Racing

Richard Valentine had two winners at the Warrenton Point-to-Point meet that featured 82 starters

Details: March 19, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

WARRENTON, Va.--Richard Valentine won two races at the Warrenton Hunt Point-to-Point on Saturday, March 18, including the Open Hurdle over a field of nine.

Richard ValentineKeri Brion and Jack Fisher, second and third placed 2022 Leading Trainers, each had a Maiden Hurdle winner, while last year's Leading Trainer Leslie Young won a flat race, jockey Mel Boucher rode three winners and Jaimie Bargary rode two.

Mrs.George L.Ohrstrom Jr.'s Tease and Seize (Fr), ridden by Boucher, won the Open Hurdle by 1 1/2 lengths over Riverdee Stable's Gordon's Jet, trained by Fisher and ridden by Graham Watters.

"Tease and Seize was brought over last year," said Valentine of the 5-year-old who ran twice in this country last year, finishing sixth in the stakes at Far Hills and then falling at the last at Great Meadow. "He was bought to run in the Carolina Cup, but he fell apart mentally. We gave him some time."

"He's matured a lot," said Valentine. "He ran well yesterday, and Mel got along with him. We'll nominate him for the Carolina Cup. Hopefully Mel will keep riding him."

Ohrstrom's Connagh's Quay, also ridden by Boucher, won the Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdle by 1/2 length over Brown Delivers, trained by Joe Davies and ridden by Teddy Davies.

Massive entries in two steeplechase meets this weekend predict a great racing season

Details: March 16, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

Steeplechase racing is not only alive and well, but, if the entries at two meets this weekend are any indication, it has more enthusiastic trainers and more horses than ever.

Foxhall Farm CupThere's a massive total of 182 horses entered between Warrenton Hunt Point-to-Point on Saturday, March 18 in Warrenton, Va., and the Foxhall Farm Cup Team Chase in Cockeysville, Md., on Sunday, March 19.

There are 107 horses entered in 10 races at Warrenton, with the biggest number of entries, 27 being in the maiden hurdle.

Last year's Leading Trainer Leslie Young has six entered, but only in the two flat races.

The second and third placed leading trainers last year, Keri Brion and Jack Fisher, have numerous entries.

Brion has nine entered, with most, five, in the maiden hurdle, and Fisher has 10 entered, including four in the open hurdle and three in the maiden hurdle.

Along with the maiden and open hurdle races, there's an amateur/novice rider hurdle.

There are three timber races, an open, a novice and an amateur and novice race, as well as three flat races and a side saddle race.

Bruton Street's Franco de Port placed third at Cheltenham, while Graham Motion, McLane Hendriks and Bernie Houghton had winners & Brooklyn Strong had an Allowance 3rd place

Details: March 15, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

PRESTBURY PARK, England--Bruton Street V's Franco de Port finished third in the $90,000 Glenfarclas Chase, a cross country chase for 5 year olds and up, on March 15 at the Cheltenham Festival, England's biggest steeplechase meet that features a week of top grade races.

Franco de PortIt's such a renowned race meet that it's always a big deal to hit the board in one of its races.

Gordon Elliot, one of Ireland's top trainers, saddled both the winner, Delta Work, ridden by Keith Donoghue, and the second placed Galvin, ridden by Davey Russell, while Willie Mullins, Ireland's leading trainer, saddled Franco de Port, ridden by P.W. Mullins.

This was Donoghue's fourth win the this race, which had 16 starters this year.

"He gave a good account of himself," said Charlie Fenwick, a partner in Bruton Street along with Mike Hankin and Charlie Noell.

"The two winners were the clear favorites in the race, and Franco de Port was the third favorite, and that's the way they finished," said Fenwick. "We were pleased with him."

Bruton Street, National Steeplechasing's Leading Owner in 2022, has had countless winners in this country, but it's the first time the stable has had a horse hit the board at Cheltenham.

Arch Kingsley saddled Thundra to win at Rappahannock Point-to-Point

Details: March 6, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

BOSTON, Va.--Father and daughter Arch and Taylor Kingsley teamed up to win the $1,000 Maiden Flat race with Thundra, a mare they had gotten as an unbroken 5-year-old, at the Rappahannock Hunt Point-to-Point on Saturday, March, the first of the spring point-to-point and sanctioned race meets.

Arch Kingsley"Thundra was bred by a dear friend of mine, Raleigh Minor," said Arch. "She had a broodmare band and a stallion named Fierce Wind. I think only three people have one of his get."

"Raleigh got pancreatic cancer and had to get rid of her mares and the stallion," he said. "She only kept Thundra and one other. She was sick for three years, but then the cancer got her, and she died."

"We got Thundra as an unbroken 5-year-old," said Kingsley. "We were really just doing the family a favor. I figured the mare might make a hunter. Anyway, we just started riding her like we do with all the others, and then we started schooling her. She schools great. That race was her first ever. We'll probably run her in the Va-bred race at Warrenton and them maybe in the maiden at Old Dominion."

Ken Loves Kitten, trained by David Bourke was second, and Paul's Tricky Tale, trained by Donald Yovanovich, was third.

Billy Meister, Brion, Houghton, Motion and McLane Hendriks have winners

Details: March 1, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

Spring point-to-point racing begins this Saturday March 4, with Rappahannock in Virginia, but Billy Meister, one of the sports most prolific and winning trainers, won't have a horse there this year.

Billy Meister Meister, who helped fill the Delaware Valley point-to-points for years, often taking the Delaware Valley Point-to-Point Association's Leading Trainer title, and who rode the winner of the Maryland Hunt Cup three times as a jockey as well as saddling winners as a trainer, is now concentrating on training flat horses.

His most recent winner was his own Reawakened, who won her third race for Meister on Feb. 2 at Penn National.

"I've had one or two flat horses off and on for 20 years,"said Meister, who decided to concentrate on flat horses when he wasn't getting new owners for steeplechase horses. "I have about 15 in training now."

Meister said his two best horses, the allowance winners Peace Out and Ghost Game, were out of training now but would probably start back in a month or so.

Meister said he has two up and coming race horses in Scores to Settle, who ran a good third at Laurel on Feb.25 in his first race, and Jump a Fox, who was fourth in his first start at Penn National.

"They were both first time starters, and you don't expect much from first time starters," said Meister. "But they both got a good education."

Jump a Fox is owned by Meister's father, Carl J. (Bunny) Meister Jr.

"This is my first flat horse," said Bunny, who has been deeply involved in steeplechase racing for all his life and currently serves as chairman of the Brandywine Hills Point-to-Point and is on the board of the Delaware Valley Point-to-Point Association.

Hewick wins Steeplechase Eclipse Award

Details: February 1, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

In what was to almost everybody's surprise and a stunning upset, after just one win, albeit that one by 11 1/2 lengths in the G1 Grand National Hurdle on Oct.15 at Fair Hills in New Jersey, the Irish invader, T.J. McDonald's Hewick, trained by John "Shark"Hanlon, was voted the Eclipse Award winner.

Hewick leads Noah and the Ark over last in Grand National (Photo by To Marks)Bred in Ireland, and bought for $991 at the 2017 Goresbridge Bloodstock Sale, the rags to riches Hewick had previously won twice in England and Ireland in 2022, and only ran the one time in the U.S, returning after the race to his home base in Ireland.

Hewick has yet to run in 2023.

Hewick beat the other two Eclipse nominees, Snap Decision and Down Royal, with Hewick receiving 113 votes to Snap Decision's 88 and Down Royal's 15.

Snap Decison, owned by Bruton Street-US and trained by Jack Fisher, had won the G1 Iroquois and the G1 Jonathan Sheppard at Saratoga but finished sixth in the Grand National, while Down Royal, owned by Joseph F. Fowler, Jr., and trained by Kate Dalton, had won the G1 A.P. Smithwick and the G2 David L. (Zeke) Ferguson, but didn't run in the Grand National.

Virginia Korrell placed second in an Irish Point-to-Point, Motion & Houghton have winners

Details: January 24, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

WEST CHESTER, Pa.--Virginia Korrell of West Chester, Pa., went to Ireland before Christmas to ride for trainer Andrew Slattery, a trip she had also made last year.

Virginia Korrell (On the right)She was hoping to get some rides over fences this year, but her license was held up for the first few weeks that she was there, finally coming through in mid-January, allowing her to finally get a ride in a point-to-point, an opportunity she put to good use.

Riding Ahaknowyerself for trainer Slattery, Virginia finished second in a 3 mile race at the Ballycrystal Point-to-Point in County Wexford.

Her parents, Brian and Wis Korrell, said that when they talked to her she told them that because she is an American that the cameras followed her all over.

Virginia Korrell on Ahaknowyerself Virginia Korrell leading on Ahaknowyerself"My first Irish point-to-point ride was a memorable experience,"said Korrell. "The point-to-point people were extremely nice and treated me like a celebrity. My horse ran and jumped like a star, and we almost won. If everything goes to plan, I will ride him in another point-to-point on Feb. 5."

Riding is this country last spring, Virginia had considerable success riding in point-to-points before suffering a broken leg from a horse kicking her as she was riding back from a work for trainer Leslie Young, an accident that sidelined her until just before she went to Ireland.

"She's riding works for Slattery every day," said Brian. "She rides up to eight or nine a day."

Parker Hendriks rides for Gordon Elliott and Motion and Houghton have winners

Details: December 28, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

UNIONVILLE, Pa.--Parker Hendriks, a Unionville resident and National Steeplechase Association's Leading Jockey, traveled to Ireland for a month this fall to ride for one of Ireland's top trainers, Gordon Elliott.

ParkerHendriks best Parker Hendriks "Everything is done so differently over there," said Hendriks. "I was watching and trying to learn."

Despite already being on the top of the standings at just 18 years old, Hendriks said he wanted to learn as much as he could to improve his ability in his chosen field.

"I was riding just like I was a regular employee," said Hendriks. "I was pretty busy. Gordon has about 250 horses in training. Instead of six or eight in a set like we have here, they have 30 to 40 in a set. The horses train on an incline hill. They probably train way more than ours do. They train more for stamina.

""We'd ride out six or eight a day. Some days we'd go away to work horses in a different place. After work in the morning, we'd go to lunch, then I'd go back. I was helping to feed. I stayed with Simon McManagle, Gordon's head lad. Gordon had a separate yard where the young horses were broken. There were probably 20 to 30 more horses in that pre-training yard.

Graham Motion's G1 Stakes win, Brion and Houghton have winners

Details: December 7, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

DEL MAR, Calif.--Graham Motion had a grade1 stakes win, a grade 2 stakes place and a maiden win, all on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Graham Motion Coady Photography Graham Motion (Photo by Coady Photography)Speaking Scout won the G1, $400,000, 1 1/8 mile Hollywood Derby Stakes for 3 year olds on the turf by 3/4 length on Dec. 3.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Graham Motion, Speaking Scout was a bit slow at the start, running ninth in the 10 horse field until the far turn, then was two wide into the stretch and drove past the leaders for the win.

Speaking Scout previously won the Hawthorne Derby Stakes on Oct. 1 and was second in the G2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Oct. 29.

This was Speaking Scout's first G1 win, and he now has four wins and four seconds from 14 starts and $500,668 in earnings,

"I'll probably keep him in California and run him at Santa Anita," said Motion.

Motion's G2 second place was at Aqueduct.

AMO Racing USA's Affirmative Lady, trained by Motion, ran second, beaten by just a neck by Julia Shining, trained by Todd Pletcher, in the $250,000, 1 1/8 mile Demoiselle Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Affirmative Lady had previously run third and fourth in maiden special weights at Keeneland.

"She's a filly I've always liked," said Motion. "I knew she'd like the mile and an eighth. Not all fillies do. That was a good opportunity for her. I might keep her here to break her maiden or maybe send her to California."

Keri Brion has two flat winners and a stakes placed 2-year-old, Houghton, Jenkins and Motion have winners

Details: November 29, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

FAIR HILLS, Md.--Steeplechase's Leading Trainer, Money Won Keri Brion has said that she wants to have successful flat horses as well as jumpers, and she's already well on her way to doing that.

Afjan TrackPhoto Afjan winning at Laurel (Photo by TrackPhoto)During the past week, Brion saddled two flat winners and a Stakes placed 2-year-old.

Three Diamond Farm's Afjan won a $52,000, 1 1/16 mile Maiden Special Weight for 3, 4 and 5 year olds at Laurel on Nov. 18.

"That was my first winner for Three Diamonds," said Brion, who was only saddling the gelding the second time for Three Diamonds.

Previous to that, Afjan had raced nine times with a couple of seconds and thirds.

"I also have a filly, Every Time, for Three Diamonds, who was third in a maiden race at Aqueduct in October," said Brion.

Bernie Houghton won five, including three allowance races

Details: November 18, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

GRANTVILLE, Pa.--Bernie Houghton had five winners in the past two weeks, all at Penn National, three of which were foaled at his mother Betsy's Sylmar Farm in Christiana, Pa.

Swan Point EquiPhoto Swan Point (Photo by EquiPhoto)Houghton had two allowance winners for James Eshelman.

"Those two are owned by Kim Eshelman, who has worked for us for years," said Houghton. "They race in her husband's name."

Swan Point won a $31,000, 1 mile Allowance race for Pa-bred fillies and mares, 3 years and up, by a neck on Nov.8.

"Kim bought her as a yearling at Timonium," said Houghton. "She won an allowance first and then this Pa-bred allowance."

Swan Point was bought for $15,000 as a yearling and has since raced 18 times, winning three times with five seconds and five thirds and earning of $121,057.

Eshelman's Trolley Ride won a $31,600, 1 mile Allowance Optional Claiming race for Pa-bred fillies and mares by 1 3/4 lengths on Nov. 1 and was claimed for $25,000.

"Kim bred her,"said Houghton "She's 7, coming 8, and she's won over $400,000."

Keri Brion won two at Charleston

Details: November 15, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

HOLLYWOOD, S.C.--Keri Brion won two races at the Steeplechase of Charleston while Bruton Street-US also won a race to become steeplechasing's Leading Owner, Money won.

Topic Changer rallies to win 5th 4 Topic Changer winning at Aiken (Photo by Tod Marks) Jordan Wycoff and Frank Mullins' Topic Changer,, trained by Brion and ridden by Barry John Foley, won the featured $35,000 Sport of Kings 3-Year-Old Hurdle Stakes 13 1/2 lengths in front of the only other finisher, Hoffman, trained by Leslie Young.

Brion and was on the way to finishing first, second and third when the three she trains, The Insider, Clara Belle and Topic Changer, approached the last jump almost side by side, with The Insider, who had won by 13 lengths at Far Hills, expected to go on to win.

But Clara Belle, ridden by Jamie Bargery, stumbled over the fast fence, almost falling and losing her rider, and in the process brought down The Insider, ridden by Parker Hendriks, leaving to Topic Changer to go on to win, eased and all alone,

"Jamie said the fence just came up all wrong for Clara Belle," said Brion. "She all but took out Topic Changer, too."

"That's a trainer's nightmare," said Brion. "But 3 year olds will be 3 year olds. The three were 25 lengths in front of Hoffman. Jut pop the last fence. One stayed up, anyway."

Caravel, bred by Liz Merryman, won the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

Details: November 11, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

LEXINGTON, Ky.--Caraval, a Pa-bred bred by Elizabeth M. (Liz) Merryman on her farm in Coatesville, won the $1 Million Turf Sprint at Keeneland by 1/2 length over a field of 14 the best sprinters from the U.S., Ireland, Great Britain and France.

Caravel Monmouth Equi photo Caravel winning the Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth while still being trained by Merryman (Photo by Equi Photo)Merryman not only bred the 5-year-old mare, she also trained and raced her as 2- and 3-year-old, with seven wins and two thirds, before selling her for an undisclosed price to Bobby Flay, while retaining a quarter interest in her.

Caravel was then sold at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale in 2021 for $500,000 and is now owned by Qatar Racing, Mark Detampel and Madaket Stables and is trained by Brad Cox.

"Caravel was doing really well," said Merryman, who went to Keeneland to watch the race. "I was excited to see her run well. But I hadn't expected her to win. She was running against the best turf sprinters from all over the world."

Although she no longer owns an interest in Caravel, Merryman said that she still got quite a lot out of the mare's winning a Breeders' Cup race.

"I get an award as the breeder who nominated her, although I don't know how much that is, and I have five of her siblings," said Merryman.

Caravel is out of Zeezee Zommzoom, and Merryman still has the mare and continues to breed her and has five of her get.

Mystic Strike wins the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup for the third time

Details: November 9, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

UNIONVILLE, Pa.--It was only a three horse field, but it still came down to a fight to the finish as Upland Partners' Mystic Strike won the 4 mile, $35,000 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup Timber Stakes by 2 lengths over Charlie Fenwick's Royal Ruse, trained by Sanna Neilson, with Mercoeur, who had led for much of the race, a distant third.

Mystic Strike Pa. Hunt Cup Mystic Strike leads Royal Ruse at the last in the Pa. Hunt Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)Trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by erard allian, this was Mystic Strike's third win, having previously won in 2018 and 2020, then finishing second last year to Goodoldtimes.

"It's an incredible thrill," said Bill Wylie of Upland Partners. "I'm one of several in a group. We've foxhunted together for years. It's been an incredible ride to have a horse that's been so good for so long. He's won here twice before. He came in as a probable favorite, so expectations were high, but you're always on pins and needles when he runs."

"He's 13, and he's been running over timber since he was 6," said Wylie. "We'll see if he comes back next year."

William B. Santoro's Mr. Fine Threads, trained by Alicia Murphy and ridden by Colin Smith, won the $15,000, 3 mile Maiden Timber by 11 lengths over Tiepolo (Ire), trained by Elizabeth Korrell.

Tiepolo, ridden by Freddie Procter, had led for most of the race but was caught going to the last fence.

Leslie Young had three winners at Callaway Gardens plus two at Montpelier

Details: November 8, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga.--Leslie Young had three of the five winners at Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens on Nov. 5, plus two at Montpelier that put her over the top to win Leading Trainer, Races Won.

Leslie YoungLeipers Fork Steeplechasers' Court Ruler (Ire), ridden by Freddie Procter, led all the way in the 3 1/2 mile, four horse race and won the $20,000 Steeplethon by 37 lengths over Stooshie (Ire), trained by Cyril Murphy.

"After the ratings handicap at Saratoga was cancelled, we decided to convert Court Ruler to timber," said Young. "He couldn't run in stakes because he's a bleeder, so I said to his owners.`Let's try him over timber.' He went to Middleburg, and Tom Garner gave him a lovely ride, and he finished third. So then he went to Callaway, and he went to win it, and he did,"

Thoma S. Rice's Booby Trap, ridden by Procter, won the $15,000 Amateur or Apprentice Rider Hurdle by 11 1/2 lengths over Three O One, trained by Lillith Boucher.

Booby Trap was giving 20 pounds to the Three O One in the 2 3/8 mile, four horse race and was last the first time around, moving up gradually and drawing clear in the stretch.

"Booby Trap was great," said Young. "He had top weight, and I was worried about Lillith's horse, but Freddie gave him a lovely, patient ride."

Keri Brion wins three at Montpelier and goes over $1 million in money won

Details: November 7, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

MONTPELIER STATION, Va.--Keri Brion saddled three winners, including the winner of the $50,000 Montpelier Cup Fillies and Mares Stakes, at Montpelier Hunt Races on Nov. 5 to increase her total in Trainer, Money Won to $1,059,250, with one more meet to go, making her only the second trainer ever to go over the $1million mark in one year.

Keri BrionJack Fisher, who was Leading Trainer, Races Won last year, was the first and only other trainer to have accomplished that feat.

Last year, in her first year of training, Brion had the Eclipse Award winning horse and was Leading Trainer in money won, and she said at the beginning of this year that she wanted to prove that that was not a fluke.

And this year, without her top horse, 2021 Eclipse Award winner The Mean Queen, she not only saddled horses that won over $1 million, she was also second in Trainer, Races Won, with 30 wins to Leslie Young's 36 wins, with one more meet to go.

She proved in spades that last year was no fluke.

This year, Brion won the 30 races with a number of different horses.

"It's harder to win that amount of money without a horse like The Mean Queen," said Brion. "And I dd it without winning a grade one stake."

"Leslie had 15 wins over timber," said Brion."I had only one timber win. From a business point of view, it doesn't make any sense to have timber horses, because there isn't enough purse money in timber races."

Brion also had a number of flat wins and some seconds in high profile flat races.

"To make a living, you have to have flat horses," said Brion, following in the footsteps of the main under whom she was assistant trainer for over a decade, Jonathan Sheppard, who had Eclipse Award winning horses both over fences and on the flat.