Racing

Motion has 3 Stakes wins, Matz, Merryman, Brion and Fisher have winners

Details: September 22, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Graham Motion saddled Tok Tok to win a $125,000 Stakes in only his second start.

Tok Tok Coady Photography Tok Tok winning at Colonial Downs (Photo by Coady Photography)Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Tok Tok, by Quality Road, won the $125,000,, 1 1/16 mile Kitten's Joy Stakes on the turf by 1 1/4 lengths at Colonial Downs on Sept. 9.

This was only the 2-year-old colt's second start after winning a Maiden Special Weight race, also at Colonial Downs, on July 27.

Running third in the early going, Tok Tok went three wide on the turn, hit the front one furlong from home and continued on to win under a drive.

Also on Sept.9, Gary Broad's Vergara won the G3, $1 Million, 1 5/16 mile Aristocrat Ladies Marathon Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up on the turf by 3/4 lengths at Kentucky Downs.

This was Vergara's third Stakes win and first graded stakes win after also placing previously second and third in graded stakes.

Vergara now has four wins, two seconds and three thirds from 13 starts with earnings of $1,102,213.

Wertheimer and Frere had a second homebred stakes winner with Serifos, a 4-year-old gelding who won the $100,000, 11/2 mile Precious Passion Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths at Monmouth Park on Sept. 10.

This was Serifos third win and first stakes win from 14 starts, with also three seconds and one third.

Arch Kingsley had the top three horses in the G1 Lonesome Glory Stakes, winning with Merry Maker

Details: September 15, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

OZONE PARK,, N.Y.--Arch Kingsley swept the board in the $150,000, G1 2 1/2 mile Lonesome Glory Hurdle Stakes, saddling the first, second and third placed horses to beat the heavy favorite Snap Decision.

Merry Maker Parker Hendriks defeat LImperator in Lonesome Glory 5 Merry Maker, ridden by Parker Hendriks, defeated LImperator in Lonesome Glory (Photo by Tod Marks)Hurricana Farm's Merry Maker (Ire), ridden by Parker Hendriks, closed strongly to beat Hudson River Farm's L'Imperator (Fr), ridden by Sephen Mulqueen, by 1/2length, with Richard Colton and Stella Thayer's Barbados third.

Snap Decision, who was giving 20 pounds to Merry Maker and I'Imperator, finished fourth after leading until the final turn.

Snap had been hard pressed by Restitution and L'Imperator throughout the race.

City Dreamer, Proven Innocent and Restitution rounded out the order of finish.

Merry Maker ran last of the seven entries until the final turn, when he unleashed a powerful run that swept him into the lead as he neared the wire.

Hendriks, 18, stood up in triumph, waving his crop, as they crossed the line, celebrating his first G1 win.

He had been National Steeplechase Leading Rider, Races Won and Money Won, last year, but suffered a concussion and this was his first win after that.

"Parker was out back, doing less than anyone else," said Joe Clancy, one of the television commentators, adding that Snap Decision had been pressed into doing more than he'd wanted throughout the race and came up empty in the stretch.

Snap Decision carries high weight against seven rivals in the G1 Lonesome Glory Handicap

Details: September 13, 2023; By Staff Writers

OZONE PARK, N.Y.--Bruton Street-US, owner of Snap Decision, trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, hopes the third time will be the charm in the G1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap on Thursday, Sept. 14, a 2 1/2-mile steeplechase on Opening Day of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Snap Decision leads over last in this year's Temple Gwathmey (Photo by Tod Marks)There are eight horses entered, but only three trainers, Fisher, who has three, Arch Kingsley who has four, and Keri Brion with one.

Snap is giving 20 pounds to four of the other horses and 22 pounds to the other three,

The 9-year-old Hard Spun gelding has finished second as the favorite in the last two runnings of the Lonesome Glory, beaten 2 lengths by The Mean Queen in 2021 after a more than two-month layoff, and 9 lengths behind Noah And The Ark last year in his fifth start of a six-race campaign.

“I was disappointed with last year's effort, but the year before that, that was fine,” Fisher said. “Last year, I think it told us we were over the top there. So, I think coming in with a fresh horse we should be good.”

The popular bay has a formidable steeplechase record of 20 starts with 12 wins and 7 seconds that includes G1 wins in the three-mile Iroquois, in 2021and 2022 and last year’s 2 3/8-mile Jonathan Sheppard at Saratoga that he won by 13 1/4-lengths in a powerful performance.

Kathy Neilson saddled Bercasa to win the $100,000 Life's Illusion Hurdle Stakes Stakes

Details: September 9, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--In a closely fought final few furlongs, Irv Naylor's Bercasa (Ire) closed steadily to win by a neck in the $100,000, 2 1/4 mile Life's Illusion Hurdle Stakes for fillies and mares at Colonial Downs on Sept. 8..

Bercasa Coady Photography Bercasa winning the Life's Illusion Stakes (Photo by Coady Photography)Trained by Kathy Neilson and ridden be Gerard Galligan, Bercasa now has two wins and a third in stakes this year.

"She won at Iroquois after two years off from racing," said Neilson. "She had a foal, a baby boy. He was born on my Dad's birthday, so we named him Leaping Louis. He'll be 1 in January."

Neilson's father, Louis (Paddy) Neilson was a top steeplechase rider and trainer.

"I thought she'd run well," said Neilson. "Her coat was really rich, and she's been training well, so I was pretty optimistic that she'd run well. But I was worried, because she was giving 12 pounds to some pretty good horses."

"I thought Gerard should keep her back early in the race, but she started off too strong. Then she made a mistake at the fourth fence and got shuffled back to last. She looked like she was completely off the bridle."

Houghton and Motion have multiple winners, while Jenkins, Matz, Hendriks and Kingsley have winners

Details: September 8, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

GRANTVILLE, Pa.--Bernie Houghton had four winners, including two of them on Sept. 6.

Our AndrewB Bill Denver Our Andrew B (Photo by Bill Denver)"We've been on a roll the past couple of weeks," said Houghton.

Harry Hoglander's Our Andrew B won the first race at Penn National on Wednesday evening, Sept. 6.

Our Andrew B won a $20,261, 5 furlong Maiden Claiming race for 2 year olds by 4 1/2 lengths after finishing fourth and sixth in maiden special weight races in August.

"Harry is a nice guy who has had horses with us for a while,"said Houghton. "We just dropped Our Andrew B in a claiming race to get a win for him."

in the seventh race the same night, Robin Perry's homebred Rightoffthebench won a $13,600, 6 furlong Maiden Claiming race for fillies and mares 3 years and up by 2 lengths.

"Robin is my sister's horse," said Houghton. "I had been trying to find a longer race for her, but couldn't, so put her in there. She got claimed.I hadn't wanted to lose her, but that's what happens when you put a horse in a claiming race."

Houghton was also third in Rightooffthe bench's race with his own homebred, Madison County.

Richard Valentine saddled Master McGrath to win at Colonial, Riverdee had another well-bred winner

Details: August 26, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Richard Valentine saddled Master McGrath to win the $40,000, 2 1/4 mile Maiden Special Weight Hurdle at Colonial Downs on Friday, Aug. 25.

Master McGrath Coady Photography Master McGrath (Photo by Coady Photography)Master McGrath, owned by Michael Byrne's Park Stud and ridden by Harry Beswick, ran fourth, then moved up to third in the four horse field before moving up on the final turn and slowly gaining on Beowulf, trained by Willy Dowling, then edging away to win by 2 lengths with Beowulf second, finishing in 4:08 1/5.

Master McGrath had run 11 times on the flat, mostly at Woodbine in Canada, with a maiden claiming win and a third in an allowance.

He had run twice inn recognized hurdle races, being pulled up each time, before winning at Colonial.

"He ran second twice in point-to-points, at Old Dominion and Middleburg," said Valentine. "Then I ran him back too quickly at Great Meadow and Malvern in May, but he was too soft."

"Today was a soft spot,so it was a great spot for him to get confidence," said Valentine. "I'm not sure where he'll race next. I have to talk to his owner. This was his first jump winner. He's from Kilkenny and is a great friend of Willie Mullins, so he's a jump guy. But he''d never had a North American jump winner before."

Awakened won the G1 Jonathan Sheppard, giving Jack Fisher his second straight win in the race

Details: August 24, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--The beautifully bred Awakened lived up to his breeding and won the G1, $150,000, 2 3/8 mile Jonathan Sheppard Handicap on Wednesday, Aug. 23.

Awakened defeats Jimmy P in Sheppard 5 Awakened defeats Jimmy P in the Sheppard (Photo by Tod Marks)Riverdee Stable and Ten Strike Racing's Awakened, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Tom Garner, won by 1 length over Jimmy P, trained by Keri Brion,, with McTigue, trained by Cyril Murphy, third.

Awakened settled well off the pace set by West Newton, who led until the final turn. with Noah And The Ark, Jimmy P and L'Impertore close behind.

Awakened made up ground entering the stretch under steady urging from Garner, taking command to the inside of Jimmy P passing the eighth pole with McTigue gaining on Jimmy P, but Awakened prevailed, finishing in 4:32.51.

Merry Maker finished fourth another seven lengths back,followed by L’Imperator, Redicean, Caramelised, Noah And The Ark, West Newton and Theocrat.

"He's always been a nice horse," said Fisher. "Having the Kiser under his belt helped him, and so did the added distance."

The Kiser was run at 2 1/16 miles, while the Sheppard was 2 3/8 miles.

PA Day at the Races ran a hugely successful, well filled card of 13 races,including seven $100,000 races

Details: August 23, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

BENSALEM,, Pa.--A hugely successful PA Day at the Races featured seven $100,000 races, all of which were well filled with between six and 14 entries.

Witty Equi Photo Talented Man just beats Witty in the Marshall Jenney Handicap (Photo by Equi Photo)All of the entries on the 13 race card had to be Pa-breds, but seven were also sired by stallions standing in Pennsylvania while two were sired by stallions standing in Maryland.

In the seven $100,000 races, three of the seven winners were sired by stallions standing in Pennsylvania, while a forth was sired by a stallion standing in Maryland.

Of the remaining six maiden and allowance races, four of the winners were sired in Pennsylvania with a fifth sired in Maryland.

Talent Search, standing at Diamond B Farms in Mohrsville, Pa., sired Talented Man, bred and trained by Michael Moore, who just held on to beat owner and breeder Liz Merryman's Witty, sired by Great Nation, who stands at Northview Farm in Chesapeake City, Md., in the Marshall Jenney Handicap at 5 furlongs on the turf.

Before the race, Merryman said the 5 furlong distance was not favorite Witty's best distance.

"It's a little short for him, it's not his best distance," said Merryman."Witty needs some time to get his legs under him."

The Houghtons made it a family affair in winning a Stakes at Penn National

Details: August 21, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

GRANTVILLE,Pa.--It doesn't get much better than this - a mother and son own a mare together, breed her and race her daughter in ownership together and, with the son training, win a stakes race.

Ssimply Stated Bill Denver Simply Stated winning the Penn Ladies Dash Stakes (Photo by Bill Denver)The Houghtons made it a family affair when Simply Stated, bred by Bernie Houghton's WMT Stables and Betsy Houghton's Sylmar Farm, foaled and raised at Sylmar in Christiana, Pa., owned by Betsy and Bernie and trained by Bernie, won the $50,000, 6 furlong Penn Ladies Dash Stakes by a neck at Penn National on Aug. 18.

"She's a nice filly," said Bernie. "I had to find a prep race race for her, so I found an allowance race. I told the jock, `Just take care of her. She has a stake in 10 days.' The plan was to run her right back in this stake. David Cora just sat on her in the allowance, but she went to the front and won easily."

"I was nervous about this Stakes race, because she's only a 3-year-old, and she was running against older fillies," said Bernie. "I'm going to give her some time now, as she had two races in 10 days. It's hard to find a race for her."

"We own the mare, Sharp and Sassy, together," said Betsy. "We lost her second foal, Beyond the Bend, to a claim, but he's still running and doing good. We have a 2-year-old, half brother of Simply Stated and the mare is in foal now."

Noah And The Ark is high weight in the G1 Jonathan Sheppard, but L'Imperator and McTigue are the ones to watch

Details: August 19, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Keystone Thoroughbreds’ graded stakes-winner Noah And The Ark will carry the high weight of 158 pounds as he attempts to win a second G1 race in Wednesday’s $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard, a 2 3/8-mile hurdle race at Saratoga Race Course.

LImperator leads Beat Le Bon to wire in 1st L'Imperator leads Beat Le Bon to the wire in an Allowance at Sarstoga (Photo by Tod Marks)Noah And The Ark is listed number on on National Steeplechase's Official Ratings, but he hasn't run well since winning the Lonesome Glory last year.

But L'Imperator, trained by Arch Kingsley, and McTigue, trained by Cyril Murphy, have both won impressively in their most recent races, and both finished in faster times over the same course at Saratoga than Belfast Banter did in the G1 Smithwick, where Noah And The Ark finished fourth, beaten 13 1/2 lengths.

Hudson River Farms' L’Imperator, to be ridden for the first time by Parker Hendriks while carrying 148 pounds, was a graded stakes winner on the flat and will be trying to win his first graded race over hurdles as one of two entrants for Kingsley, who also sends out Merry Maker, ridden by Graham Watters, with 144 pounds.

L’Imperator enters from an impressive allowance win on July 26 at the Spa where he had his first triumph against winners over hurdles in a 2 1/16-mile race.

Mark Beecher and Arch Kingsley saddled Maiden winners at Colonial

Details: August 19, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

Aftermath jumping Coady Photography Aftermath, fourth on the left, over a fence in the stretch first time around (Photo by Coady Photography)Mark Beecher and Arch Kingsley saddled winners of the two $40,000, 2 1/4 mile Maiden Special Weight races at Colonial Downs on Friday, Aug. 18.

Daniel Baker's Aftermath, trained by Beecher and ridden by Graham Watters, won the first race, the Four-Year-Old Maiden hurdle by 1 1/4 lengths over Tiger to Remember, trained by Kate Dalton, and Active Duty, trained by William Dowling, finishing in 4:08.33.

Aftermath raced mid-pack in in a tightly bunched field, moved up on the turn and went clear in the stretch for the win.

"He's a really nice, big, raw type 4-year-old," said Beecher. "I liked his breeding. He's by Arrogate out of an Afleet Alex mare. I claimed him at Laurel last year, and then we gave him time. We ran him in a point-to-point, then he was fourth in a maiden race at the Queen's Cup. We let him freshen up before this race."

"We'll probably only run him twice more this year, due to the fact that he's only 4" said Beecher. "Maybe he'll run in the allowance at Shawan. I like him. He's nearly 17-hands and needs to fill out."

Cyril Murphy saddles another winner, Gold Charm in a Colonial Stakes

Details: August 11, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Cyril Murphy is certainly on a roll, saddling Gold Charm (Ire) to win the $75,000, 2 1/4 mile Randolph D. Rouse Filly and Mare Hurdle Stakes at Colonial Downs on Friday,Aug. 11.

Cyril MurphyThat followed his training two stakes winners at Saratoga, McTigue in the Kiser Novice Stakes and Belfast Banter in the G1 Smithwick.

All three are owned by Irv Naylor.

Gold Charm, ridden by Harry Beswick, ran last in the seven horse field until beginning to make her move at the second to last fence on the backside, catching Cainudothetwist in the stretch and going on to win by three lengths in 4:02.57.

Cainudothetwist, trained by Arch Kingsley, was second with Bercasa (Ire), trained by Kathy Neilson third.

"You never get tired of winning," said Murphy. "You don't win anything for a while and then all of a sudden they come in droves."

Gold Charm, a 4-year-old, ran in handicaps in England in 2021 and 2022, placing fairly consistently but without a win.

Arch Kingsley won a flat race, which was meant to be just a prep race, with Cainuothetwist

Details: August 5, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Arch Kingsley won another race, but his time on the flat with Cainudothetwist at Colonial Downs on Aug. 3.

CainudothetwistCoady Photography Cainudothetwist winning at Colonial (Photo by Coady Photography)"I was sitting on the tarmac in an airplane headed for Ireland when I heard she'd won," said Kingsley. "I love that mare, and we own her now."

Cainudothetwistwon a $44,000, 1 1/8 mile Maiden Claiming race on the turf by 3/4 length.

"We put her in that as a prep race for the Randy Rouse steeplechase at Colonial in eight days," said Kingsley. "It was meant to be just a gallop around as a prep. She did a little better than that."

"I was on my way to Ireland where Taylor is riding Sunday at Galway," he said. "She's riding Chef d'Etat, the horse she won on over there before. She's riding in an amateur flat race for Shark Hanlon."

Kingsley had a horse entered in one of the steeplechase races at Colonial on Aug. 4, but those races wee cancelled after heavy rains soaked the turf course.

KERI BRION, another steeplechase trainer, also won a flat race, saddling Steinmetz Equine Holdings Urban Myth to win a $38,500, 1 1/4 mile Allowance race by a nose at Delaware Park on July 21.

Although better known as a steeplechase trainer, Brion has said she wants to follow in the footsteps of Jonathan Sheppard, for whom she was assistant trainer before going out on her own,

Sheppard had a top group of flat horses, including Eclipse Award winners, on the flat as well as over fences.

Cyril Murphy saddled his second Saratoga winner, McTigue in the Kiser Novice Stakes

Details: August 3, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Cyril Murphy saddled McTigue to win the $75,000, 2 1/16 mile Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths at Saratoga on Wednesday, Aug. 2.

McTigue Gerard Galligan win Kiser 8 McTigue ridden by Gerard Galligan on his way to winning the Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes (Photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Irv Naylor and ridden by Gerard Galligan, McTigue ran third behind Caramelised, trained by Leslie Young, and Realist, trained by Ricky Hendriks, who set a fast pace while battling each other for the lead.

Galligan on McTigue passed a tired Realist, who was eventually pulled up, on the backside and began to make a move after the last fence, pulling even with a tiring Caramelised on the turn and went on to win.

Awakened, trained by Jack Fisher was second, with Merry Maker and Barbados, both trained by Arch Kingsley, third and fourth respectively.

Galligan was a catch ride after Barry Foley was injured in a fall while schooling a horse in Virginia.

"I've had McTigue since the middle of April," said Murphy. "He won the Speedy Smithwick Memorial Stakes at the Gold Cup after Hoffman was disqualified. He had nice form in Europe where he was a graded stakes winner in France. He was then sent to race in Ireland and England. He didn't like the winter going in England, so we got the opportunty to buy him."

Eight to compete in the Kiser Novice Hurdle at Saratoga on Wednesday

Details: August 1, 2023; By Staff Writers

Reprintedfrom The National Steeplechae Association

By Tod Marks

The National Steeplechase Association’s summer season continues this week with four hurdle races, three from Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., and the $75,000 Jonathan Kiser novice stakes at Saratoga.

Caramelised on his way to winning the Carolina Cup Hurdle Stakes. (Photo by Tod Marks)At Saratoga on Wednesday, a highly competitive field of eight is expected to face NYRA starter Hector Soler in the Kiser, at 2 1/16th miles.

Leading trainer Leslie Young saddles Sharon Sheppard and Gil Johnston’s Caramelised (ridden by Robbie Dunne) and Potter Group USA and Yorton Racing’s Solomoon (Corey McGivern).

Caramelised, a 5-year-old British-bred, made a sensational U.S. debut in the Carolina Cup, coming from behind with a powerful late kick after the final fence to overtake stakes winner Welshman.

In his only other 2023 start, he weakened to finish a distant third to Freddy Flintshire in the Queen’s Cup in April.

Solomoon, a 4-year-old also bred in Great Britain, has one weight-for-age hurdle victory in four career starts.

He was pulled up in his only NSA start, a 120 handicap at the Iroquois races.

“He is a lovely little horse who has been training well,” Young said of Solomoon. “We thought we’d give him a shot in the novice and see if we can pick up a piece of it.”

L'Imperator won the $70,000 Allowance at Saratoga easily and impressively

Details: July 28, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Arch Kinglsley saddled L'Imperator to win the $70,000, 2 1/16 mile Allowance Hurdle by 8 3/4 lengths at Saratoga on Wednesday, July 26.

LImperator leads Beat Le Bon to wire in 1st Early in the stretch, L'Imperator leads Beat Le Bon to the wire in Saratoga (Photo by Tod Marks)Hudson River Farms' L'Imperator, ridden by Steve Mulholland, ran well off the pace set by Beat Le Bon, trained by Jack Fisher, began to move after the last fence on the backstretch, caught Beat Le Bon on the turn and drew away to win easily.

Beat Le Bon was second and Hoffman, trained by Leslie Young, was third, another 13 3/4 lengths further back.

Not only did L'Imperator win, but he finished in 3:47.42, a little over six seconds faster than the time set by Belfast Banter in winning the G1 Smithwick.

"I think he's a good horse," said Kingsley, which might turn out to be a pretty big understatement.

Kingsley said he's now aiming L'Imperator for the G1 Jonathan Sheppard on Aug. 16 at Saratoga.

Kingsley and Ed Swyer, owner of Hudson River Farms, teamed up to win the Sheppard when it was known as the N.Y. Turfwriters as jockey and owner when Nine Pins, trained by Sheppard, won.