratulated on the milestone, Sheppard again guarded it. “I think this could be it,” Sheppard said. “I might hang it up right here.” Doubtful. The 69-year-old engineered another Grade I triumph by producing Arcadius to a facile win in the stakes. Arcadius put together two strong efforts at See arcadius page 19
18 •
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Steeplechase Times
Arcadius (left) challenges Slip Away at the last fence in the Helen Haskell Sampson Stakes.
Tod Marks
Arcadius –
Royal Ascot (June) L’Arc de Triomphe (Sep-Oct) Cheltenham (March) Dubai (March) Aintree (April)
Continued from page 18
Saratoga, finishing second in the A.P. Smithwick and New York Turf Writers Cup, beaten both times by a stablemate. Divine Fortune was sharper in the Smithwick and Sermon Of Love was sharper in the Turf Writers. Divine Fortune went wrong after the Smithwick and Sermon Of Love was over the top, finishing last, in the Sampson. The good soldier, Arcadius, was there to pick up the pieces for his fourth lifetime jump win and first Grade I victory. It was his turn. Paddy Young put Slip Away on the lead in the 2 1/2-mile stakes but Crowley kept Arcadius close, always in touch and always eyeing the pacesetter. Under the wire the first time, Slip Away led Red Letter Day with a gap to Sermon Of Love, Seer and Arcadius. Novice Quiet Approval and Iroquois winner Tax Ruling trailed. After five fences, Arcadius jumped into third, outside Sermon Of Love, still 5 lengths off Slip Away. With a circuit to go, Slip Away led Red Letter Day who made a mistake at the eighth hurdle in front of the stands, Arcadius tracked to his outside. Into the final turn, Arcadius blew past Red Letter Day and took aim on Slip Away, finally reeling him with a big leap at the last and a resolute gallop to the wire. The official margin was a length. Announcer Larry Collmus couldn’t have said it better, “It’s a milestone for a racing icon.” Amen. “I was trying to do the math and I figured you had to average 25 wins for 40 years, it’s hard to imagine anybody could have done it, let alone me,” Sheppard said. “I guess back in the old days we used to win up in the 30s quite a bit, but that doesn’t happen that often any more. It’s mind-boggling. It’s amazing. It’s hard to imagine it could happen again, the future is so uncertain.” Sheppard began the march all the way back on April 16, 1966 when Redmond Stewart Jr.’s Haffaday won at My Lady’s Manor. Yes, Sheppard used to be a timber trainer. From there, the ball quickly began to roll and now it’s rolled all the way to 1,000. He won 39 races, a single-season record, to lead the nation in 1988. He’s trained nine champions (steeplechase and flat) and two Hall of Famers. He’s won the Turf Writers 13 times, the Colonial Cup 14 times. And he’s on his way to his 24th races-won title and 26th money-won title. But, still he doesn’t rest, waver or take it easy. This summer, he was in the winner’s circle at Presque Isle Downs Tuesday night and at his Saratoga barn Wednesday morning. The 740-mile roundtrip car ride, like it was nothing. Yeah, that’s how you get to a thousand. “I figure if you’re going to do it, go at it, otherwise do something different,” Sheppard said of his methodology. “I’m extremely grateful to all the owners and people who work for me and the nice horses, I’ve been along for the ride, basically. We’ve had a lot of good people with a lot of passion, hopefully I’ve instilled a little of that into them, but still they have to show up every day and work from 6 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon.” Don’t think Sheppard wasn’t count-
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NSA Standings top 10 through OCTOBER 8 Jockeys (Races Won)
Tod Marks
Arcadius powers to the finish at Monmouh.
ing to 1,000 or counting toward his next goal of 3,000 combined wins. He’s doggedly competitive, driven like he’s been jilted and focused like a rifle. Whether it’s on a homebred claimer at Presque Isle or a champion sprinter at Saratoga or a jumper at Monmouth or a veteran with two bows legging up in Camden, Sheppard goes at it with everything he’s got. Years ago, he was offered a private job training flat horses, he didn’t take it. He could have winnowed down his stable to a select group of flat horses, he stuck to his roots and kept his jump stable on the front burner. His commitment to steeplechasing wavered for a few years but all in all Sheppard has plied his trade and dominated it for four decades. “Back in the day when there was more steeplechasing, I wonder what the numbers were. I tapered off for a few years, but 40 years is a long time. I had changed my focus, when what I call my sequence was over (he was beaten for leading trainer, after 18 consecutive earnings titles, in 1991), I went through the motions a little bit and concentrated on the flat a bit more,” Sheppard said. “It’s the people who inspire you, the people who come along who are enthusiastic and want to ride. They have a passion, they love the horses, they want to see you do well. It’s the people you work with day in day out, who are enthusiastic and are willing to put in the time, you feel like you should reciprocate.” At the end of the day at Monmouth, Sheppard grazed Arcadius on a sliver of grass on the backside. He took a call from jockey Clinton Potts at Penn National, talked about an Irish filly he was trying to buy and about a program on the rising middle class which he heard on NPR. All the while, Sheppard eyed his horse, walking in circles and dodging buckets, holes and guywires before deciding Arcadius was content. “He liked that,” Sheppard said as he put the 6-year-old gelding in his stall. Assistant Anne Sinchak told Sheppard about some filling in a runner’s leg. “Boy, you take all the fun out of it,” Sheppard said, half serious. Sheppard handed out a $100 bill to Sinchak and got back in his Audi stationwagon for the two-hour drive to his Unionville, Pa. farm. Before he was out of the stable gate, he was back on the phone, checking on two runners at Presque Isle Downs (they finished first and second). More miles on the clock and winners in the bank.
Sts Paddy Young . ........................ 77 Danielle Hodsdon . ................. 40 Carl Rafter . ............................ 46 Richard Boucher .................... 26 Jeff Murphy ........................... 51 Matt McCarron . ..................... 40 Jody Petty .............................. 51 Brian Crowley.......................... 24 Bernie Dalton ......................... 42 Darren Nagle .......................... 55
1st 16 12 11 9 8 7 7 7 6 6
2nd 13 5 6 2 8 8 4 4 13 9
3rd 12 7 4 6 9 5 6 2 3 8
Trainers (Races Won)
Sts Jonathan Sheppard ................ 71 Tom Voss ............................... 78 Jack Fisher . ........................... 66 Kathy McKenna ...................... 43 Doug Fout .............................. 32 Sanna Hendriks . .................... 15 Julie Gomena ......................... 10 Richard Valentine.................... 32 Lilith Boucher.......................... 12 Dave Washer . .......................... 8
1st 21 14 10 8 5 5 5 4 4 3
2nd 9 19 12 3 3 2 1 6 1 3
3rd 17 9 10 3 6 3 1 4 1 1
Owners (Money Won)
Sts Bill Pape . ............................... 27 Irv Naylor ............................... 52 Arcadia Stable ........................ 21 Hudson River Farm................. 13 Ken and Sarah Ramsey .......... 11 Dumbarton Farm..................... 10 Maggie Bryant . ...................... 28 Mary Ann Houghland ............... 8 Oakwood Stable ....................... 5 Randleston Farm . .................... 7
2nd 3 4 3 4 3 2 2 0 1 2
3rd 6 6 0 5 2 1 4 1 0 0
Horses (Money Won)
Sts Arcadius . ................................. 5 Sermon Of Love ....................... 5 Tax Ruling ................................ 3 Bubble Economy ...................... 3 Easy Red .................................. 7 Slip Away ................................. 5 Divine Fortune . ........................ 6 Lead Us Not ............................. 4 Spy In The Sky . ....................... 2 Twill Do .................................... 2
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1st 6 7 5 3 2 3 6 2 3 1 1st 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1
2nd 2 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0
3rd 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0
Earnings $461,100 286,760 222,470 135,300 176,200 117,610 140,450 296,590 153,600 247,720
Win% .21 .30 .24 .35 .16 .18 .14 .29 .14 .11
Earnings $641,630 405,450 329,750 114,445 118,950 52,600 120,350 72,140 58,600 34,850
Win% .30 .18 .15 .19 .16 .33 .50 .12 .33 .38
Earnings $274,590 200,100 164,600 161,790 113,100 97,950 95,350 72,300 69,600 59,450
Win% .22 .14 .24 .23 .18 .30 .21 .25 .60 .14
Earnings $124,500 109,500 105,250 95,400 87,950 86,500 86,000 47,840 47,500 46,750
Win% .40 .40 .33 .67 .29 .20 .33 .25 .50 .50
Steeplechase Times
• 19
Through The Years 700
Milestone Victories of Jonathan Sheppard
700th win October 15, 1994 International Gold Cup Flying Frenchman Owner: Timber Bay Farm Jockey: Charlotte Brooks
001
First win April 16, 1966 My Lady’s Manor Haffaday Owner: Redmond Stewart Jr. Jockey: Paddy Neilson
800
800th win June 20, 1999 Delaware Park Sky And Sea Owner: R.D. Hubbard Jockey: Arch Kingsley
100
100th win August 18, 1972 Saratoga Race Course Speed Kills Owner: Mrs. C.M. Lofting Jockey: Michael O’Brien
900
900th win March 5, 2006 Little Everglades Bonfo Owner: Timber Bay Farm Jockey: Danielle Hodsdon
200
Courtesy of National Steeplechase Museum
Jonathan Sheppard (right) walks with Haffaday after the 1968 Maryland Hunt Cup.
300
500
400
600
300th win August 20, 1981 Saratoga Race Course Bright Highway Owner: Augustin Stable Jockey: John Cushman 400th win March 30, 1985 Carolina Cup Star Billing Owner: Masuth Stable Jockey: Jerry Fishback
500th win October 14, 1988 Royal Chase Final Try Owner: Jim Cromiak Jockey: Jonathan Smart
1000
1000th win Sept. 25, 2010 Monmouth Park Arcadius Owner: Hudson River Farm Jockey: Brian Crowley
600th win October 5, 1991 Virginia Fall Awrence Owner: Marabue Farm Jockey: Ben Guessford
National Steeplechase Association
200th win September 10, 1977 Fair Hill Leaping Frog Owner: Chadds Ford Stable Jockey: Jerry Fishback
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20 •
Steeplechase Times
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Help Wanted Whipper-In
Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds in Unionville, Pennsylvania has a position available for whipper-in. Candidate must be a strong, confident rider, hard working, honest, and serious about a career in hunt service. Salary, health care, housing and utilities provided. Send resume to: Ivan Dowling, Huntsman, P.O. Box 38, Unionville, PA 19375-0038 or e-mail to dowlingivan@verizon.net
The 26thR unning of the
Tod Marks
Sheppard Career Scorecard
Trainer Jonathan Sheppard reached the career milestone of 1,000 steeplechase victories with the win by Arcadius at Monmouth Park Sept. 25. His career record includes: Jump Career Year Wins Total 2010*........................ 21 . .................. 1,000 2009.......................... 17 . ..................... 979 2008.......................... 16 . ..................... 962 2007.......................... 21 . ..................... 946 2006.......................... 26 . ..................... 925 2005.......................... 17 . ..................... 899 2004.......................... 18 . ..................... 882 2003............................ 7 . ..................... 864 2002.......................... 15 . ..................... 857 2001............................ 9 . ..................... 842 2000.......................... 16 . ..................... 833 1999.......................... 26 . ..................... 817 1998.......................... 12 . ..................... 791 1997.......................... 15 . ..................... 779 1996.......................... 29 . ..................... 764 1995.......................... 27 . ..................... 735 1994.......................... 37 . ..................... 708 1993.......................... 31 . ..................... 671 1992.......................... 35 . ..................... 640 1991.......................... 29 . ..................... 605 1990.......................... 25 . ..................... 576 1989.......................... 34 . ..................... 551 1988.......................... 39 . ..................... 517 1987.......................... 30 . ..................... 478 1986.......................... 19 . ..................... 448 1985.......................... 31 . ..................... 429 1984.......................... 28 . ..................... 398 1983.......................... 38 . ..................... 370 1982.......................... 24 . ..................... 332 1981.......................... 32 . ..................... 308 1980.......................... 11 . ..................... 276 1979.......................... 29 . ..................... 265 1978.......................... 26 . ..................... 236 1977.......................... 30 . ..................... 210 1976.......................... 22 . ..................... 180 1975.......................... 18 . ..................... 158 1974.......................... 15 . ..................... 140 1973.......................... 15 . ..................... 125 1972.......................... 20 . ..................... 110 1971.......................... 18 . ....................... 90 1970.......................... 21 . ....................... 72 1969.......................... 21 . ....................... 51 1968.......................... 12 . ....................... 30 1967.......................... 11 . ....................... 18 1966........................... 7 . ......................... 7
Steeplechase at callaway gardens saturday,
november 6, 2010
horse races·live entertainment·food·fun·kids·activities
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Steeplechase Times
• 21
Monmouth Park Saturday, September 25
Red Man Dumbarton homebred rides Murphy’s call to novice stakes score by sean clancy OCEANPORT, N.J. – Jimmy Murphy won 185 races as a steeplechase jockey from 1948 to 1964, and is still 10th on the career victory list. He turned to training and built a reputation as one of the best on the Maryland circuit before passing away in 2009. His legacy continues. Dumbarton Farm homebred Easy Red, one of the last horses Murphy saddled, switched to steeplechasing last summer. Under Tom Voss’ care, the son of Charismatic won his debut at Monmouth Park in the fall. A year later (364 days to be exact), Easy Red won his first stakes when taking the Metcalf Memorial at Monmouth Sept. 25. “Jimmy Murphy told me about that horse two years before I got him,” Voss said after the race. “He said he’d be a good horse over jumps, once he was through with him. He’s a tough horse, always tries.” After winning his jump debut, Easy Red skidded through his next seven starts, hitting the board in most and then hitting his nadir when beaten 22 lengths in an average allowance race at Saratoga Open House and pulling up in an optional claimer at the real meet
Easy Red (8) goes after Birthday Beau (right) and Ground Frost after the last fence in Monmouth’s novice hurdle stakes.
Aug. 12. Voss sent the 8-year-old veteran (he made his 52nd start at Monmouth) to the farm and tried again at the end of the meet. “We sent him home after the first two times he ran so bad, he didn’t want to go to the first fence,” Voss said. “He came back seven days before he ran and his back was still sore, something was pinching him or something. You ran your hand down his back, he’d sink, we injected it and he had a corn under his shoe, we three-quartered it. Nothing I’ve done. That’s the rest of the story, he’s won two races since.”
Tod Marks
In the last jump race at Saratoga, Sept. 2, Easy Red rated in fourth before sweeping to a comfortable score over favorite Lead Us Not. Three weeks later, he returned against a tough group of novices that included undefeated Call You In Ten, the Voss-trained Ground Frost and Jonathan Kiser third Italian Wedding. Birthday Beau reluctantly took the lead from Grantor in the middle of the first turn and opened a 10-length lead after flying the second and third hurdles. Grantor See monmouth page 24
A Complete Dispersal
Tod Marks
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Steeplechase Times
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Steeplechase Times
• 23
Monmouth –
Continued from page 22
found a spot in second, closer than usual, while Italian Wedding rated in third. Brian Crowley parked Easy Red in fourth, to the outside while Call You In Ten and Ground Frost trailed. Saluda Sam lost jockey Jody Petty with a circuit to go but the rest kept the same order until the final turn when Easy Red, Ground Frost and Italian Wedding rallied to Birthday Beau while Call You In Ten waited for room. The quintet jumped the last with the race in the balance, Easy Red rallied stoutly to win by three-quarters of a length over an unlucky Call You In Ten (Murphy). Ground Frost (Young) finished third with a head to a game Birthday Beau and a nose to Italian Wedding. The first five finished within a length and a quarter. Crowley, aboard for the first time, was impressed. “He won very nice, they didn’t go very quick early, it turned into a sprint,” Crowley said. “I thought I’d be done for toe turning in, but I pulled him wide and gave him a shove, he just took off, I knew coming to the last we’d win.” • There were nervous trainers at Monmouth. And then there was Doug Fout. The Virginia-based trainer had to face the music with Maggie Bryant’s Ptarmigan. The 4-year-old filly impressively won her first two starts of the year before pulling up after her saddle slipped at Nashville and falling at Fair Hill. The gray daughter of Unbridled Jet had the Valentine Memorial in her grasp when
she took a heavy fall at the last fence. Fout put her away for the summer, hoping to clear her mind and his, and aimed at Monmouth’s Guelph Stakes. He gave her a flat spin at Colonial Downs where she dead-heated for third. All is well again. Jeff Murphy rated Ptarmigan in the back of the six-horse field, which was led by Green Velvet and her stablemate Farah T Salute. Moon Dolly sat third with Miss Crown, Dynaskill and Ptarmigan next. Under restraint, Ptarmigan jumped big and round when meeting her fences long and sticky when meeting them short. It was schoolwork. After finally leveling off and jumping fluidly at the two fences down the backside the final time, Ptarmigan split horses to be fourth going into the turn as Miss Crown took over from Farah T Salute. Moon Dolly (Young) loomed as well before finishing third. Turning for home, Miss Crown (Bernie Dalton) and Ptarmigan had separated from their rivals, jumping the last in unison (both going short) and then battling to a photo finish which had viewers debating. Don’t ask Murphy. “I had to come back and see where Bernie was sitting,” the jockey said. Dalton was going to the number 5 slot along the outside rail – not the winner’s circle. Ptarmigan, bred by Fout’s mother Eve, had picked up her third victory and most importantly quelled Fout’s fears after the Fair Hill fall. “You don’t want to fry them, you can fry a filly so quickly, especially in a jump race. She had such a bad fall, you don’t know, she was real tentative
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Ptarmigan (left) battles Miss Crown at the last fence in the filly/mare stakes.
when we first schooled her, once she got going, she was OK,” Fout said. “I was up all night, it’s always in the back of your mind, you don’t know if you broke her heart for good, it was a bad fall, I thought she was dead. It was terrible, you couldn’t have had a worse fall.” Murphy, who’s ridden Ptarmigan in her last six starts, took the blame and then tried to put that mistake behind him as he got another chance on the long-striding filly. “I’ve had enough disappointment in racing that I’m not going to let those things bother me,” he said. “It was one of those things; she was very rank, she was tired, it was a hot day, if she met it a stride earlier, she would have landed on the other side and won it. I was the
PUBLIC
Tod Marks
first to blame myself for that one, she’s a lovely filly, we always thought she was the best of the fillies and I won’t say she’s the best yet, but wait until next month.” Fout plans to run Ptarmigan at Far Hills and call it a season. “She needs to run one more time and be put away. She’s a real thinker, we need to be careful, I think we can have a serious horse next year,” Fout said. “I’ve been in the game enough, you know how fast things can turn. She’s a big strapping filly, you don’t get those kind of fillies very often. She’ll prove her point.” See monmouth page 26
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Steeplechase Times
• 25
Monmouth –
Continued from page 24
SafTfence hurdles open for schooling! Two flights, each national fence size of 52”.
Timber jumps coming soon this fall!
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Ite is a well rounded horsewoman who has extensively foxhunted, evented to advanced, and competed internationally in dressage. Ite has worked with many jumpers and eventers on their flatwork and dressage. Beginner to Grand Prix, from all disciplines welcome! 45min private sessions to focus on dressage and the goals of the rider. Auditors welcome $20 per day. $140 per horse per day or $260 per horse for both days. Details on MTF website. Registration deadline October 18th, contact Erin Kath (540) 347-4777.
MorningsideTrainingFarm.com 5687 Merry Oaks Road The Plains, VA 20198 Ph: (540) 347-4777 Fax: -9771
26 •
Steeplechase Times
• Trainer Jonathan Sheppard picked up his 999th career jump win when Augustin Stable’s Port Morsbey turned away even money favorite Good Request (Young) to win the $25,000 maiden by a head. Danielle Hodsdon settled the massive 4-year-old in second well off runaway leader Best Name. Port Morsbey drifted to sixth as he learned the art of running and jumping. Once the education was provided, Hodsdon unleashed the homebred son of Pleasantly Perfect for a sweeping wide move on the final turn to reach the last with a solid lead over Good Request. Port Morsbey popped it, giving Good Request another chance, but then re-rallied to stave off the favorite. Salinja (Jody Petty) finished third, 29 lengths behind the first two finishers. “I didn’t know what to expect from Tod Marks him, I expected that he would run well Port Morsbey (left) fights off Good Request in the maiden hurdle. but there were a lot of first-timers in there, he lacks a little bit of confidence you want to keep him galloping,” Hodsdon said. “I would still with his jumping,” Hodsdon said. “He’s such a big horse, have liked to seen a nice spot at the last, but all I saw was you’d think he should have a big, long one and I don’t know long, being by myself and not having asked any questions if he’s not strong enough or not confident enough so I’ve had before, I didn’t think I should ask it then, he chipped in and to leave him alone, I think he’ll come into it on his own, I that’s why it was as close as it was, at least he kept honest all hope, at least he’s being careful about it. He’s figuring it out. I the way to the wire.” wasn’t sure what to expect, based on his flat form, he’s shown he can stay and he’s got a tremendous gallop to him.” • Arcadia Stable’s All Together returned to his earlier form Port Morsbey made six starts on the flat, finishing third by winning the $25,000 flat race. Trained by Jack Fisher and three times without breaking his maiden. Hodsdon rode him ridden by Xavier Aizpuru, All Together broke his maiden imon the flat at Colonial Downs this summer where he finished pressively at Penn National earlier this summer but then failed third going a mile and a half. At Monmouth, he jumped de- to finish in two starts at Saratoga. All Together sat second off liberately – adjusting to a short spot when in doubt – before returning stakes veteran Preemptive Strike before cruising to gearing up on the final turn with an impressive kick. a 2-length win over Air Maggy and Twister Crossing. The “I don’t normally want to go that wide around the final 4-year-old half-brother to Arcadius won three times on the turn, but with a big horse like him, you get him galloping, flat, including an allowance race Monmouth last summer.
Monmouth Park
Oceanport, NJ. Saturday, September 25. Turf Firm. 1st. $30,000. SOK F&M Hurdle. The Guelph Stakes. 2-1/4 Miles. 1. Ptarmigan L 150 Murphy 7.20 3.80 2.60 2. Miss Crown L 148 Dalton 3.20 2.60 3. Moon Dolly (GB) L 144 Young 3.00 $2 Exacta (3-5) Paid $26.60. $1 Trifecta (3-5-6) Paid $63.70 $1 Superfecta (3-5-6-4) Paid $109.90 4. Farah T Salute L 152 Aizpuru 5. Green Velvet 140 Hodsdon 6. Dynaskill L 144 Crowley Mgn: Nose. Time: 4:31 1/5. O: Magalen O. Bryant. T: Doug Fout. Gr/ro. m. 4, Unbridled Jet-Flaine, Chenin Blanc. Bred by Eve Fout (Pa.) 3rd. $25,000. SOK Maiden Hurdle. 2-1/4 Miles. 1. Port Morsbey L 148 Hodsdon 12.20 4.40 2.80 2. Good Request L 154 Young 2.60 2.20 3. Salinja L 154 Petty 2.60 $2 Exacta (4-3) Paid $24.20. $1 Trifecta (4-3-8) Paid $48.10 $1 Superfecta (4-3-8-6) Paid $423.10 4. Camden Wood L 154 Dalton PU. Dynacast L 154 Geraghty PU. Best Name (Gb) L 154 Nagle PU. Power Game L 154 Mackenzie PU. Sergeant Karakorum L 148 Crowley Mgn: Head. Time: 4:28 3/5. O: Augustin Stables. T: Jonathan Sheppard. B. g. 4, Pleasantly Perfect-Rendezvous Point, Kingmambo. Bred by Augustin Stable (Pa.) 5th. $70,000. SOK Novice hurdle stakes. 2 1/4 Miles. NW prior to 6/1/09 or NW 3. Metcalf Memorial. 1. Easy Red L 153 Crowley 15.60 6.60 4.00 2. Call You In Ten L 147 Murphy 5.60 4.60 3. Ground Frost L 150 Young 3.40 $2 Exacta (8-7) Paid $65.80. $1 Trifecta (8-7-5) Paid $119.20 $1 Superfecta (8-7-5-4) Paid $960.90 4. Birthday Beau L 153 Geraghty 5. Italian Wedding L 153 Hodsdon 6. Grantor L 150 Nagle 7. Ambersham L 150 Aizpuru LR. Saluda Sam L 150 Petty Mgn: 3/4. Time: 4:28 2/5. O: Dumbarton Farm. T: Tom Voss. B. g. 8, Charismatic-Dreams of Glory, Seattle Slew. Bred by Dumbarton Farm (Md.)
Ptarmigan gets a pat from Jeff Murphy.
Tod Marks
7th. $100,000. Open hurdle stakes, 2 1/2 Miles. Helen Haskell Sampson Stakes (Grade 1). 1. Arcadius L 142 Crowley 5.40 3.20 2.20 2. Slip Away L 146 Young 4.40 3.20 3. Seer L 150 Aizpuru 5.40 $2 Exacta (1-6) Paid $30.00. $1 Trifecta (1-6-7) Paid $105.60 $1 Superfecta (1-6-7-4) Paid $591.80 4. Quiet Approval L 134 Petty 5. Red Letter Day L 154 Dalton 6. Tax Ruling L 154 Nagle 7. Sermon Of Love L 154 Hodsdon Mgn: 1. Time: 4:37 2/5. O: Hudson River Farms. T: Jonathan Sheppard. B. g. 6, Giant’s Causeway-Unify, Farma Way. Bred by Jayeff B Stables (Ky.) 10th. $25,000. NSA Allowance Flat. 1-1/2 Miles. 1. All Together L 153 Aizpuru 11.20 4.80 3.00 2. Air Maggy L 148 Crowley 4.80 3.40 3. Twister Crossing L 148 Geraghty 3.40 $2 Exacta (7-3) Paid $44.00. $1 Trifecta (7-3-1) Paid $104.00 $1 Superfecta (7-3-1-8) Paid $522.40 4. Barnstorming L 143 Hodsdon 5. Preemptive Strike L 143 Petty 6. Dictina’s Boy 153 Young 7. Boojwhacked L 148 Mackenzie 8. Odds And Evens L 140 Dalton Mgn: 2. Time: 2:35 4/5. O: Arcadia Stable. T: Jack Fisher. B. g. 5, Danzig-Unify, Farma Way. Bred by Jayeff B Stables (Ky.)
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Steeplechase Times
• 27
6
Steeplechase
‘Pick Six’
FA N TA S Y S TA BL E G A M E Presented by The Whip Tavern
A New Leader
If it’s October, it’s time for Genesee. The race meet happens Oct. 9 and the stable now tops the Pick Six standings. Gail McGuire’s team features recent Grade I winner Arcadius, who made quite an impact on the top 10. Longtime leader Jim McVey drops to third with Winfield Sapp jumping to the No. 2 spot. McGuire takes home the September prize – a $50 gift certificates to The Whip Tavern. The top 22 are listed here. Check www.st-publishing.com for complete standings. Genesee Valley Racers........... Gail McGuire Arcadius.............................................. $124,500 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Meet At Eleven...................................... $36,000 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Make Believe......................................... $13,500 ............................................ $294,900 Honey Locust......................Winfield Sapp Arcadius.............................................. $124,500 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Meet At Eleven...................................... $36,000 Class Century........................................ $18,000 Make Believe......................................... $13,500 ............................................ $282,100 Try Again Stable...................... Jim McVey Bubble Economy................................... $95,400 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Torlundy................................................ $27,000 Make Believe......................................... $13,500 ............................................ $256,800
Chinese Checkers Stable....... Bill Hutchinson Arcadius.............................................. $124,500 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Sweet Shani.......................................... $33,000 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Patriot’s Path......................................... $11,500 Air Maggy............................................... $9,000 ............................................ $256,300 Rolling Thunder Stable...............Bob Lunny Tax Ruling........................................... $105,250 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Patriot’s Path......................................... $11,500 Confined.................................................. $5,000 ............................................ $242,650 Browntrout Stable.................. Douglas Lees Tax Ruling........................................... $105,250 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Incomplete.............................................. $7,500 Confined.................................................. $5,000 ............................................ $238,650
Douglas Lees
The Pick Six players missed Complete Zen, who sparkled in a maiden hurdle win at Virginia Fall Sunday for trainer Lilith Boucher. Carglen Stable................... Joe Clancy Sr. Arcadius.............................................. $124,500 Tax Ruling........................................... $105,250 Peace Proposal....................................... $2,700 Jack Twist............................................... $2,250 Shiny Emblem............................................ $800 Hi Flyin Indy................................................... $0 ............................................ $235,500 Cheltenham Invasion.......Richard Hutchinson Bubble Economy................................... $95,400 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Diva Maria............................................. $28,000 Prince Rahy........................................... $17,500 Left Unsaid.............................................. $9,000 ............................................ $228,200
Here’s The Plan Stable........... Serelee Hefler Tax Ruling........................................... $105,250 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Swagger Stick....................................... $28,600 Confined.................................................. $5,000 Fleeting Thunder............................................ $0 ............................................ $217,150 Kim’s Kutie Kolts.......................Kim Koran Tax Ruling........................................... $105,250 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 South Monarch..................................... $30,500 Confined.................................................. $5,000 Best Alibi................................................. $3,000 ............................................ $217,150 Tod Marks photo
Congratulations Governor, glad I could be a part of it. Arcadius (#1,000)
28 •
Steeplechase Times
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Friday, October 8, 2010
Prestbury Dreams Stables.......Pete Fornatale Bubble Economy................................... $95,400 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Dictina’s Boy......................................... $14,400 Make Believe......................................... $13,500 Steppenwolfer......................................... $2,000 ............................................ $203,600 Mustangs........................... Patrick Morss Divine Fortune....................................... $86,000 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Ptarmigan............................................. $42,000 Class Century........................................ $18,000 Patriot’s Path......................................... $11,500 Your Sum Man............................................... $0 ............................................ $200,100 Mitch’s Mule Ranch............. Edwin Mitchell Tax Ruling........................................... $105,250 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Mixed Up................................................. $8,000 Incomplete.............................................. $7,500 Confined.................................................. $5,000 ............................................ $199,150
Baby Sister Stable................ Saoirse Young Arcadius.............................................. $124,500 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Miss Crown........................................... $22,200 Prince Rahy........................................... $17,500 Relear...................................................... $2,000 Baylor Dude............................................... $945 ............................................ $214,645 Polish Power Stable.............. Eric Dudzinski Arcadius.............................................. $124,500 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 South Monarch..................................... $30,500 Mixed Up................................................. $8,000 Confined.................................................. $5,000 Steppenwolfer......................................... $2,000 ............................................ $212,600 Pink Moon.......................Susan Haldeman Bubble Economy................................... $95,400 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 All Together........................................... $17,000 Make Believe......................................... $13,500 Mixed Up................................................. $8,000 ............................................ $212,200
ST
Villa Styeeplechase 2010
3/3/10
Pony Girl.......................Elizabeth Watrous Bubble Economy................................... $95,400 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Left Unsaid.............................................. $9,000 Back To Mandalay................................... $8,100 Jellyberry................................................ $4,500 ............................................ $195,300 So Hard Being A Mets Fan....... Brian Nadeau Tax Ruling........................................... $105,250 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Erin Go Bragh.......................................... $5,750 Confined.................................................. $5,000 Best Name...................................................... $0 ............................................ $194,300 Dadofthree Farm...................... Joe Clancy ArcadIus.............................................. $124,500 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Hidden Trail........................................... $16,000 Make Believe......................................... $13,500 You The Man........................................... $7,000 Major Price............................................. $1,250 ............................................ $193,050
Totally Random Stable............ Bruce Rodger Bubble Economy................................... $95,400 Spy In The Sky...................................... $47,500 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Seer...................................................... $10,000 Confined.................................................. $5,000 Lions Double.................................................. $0 ............................................ $188,700 ‘Bout Broke Farm..................... Lisa Beige Bubble Economy................................... $95,400 Slip Away.............................................. $86,500 Dynaskill................................................. $4,600 Steppenwolfer......................................... $2,000 Old Man Buck................................................. $0 Your Sum Man............................................... $0 ............................................ $188,500 Geraldal Stable.................. Allison Janezic Bubble Economy................................... $95,400 Virginia Minstrel.................................... $42,600 Italian Wedding..................................... $30,800 Mixed Up................................................. $8,000 Planets Aligned....................................... $6,250 Jellyberry................................................ $4,500 ............................................ $187,550
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Steeplechase Times
• 29
The
ast Fence Editorial • Opinion • Comments • Columns
Times Editorial
Monmouth’s day can be improved
Steeplechasing visited Monmouth Park for the biggest major track card of the year Sept. 25. Speaking for the horsemen – thank you Monmouth Park, Meridian Health and the National Steeplechase Association for the opportunity, the exposure and the lucrative purses. Now for an evaluation: The handle is hard to defend. In the feature, organizers put up $100,000 in purse money, attracting seven horses. The total mutuel pool was $228,000. In the day’s last race, a dozen $7,500 claimers ran for $18,000 in purses. The total mutuel pool reached $416,000. We believe strongly that racing days are about more than handle but keep the numbers in mind when you’re planning the event – and, to horsemen, make sure you thank your peers in New Jersey for the purse money. Horses in the NSA flat race ran on the inside rail where horses had been running all summer. The course looked like Laytown, where horses run on the beach, in Ireland. The following day, Monmouth use a portable rail, because it’s better ground. There were two races in between the final jump races and the flat race; the hurdles could have been moved to ensure better ground. Something (distance, timing system, etc.) is innacurate. Easy Red and Port Morsbey went 2 1/4 miles in 4:28 and change. Arcadius went 2 1/2 miles in 4:37.55. In the NSA flat race, jumpers ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:35.83 – a second faster than turf champion English Channel’s course record. Obviously, pace is different from race to race, but check it out. It’s disconcerting to expect bettors to bet, fans to watch and horsemen to support when simple things aren’t recorded correctly. There should be stricter rules when it comes to pari-mutuel jump races. The sport is playing with fire when it takes entries for first-time starters (in stakes), horses ruled off the flat track and horses who have been unable to finish previous jump starts. Establish rules, taking judgment from the NSA and horsemen out of the equation, to improve the product. Check the form. Ptarmigan prepped for Monmouth with a training flat race at Colonial Downs. The race does not appear on her form. Again, this is basically supplying incomplete public information. Other races are not identified accurately in the past performances: the 2009 maiden at Far Hills is listed as an open stakes and the 2009 Metcalf is considered an open stakes – to name a few. The sport is accountable for the information. Have a party. A simple reception or gathering place for horsemen (flat and jump), racetrack management, sponsors, whomever, would help make it feel like an event. The likelihood of people betting a lot of money on steeplechasing is slim, especially on short fields with bad information, so the sport better do something to enhance its product. The tenet that handle will be less than on flat races makes it paramount to offer more. On the Monmouth overnight, the NSA wrote, “For owners and trainers in need of box seats, please contact Lou Raffetto.” Perhaps Lou Raffetto (or somebody from the NSA office) could call owners and ask them what they need, give them thanks for participating. The NSA still thinks it’s not in customer service. Everyone is in customer service. Again, thanks for the opportunity. But let’s make it better.
30 •
Steeplechase Times
Tod Marks
The Winner. Brian Crowley heads to the jocks’ room after the finale at Monmouth, where he won two more stakes. In 11 jump rides between July 29 and Sept. 26, his horses had five wins, three seconds and $262,440 in purses earned.
Blue Ribbon Week
Field hunter competition a thrill even for judge Did I miss a meeting? That was basically my response when told I was to be a judge of the Theodora Randolph Field Hunter Championship of America Finals. Without much discussion, I was driving Hotspur (remember him?) in Julie Gomena’s truck and trailer to Orange County’s Monday morning meet at Chilly Bleak Farm off of Zulla Road. It was raining, I was nervous, preoccupied with all the things I should be doing and wondering what it even meant to be a judge of a field hunter competition. Then I got to the meet. As any good day of hunting will do – the weather, the nerves, the to-do list faded with the first speaking of hounds and the first stone wall on the horizon. This was a very big deal. Horses and riders from hunts I didn’t know existed converged for a day – a week – of sport. Of course, members from Orange County, Keswick, Warrenton, Fairfax, Casanova and other Virginia hunts were on board (still don’t know where Piedmont and Cheshire were), but there were also participants from New Market-Middletown Valley, Belle Meade, Essex and
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The Inside Rail By Sean Clancy
Princess Anne Hunt who traveled far and wide to take part. It’s a simple premise. Hunt any or all days during the week and get selected by the judges. I joined former amateur riders Mike Elmore, Michele Rouse, Rob Banner and all around horsewoman Beth Fout as part of the five-person judging squad that tried to put objective reasoning to a subjective exercise. What is a good foxhunter? I want smart and savvy, bold but thinking, taking just enough hold that I know we’re going but not too much to make it work. That’s what I want. As for the rest of the world, well, it comes in all shapes, sizes, demeanors and breeds. Over five days of hunting with Orange County, See inside page 31
Friday, October 8, 2010
Inside –
It’s Eby In The Stretch
Continued from page 30
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Farmington, Loudoun West, Snickersville and Fairfax, we selected an array of best foxhunters. By Sunday’s final, we had narrowed our focus to about 25; we chose a 21-yearold mare, the smallest bay with the biggest man and one horse simply because he kept going for no good reason. We fell for Emily Day and former Darley runner Another Look, whom you could take to a dinner party. We ogled over Jen Stewart on a former Scott Lake claimer who traveled every mile like he had been there before. We loved a draft paint horse who seemed to climb up one side and down the other of every fence, but never touched a rail. We nodded to a buckskin pony who raised his knees the same way at the same moment, no matter the ground, fence or company. We were slowly awed by Karen Murphy on her big bay from Essex who galloped like he was late for dinner and walked like he had just eaten. We were awed by Bobby Freeman and 13-year-old Buster who inserted the round peg into the round hole and the square peg into the square hole time after time. We were enamored by Bob and Leslie Hazel who read the manual for teamwork. We wound up with eight finalists. The finals consisted of a four-jump exhibition that included cantering to a post and rail fence, jumping a log, making a quick right turn to miss a “planted field,” dropping a rail, hopping over that fence, galloping to a coop and making a u-turn halt to finish the loop. Best foxhunter wins. That was the hard part. There are a lot of good foxhunters out there. Rouse, dressed in street clothes, threw a curveball and decided that Mike and I should ride the finalists to decide the champion. We had come to the unanimous decision to crown Emily Day and Another Look as champion. Mike and I rode Bob and Ambassador Z for the run-off of reserve champion. I was so nervous I couldn’t buckle my chinstrap. Bob and Ambassador Z proved why they were battling for reserve champion. I couldn’t miss, finding perfect spots on both horses (see how good they are) and enjoying every moment of riding in front of a crowd for the first time since November 2000. At least, enjoying it once it was finished. I’ve been to Virginia Fall Races off and on my whole life. It’s the first time I watched – let alone judged or rode – the Hunter Championship of America. It was an honor and a pleasure.
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NSA Fall Schedule Saturday, October 9 GENESEE VALLEY, Geneseo, N.Y. MORVEN PARK, Leesburg, Va. Saturday, October 16 INTERNATIONAL GOLD CUP, The Plains, Va.
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Saturday, October 23 FAR HILLS, Far Hills, N.J. Saturday, October 30 AIKEN FALL, Aiken , S.C. Saturday, November 6 STEEPLECHASE AT CALLAWAY, Pine Mountain, Ga. MONTPELIER, Montpelier Station, Va.
Sunday, November 7 PENNSYLVANIA HUNT CUP, Unionville, Pa. Saturday, November 13 COLONIAL CUP, Camden, S.C.
Friday, October 8, 2010
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Steeplechase Times
• 31
THE WORLD’S
PREMIERE BREEDING STOCK SALE. Some things are just set in stone. This is Keeneland in November. Horses of Racing Age from Darley, Shadwell Farm, Gary and Mary West, WinStar Farm and more.
Selling on Tuesday, November 16.
NOV November Breeding Stock Sale Beginning Monday, November 8
keeneland.com
The Number One Source For Graded Stakes Winners.
KESL-10341 - Steeplechase Times NOV Sale.indd 1
9/29/10 11:01 AM