Racing

Mark Beecher saddled Timetoshine to win $100,000 hurdle at Colonial

Details: September 12, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va..--TimetoShine (Fr) won the !00,000 Life''s Illusion 2 1/4 mile Filly and Mare Hurdle Stakes at Colonial Downs on Thursday, Sept. 11.

TimetoshineCoady Medial Timetoshine (Photo by Coady Media)Trained by Mak Beecher, owned by Runnymoore Racing and ridden by Dan Nevin, Timetoshine won by 8 lengths over Anador (Fr), trained by Todd McKenna, and Madaket's Arrow trained by Kate Dalton, finishing in 4{03.86.

"That was a massive win," said Beecher. "It was a great pick-up for us."

"I bought her iin May for Runnymoore," he said. "She'd been running in England. I got her acclimated to the heat here. This was her first race in this country."

"Her owners never put any pressure on me to race her," Beecher said. "They said, run her when she's ready."

"Today was perfect for her," he said. "A little overcast, and the ground was a little yielding."

"She's a lovely, light-type mare," Beecher said, ""We'll get her home and see how she is, She'll probably run next in the filly and mare stake at Far Hills."

Successful Fair Hill Races leads to plans for additonal meets

Details: September 3, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

ELKTON, Md--Officials have declared the Fair Hill Races on Aug. 30 to have been a success and say that there will be another meet over Memorial Day weekend.

Fair Hill turf course 1 Fair Hill turf course "We were thrilled with the day," said George Mahoney, Chairman of the Maryland Racing Commission.

"This was a good first step," said Joe Clancy, a member of Sports Corp., the group that organized the meet. "We puposely didn't have any jump races. We didn't want to compete against Colonial Downs or Saratoga or hurt their entries. We held the number of entries to eight in the interest of safety, and we didn't charge admission."

"We got a good crowd, and I think that the people that came had a good time," said Clancy. "The total betting handle was $56,5503. The total handle is always going to be small, and that never was a money maker, but it's a tradition to have betting. In the old days the handle was around $200,00, but 75 percent of that goes back to the betters and 25 percent is divided between the races, which pay all the expense of betting, and the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources."

Taylor Kingsley won two races at the first meet held at Fair Hill in six years

Details: September 1, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

ELKTON, Md.--Recently turned professional Taylor Kingsley rode two winners as racing returned to the Fair Hill turf course on Saturday, Aug, 30 after six long years.

Taylor Kingsley (File photo)The day, which featured six flat turf races, all without a starting gate but with para-mutual betting, was very successful despite a few minor glitches.

Kingsley won both divisions of the $20,000, 1 mile and five furlongs Starter Allowance, one for Tom Garner and one for her father Arch Kingsley.

Garner saddled Bonita Farm's Fightnomoreforever to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Fenwick, trained by Garner, and Mortal Sin trained by Danielle Hodsdon.

"Fightnomoreforever was a professional," said Kingsley. "He really didn't need me at all. When a hole opened up on the turn, I didn't have to ask him, he just went through it."

"I was delighted to win at the first races back at Fair Hill," she said. "It was like christening the track. I would love to win one for my Dad at this track."

So in the very next race, she did just that, winning on Gossiper.

"That was brilliant, wasn't it," said Kingsley. "Perfect timing. That was my first win for him as a professional. i still want to win for him at a flat track out of the gate."

Jimmy P, trained by Keri Brion, won the G1 Sheppard at Saratoga

Details: August 27, 2025; By Staff Writers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. --Keri Brion continued her incredible week-long stretch with yet another win, this time with Jimmy P in the G1 Jonathan Sheppard Memorial Hurdle Handicap on Wednesday, Aug, 27 at Saratoga,

Jimmy P 9 outduels Zarak the Brave to wire in Sheppard 6 Jimmy P, saddlecloth 9, outduels Zarak the Brave to win the Sheppard (Photo by Tod Marks)Brion has now won seven races in seven days, four on the flat and three over fences.

Madaket Stables, Molly Willis and Paul Willis’ Jimmy , ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, won by 3/4 length over Zarak the Brave, trained by Tom Garner, and Hidden Path, trained by Ricky Henriks.

Jimmy P had blinkers taken off by Brion and successfully defended his title in the G1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard, a 2 3/8-mile hurdle handicap for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

Jimmy P had run five times between winning the Sheppard last year and then again this year, not hitting the board in any of those five races.

Brion said she took the blinkers off Jimmy P to help keep his interest throughout the race.

“He’ll outwork anything in the morning and then you put him in the race and he’s just kind of nonchalant about it,” Brion said. “So, I put them on and then I thought let’s just change it back up again, take them off, just keep messing with him a little bit – he did nothing wrong last year in this race, let’s just do exactly the same thing.”

Keri Brion won six races in two days of racing, while Hendriks, Kingsley and Merryman also had winners

Details: August 24, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

FAIR HILL, Md.--Keri Brion is riding on top of the world as she saddled four winners on Thursday, Aug.21 and then two more on Saturday for six winners on two days over a three days span, four winners on the flat and two over fences.

Miztertonic Coady Medial Miztertonic (Photo by Coady Media)"Crazy," said Brion after her four winners on Thursday. "The four winners in one day was wild. I was the winningest trainer in the country that day according to Equiibase."

"just won two more," said Brion on Saturday, who also had a winner on Aug. 15 to make it seven winners in one week.

"I'm just hoping thiis summer is proving to everyone that I'm not just a jump trainer, We can do well with any type of horse."

First Swore and Anoint won over fences at Colonial Downs Thursday morning, (see story in the Horses dated Aug. 21) and then Miztertonic and One More Knock won Thursday afternoon at Saratoga.

Damchu Stables' homebred Mizteertonic win a $95,000, 1 1/16 mile Allowance race on the turf for New York breds by a nose.

"He''s a cool horse," said Brion of Miztertonic, who now has three wins, four seconds and one third from 11 starts, all on the flat and all at the top tracks of Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga.

Jack Fisher had a flat Stakes winner in Mission North

Details: August 23, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Leading steeplechase trainer Jack Fisher saddled Mission North to win the $125,000 Find Stakes at Colonial Downs on Saturday, Aug, 16.

Mission North Coasy Mission North (Photo by Coady Media)Owned and bred by Northwoods Stable, Mission North, ridden by Forest Boyce, won the 1 1/16 mlle turf Stakes by 3/4 length over Giganter, trained by Steve Asmussen.

Fisher has alternated Mission North between flat races and steeplechase races, with great success in both.

Mission North now has four wins and a third in five starts this year, with an overall record of six wins and two thirds from 13 starts.

Fisher ran hm on the flat in '23 and '24 before winning his first start this year, which was also his first race over fences, at Old Dominion Hounds in a Maiden Special Weight in April.

Since then, he's won the Speedy Smithwick Hurdle Stake at Great Meadow, an Allowance race at Laurel and now in Find Stakes.

"He'll run one more time on the flat at Colonial and then go to the 4-year-old Stakes at Far Hills," said Fisher.

Brion has two Maiden winners and Neilson has a Handicap winner at Colonial

Details: August 21, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Keri Brion had the winners of both $60,000 Maiden Hurdle races on Thursday, Aug. 21 at Colonial Downs, while Kathy Neilson saddled the winner of the $35,000 Handicap Hurdle.

Swore Photos Coady Media Swore (Photo by Photos Coady Media)Brion also had two winners at Saratoga in the afternoon for four winners in one day - quite a day!

Swore, trained by Brion and ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, won the first race, a $60,000, 2 1/4 mile Maiden Hurdle, by 2 1/4 lengths over Gratia Prince, trained by Barry Foley and ridden by Bernie Dalton, and Predominate, trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by Freddie Procter.

"Swore is a nice horse for Stone Farm and Upland Flats, which is owned by Patrick Lewis ," said Brion. "He's one of my nicest new horses to go jumping."

A 6-year-old by Broken Vow out of a Ghostzapper mare, Swore was trained by Graham Motion through his 5-year-old year with one win, in an allowance race, two seconds and two thirds.

He was second in his first race for Brion, a maiden hurdle at Colonial.

Swore ran third for much of race, moved to the inside on the final turn to get to the lead with a furlong to go and edged clear to win in a drive by 2 1/4 lengths.

Little Trilby won the $75,000 Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes at Saratoga

Details: August 15, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Ricky Hendriks saddled Little Trilby (GB) to win the $75,000, 2 3/8 mile Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes at Saratoga on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Little Trilby takes jump 2nd pass Walsh 1 Little Trilby, running second to last early in the race (Photo by Tod Marks)Del Rio's Litlle Trilby, ridden by Conor Tierney, won by 12 1/4 lengths in 4:40.29 over Travesuras, trained by Cyril Murphy, with the favorite Roja Redemption another 7 lengths back in third.

Carloun went into the lead from the flag drop but pecked badly losing his rider, giving the lead to Roja Redemption,, who led through the back side and over the last fence.

Litlle Tilby was racing near the back of the seven horse field, moving forward through the backstretch and moved into contention after the last fence.

He caught Roja Redemption on the final turn and went into the lead at the top of the stretch,extending his lead to win easily by 12 1/4 lengths.

This was Little Trlby's second win since being imported last August.

He won the Holiday Stakes in Aiken last November, then finished second in the Carolina Cup Hurdle Stakes in Camden in March.

Laurelin, trained by Graham Motion, won again to remain undefeated in five starts

Details: August 9, 2025; By Staff Writers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y--Undefeated Laurelin, trained by Graham Motion, won the Gr2, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational, a 1 3/16 mile Mellon turf race,on Saturday, Aug. 9 to keep her perfect record intact.

Laurelin in the winners cirlce Laurelin in the winners circleWinning by 1 3/4 lengths, the 3-year-old chestnut filly is undefeated in five starts, all on the turf, beginning with a Maiden win at Belmont followed by wins at Aqueduct in the Tepin Stakes last November and the Memories of Silver Stakes in April and then the Penn Oaks Stakes at Penn National in June.

“It’s very hard to go 5-for-5 and I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse do that before,” said Motion. “A lot of things have to go right, and they have to be very good. I feel like we’ve done right by her and tried to go step-by-step and this was a logical time to go into a graded race.

Jack Fisher saddled The Jackal to win the $60,000 Maiden Hurdle at Colonial

Details: August 7, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--The Jackal, trained by Jack Fisher, won the $60,000, 2 1/4 mile Maiden Special Weight Hurdle at Colonial Downs on Thursday, Aug, 7.

The Jackal winning Coady Medial The Jackal winning at Colonial (Photo by Coady Media)Owned by Bruton Street-US and ridden by Graham Watters, The Jackal came from far back in the eight horse field to make a huge run after the last fence, going three wide on the final turn and drew off to win by 8 1/2 lengths ovder In Effect, trained by Neil Morris and Perfect Reel (Ire), trained by Kathy Neilson.

A $60,000 purse in a Maiden race is huge for hurdle horses, and this was the third one Fisher has won at Colonial.

"I don't understand why more trainers didn't save their maidens to run at Colonial," said Fisher.

This was The Jackal''s first sanctioned race over fences after running in a couple of point-to-points earlier in the year.

"I was surpised by this win"said Fisher. "I thought he was going to pull up when he was second to last on the backstretch the last time around."

Clancy Bloodstock bought The Jackal the November Keeneland Sale for $37,000 last year, and he went to Fisher to train.

Hidden Path won an Allowance Hurdle at Saratoga for trainer Ricky Hendriks

Details: July 30, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Hidden Path, trained by Ricky Hendriks, went from last to first to win the $70,000 Allowance Hurdle at Saratoga on Wednesday, July 30.

Hidden Path Conor Tierney draw off in 1st 4 Hidden Path, ridden by Conor Tierney, drew off in the stretch to win at Saratoga (Photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Upland Flats Racing and ridden by Conor Tierney, Hidden Path won by 1 3/4 lengths over St. James the Great, trained by Keri Brrion, with Brie's Mission, trained by Kathy Neilson, third.

Hidden Path was last for most of the race, moving up through the field of nine starters towards the end of the backstretch, hooking up with the favorite, St.James the Great, on the final turn and taking the lead a furlong from the finish.

"He's a very nice horse," said Hendriks. "We gave him the spring off because we campaigned him pretty hard last year. Conor gave him a wonderful ride."

He said he hadn't expected Hidden Path to be that far back

"Conor said.`Ricky will tell me I had him too far back,'" said Hendriks.

He said they hadn't decided where Hidden Patch will run next.

Starlifter won the $60,000 Maiden Hurdle at Colonial Downs

Details: July 24, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Jack Fisher saddled Starlifter to win the $60,000, 2 1/4 mile Maiden Special Weight Hurdle at Colonial Downs on Thursday, July 24.

Starlifer Coady Media Starlifter wins at Colonial (Photo by Coady Media)Matthew T. Goff's Starlifter, ridden by Graham Watters, won his first sanctioned race over fences by a nose over In Effect, trained by Neil Morris,and Arturo Toscanini (Ire), trained by Keri Brion.

"He was ready to go to Middleburg, but then I saw the purse money a Colonial," said Fisher.

Stalifter moved up to second on the clubhouse turn and moved up to join In Effect for the lead at the last fence.

Starlifter and In Effect battled stride for stride down the stretch with Starlifter edging ahead to win by a nose.

"In the stretch, I was hoping he'd be second," said Fisher. "That way I'd make more money as he'd get this purse and another when he wins. He'll go to Shawan next .He's not a Saratoga horse."

Before Groff's ownership and his running over fences, Starlifter ran in flat races in 2023 and 2024 as a 2- and 3-year-old, mainly in claiming races at Laurel, winning once and hitting the board in about half of his 14 races.

With this win, Fisher increased his lead in Trainer, Races Won to five,with 15 wins to second placed Leslie Young and Kathy Neilson, with 10 each.

In Trainer, Money Won, Fisher has more than double amount than his closest pursuer, with $751,650 to Brion''s $353.550 and Young's $343.150, and he is well on his way to another $1 million year.

Graham Motion had five stakes winners in a month, Keri Brion and Ricky Hendriks also had mutliple winners

Details: July 22, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

FAIR HILL, Md.--Graham Motion had five stakes winners along with eight other winners over the past month, including two stakes wins at Delaware Park and a G1 win at Saratoga.

Graham Motion Coady Photography Graham Motion (Photo by Coady Photography)Motion began his five stakes win streak on June 14 with a win in the $300,000, 1 1/16 mile, G3 Delaware Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' Fondly won by 3 lengths after taking the early lead and kicking clear in the stretch.

Newstead Stables'' Laurelin won the $150,000,1 mile Penn Oaks Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on the turf by 1 1/4 lengths at Penn National on June.27.

Amerman Racing's homebred Test Score won the $750,000, G1, 1 1/8 mile Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes for 3-year olds on the turf at Saraoga on July 4.

Test Score ran two wide for most of the race, angled out five wide into the stretch and won by 1 1/4 lengths.

Cayton Park Stud's homebred Marksman Queen (GB) won the $250,000, G3 1 1/4 mile Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up on the turf by a head at Delaware Park on July 5.

Motion won a second stakes for Eclipse Partners and Madaket Stables with Roja in the $102,000, 5 1/2 furlong Blue Sparkler Stakes for 3-year-olld fillies on the turf, winning by 3 1/2 lengths at Delaware Park on July 12.

Jack Fisher had two winners over hurdles at Colonial Downs

Details: July 18, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

KENT, Va.--Jack Fiaher saddled two winners for Riverdee Stables, including Cyber Ninja, the winner of the $60,000 Maiden Special Weight Hurdle, at Colonial Downs on Thursday, July 17.

Cyber Hinka Cody Media Cyber Ninja (Photo by Coady Media)Cyber Ninja, ridden by Danny Mullins, won the 2 1/4 mile b 6 1/4lengths over Swore, trained by Keri Brion,and Cadogan Place, trained by Richard Valentine.

That was Cyber Ninja's first sanctioned race over fences after racing on the flat in allowance races and a couple of stakes.

"He ran at Old Dominion Point-to-Point, just as a school," said Fisher.

Riverdee acquired Cyber Ninja late last year after he had been campaigned by his owner/breeder George Krikorian.

"He's been schooling over fences since January," said Fisher. "We saved him for this race at Colonial because the purse was so good. He'll go back and forth from flat to hurdle races."

Roja Redemption, ridden by Grahan Watters, won the $35,000 Handicap by 14 1/2 lengths over Kicking Myself, trained by Sean McDermott, and Dante's Fire, trained by Neil Morris.

Roja Redemption made a big move after the eighth fence and drew off to win easily under wraps.

Blue Creek won the Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes at Saratoga

Details: July 17, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Blue Creek, trained by Keri Brion, won the Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes at Saratoga on Wednesday, July 16.

Blue Creek left duels China Beach early in Kiser 5 Blue Creek, left, duels China Beach (Photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Upland Flats Racing and ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, Blue Creek won by 4 1/4 lengths in 4:34.86 over China Beach, trained by Kate Dalton, and Quick Master, trained by Jack Fisher.

Blue Creek ran in the back of the pack for the first circuit and then steadily made his was forward through the field of remaining seven horses.

L'Avvpcato had lost his rider on the first turn when jockey Freddie Procter's stirrup broke, and Kitten Around left the course before the third fence when he got rank.

Blue Creek began to make his move after the last fence and went into the lead a furlong out, edging clear under a drive to win by 4 1/4 lengths.

He was pulled up not long after the finish, Mulqueen jumped off him, and he was eventually vanned off in the equine ambulance.

"Blue Creek ran a huge race," said Brion. "He took a bad step galloping out, but he's doing well."

"he has a minor suspensory injury, and he will run again," said Brion. "He's a really nice young horse, and we're looking forward to having him back next year."

Racing at Fair Hill finally to resume Aug. 30

Details: July 10, 2025; By Staff Writers

FAIR HILL, Md.--Racing in finally going to be held again over the turf track at Fair Hill, with six flat races scheduled for Aug. 30.

Racing at Fair HillThe Maryland Department of Natural Resources made the announcement in a meeting at Fair Hill on July 10.

That will be the first time racing will be held at Fair Hill in six years, since 2019.

Horses have been training over the turf course for a few weeks, and the turf ha received top marks from trainers.

The steeplechase community was upset by the late notice of the meeting, which was only announced on Monday, July 8, two days before the meeting, and also upset about the date of the meeting.

Three steeplechase races were scheduled for July 10 at Colonial, and although they were cancelled as all races were taken off the turf, it was too late for most owners and trainers to get to Fair Hill.

Bill Gallo, Director of Racing for NSA, and Joe Clancy, editor of The Saratoga Special, were in Saratoga.

Charlie Fenwick, president of the Fair Hill Foundation, was on his way to Colonial Downs when he heard the jump races were cancelled, and he turned around and made it back to Fair Hill in time for the meeting, which he said was held in the stands with only about 50 people in attendance

The Maryland DNR issued a press release about the meeting,