WEST CHESTER,Pa.--Withoutmoreado just edged Shootist in a thrilling finish in the combined Open Timber and Amateur Apprentice Rider Timber at the Brandywine Hills Point-to-Point on Sunday, April 7.

Scarlet and Teddy Davies won two of the three timber races
It was only a two horse race, but it was between two horses prepping for the Maryland Hunt Cup, one of which, Withoutmoreado, won the Hunt Cup last year.

Brandywine Hills drew one of its largest crowds ever.

"We had a tremendous crowd," said race Chairman Carl J. (Bunny) Meister. "We sold out of room in general admission and had to park general admission cars in Preferred Parking. That's only the second time ever we had to do that,"

In the combined race, Irv Naylor's Withoutmoreado, trained by Kathy Neilson and ridden by Teddy Davies, won by a neck over Shootist, trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by Freddie Procter.

Shootist led by about a length over most of the 3 mile course, but Withoutmoreado caught him a the last fence, which they jumped as a pair, and just prevailed by a neck at the finish.

"Withoutmoreado jumped well,"said Neilson. "He enjoyed himself. I brought him to Brandwine because the ground was so good. He likes soft going."

Withoutmoreado's regular rider, Conor Tierney, had broken his ankle in a race in Virginia the day before Brandywine, so Teddy Davies picked up the ride.

"Teddy had ridden him once before, at Genesee," said Neilson.

 

SCARLET DAVIES, 18, Teddy's younger sister, on Joe Davies' Brave Deacon, won the first timber race, the Lady Rider, by  a huge margin of about 50 lengths over McKenna O'Neil's Jarir (GB), trained by Nicole O'Neil and ridden by Delaney O'Neil, with Billy Meister's Swallow Beach, ridden by Sam English, third.

IScarlet Daviest was Scarlet's first win over fences, and just after she weighed out, the traditional bucket of water was dumped over her head.

"It was really fun," said Scarlet of the race. "I was lucky to get the ride."

"Teddy's ridden Brave Deacon a few times, and he's never run that well for him," said Joe Davies, who is Master of Foxhounds at Elkridge-Harford. "Scarlet has been hunting him, and she's taken the field on him."

"That was my third ride over fences," said Scarlet, who said she would take riding races a week at a time. "I run track at school, Notre Dame Prep in Towson, so it's hard to find the time to ride."

Keystone Thoroughbreds' Johnny Swish, trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by Andrew Burke Ott, won the Novice Timber over Billy Meister's Itsknownasthebern, ridden by Sam English.

The Novice Timber took an unusual turn when the leader, Itsknownasthebern, stopped at the third fence, the log fence by Corrine Road, and then Reason to Pray, ridden by Virginia Korrell, ran out.

"I pulled up and circled, then jumped the logs," said Ott, who had been running third at the time. "If it was a sanctioned race, I could have jumped the logs,but we were all on first time runners, horses that were here to learn."

"I've only been here a month," said Ott, who rides races in Ireland. "I'm here to ride for Todd McKenna, but my visa runs out in a month. I'm hoping to ride in the Maryland Hunt Cup. I haven't seen the Hunt Cup course yet, but I've seen the Grand National course, and I've heard the fences are even bigger."

 Noble Weed,owned, trained and ridden by Julie Nafe, won the Side Saddle Master's Chase by 1/2 length over Cheetah Beech, ridden by Lauren Apple.

Emma Ness won both the Small Pony Flat Race on Higgins over a field of five, and the Medium Pony Flat Race on Peacock over a field of four.

William Slater on Bailey won the Large Pony Flat over a field of three, and Manuel Aquilera, Jr. on Thumper won the Lead Line over a field of six.

In the Junior Field Master Chases, Abby Taylor on Spur of the Moment won the Medium Pony, Pauly Aquilera on Mini won the Large Pony and William Slater on Khafayya won the Horses.

Scarlet Davies on Brave Deacon won a trophy for the fastest time of the day, finishing the Ladies race in 6:45.

Withoutmoreado finished in 7:00, and Johnny Swish finished in 7:11.

Four riders, Scarlet and Teddy Davies, Andrew Ott and Same English split the new $500 Leading Jockey award, each with 5 points.