Racing

Swore, trained by Keri Brion, won the $75.000 Carolina Cup

Details: March 31, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

CAMDEN, S.C,--Swore, trained by Keri Brion, won the $75,000, 2 1/8 mile Carolina Cup Novice Hurdle Stakes over a field of seven at the Carolina Cup Races on Saturday,March 28.

Swore leads Chortal over last in Carolina Cup 1 Swore leads Chortal over the last in the Carolina Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Stone Farm and Upland Flats Racing and ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, Swore won by 6 3/4 lengths over Chortal (GB) and Coutach (GB). both trained by Ricky Hendriks.

Swore now has four wins and a second, including two stakes wins, from six starts over fences.

"Swore was trained by Graham Motion," said Brion. "He was a nice horse but just a click below stakes quality. I'd been watching him for a while. Stone Farm bred him and still owned half of him. I said to Patrick Lewis that I thought he'd make a good steeplechase horse, and Patrick bought the other half."

"He's been in my barn since November of 2024," she said. "We taught him to jump and then turned him out for the winter. I'd noticed he sounded like he was making a noise, and in the spring it was worse, so he had a complete wind operation. That's why he didn't run until July, but that wind operation really helped him."

Later last year, Swore won the G1 Lonesome Glory Handicap and the G1 American Grand National Hurdle Stakes.

Leslie Young won two at Cheshire Races

Details: March 30, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

UNIONVILLE, Pa.--Leslie Young had two winners, including Uco Valley (Ire) in the featured $20,000 Cheshire Bowl, at the Cheshire Races on Sunday, March 29.

Kathy Neilson 1 Kathy Neilson, Race Chairman (File photo)The races drew a good crowd to enjoy top notch racing on a sunny spring day.

Uco Valley, owed by Potter Group USA, Gaskells Waste Services and Ashwell Stable and ridden by Freddie Procter, won the 3 mile Cheshire Bowl Open Timber by 12 1/2 lengths over Marcel Magic, trained by Kathy Neilson, and Anzio, trained by Sandra Webb.

"He's a lovely horse, very athletic and a lovely mover," said Young. "He had some really bad luck last year. I'm glad he won, he deserved it."

Uco Valley finished second in both the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup and the International Gold Cup in October but was disqualified in two other races.

"He went wide around a beacon in Nashville, and they disqualified him," said Young. "He was running well at the Gold Cup in the spring but went off course and was disqualified."

"He'll go to My Lady's Manor next," said Young.

Leipers Fork Steeplechase's For the Parish (Ire), ridden by Procter, won the $15,000 Maiden Timber by 32 lengths over The Red Fox, trained by Todd McKenna, and The Ballybreen Fox (Ire), trained by Joe Davies.

"For the Parish is a good jumper, and he won some nice hurdle races for us," said Young. "We wanted to convert a horse to timber for his owners. He'll run over timber at Nashville, and maybe he'll run once in between."

"The ground was beautiful at Cheshire," said Young. "They put on a good show."

Father and son Todd and James Wyatt had a winner at Piedmont

Details: March 24, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

UPPERVILLE, Va.--The father and son combo of Todd as trainer and James as jockey joined forces to win a timber race at the Piedmont Fox Hounds Point-to-Point on Saturday, March 21.

Piedmont racesSarah M. Jay's Be Counted won the second division of the Foxhunter Timber by 5 lengths over Shining Marble (Ire), trained by Kathy Neilson.

"We've had Be Counted for quite a long time," said Todd. "He's owned by Sarah Jay, whose father, who has passed, was a long time client of ours."

"James won a bunch of races on Be Counted last year," said Todd. "He was also on the winning team at the Foxhall Farm Team Chase a couple of weeks ago. We'll run him back at Elkridge Harford, and James will ride him."

Of having the father and son combination, Todd said "We''re lucky to have that."

Neil Morris saddled Vincent Bonanni's Bet the Pot, ridden by Eric Poretz, to win the first division of that timber race by a neck over Paddy's Crown, trained by Emily Hannum.

Arch Kingsley and Kathy Neilson won at Aiken Steeplechase

Details: March 23, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

AIKEN, S.C.--Arch Kingsley saddled I'm A Rocket Man (Ire) to win the $35,000 Maiden Hurdle and Kathy Neilson with L'Avvocato (Fr) won the $25,000 Ratings Handicap Hurdle at the Aiken Spring Steeplechase on Saturday, March 21.

Im A Rocket Man Tod Marks I'm A Rocket Man over a fence halfway through the race (Photo by Tod Marks)This was I'm a Rocket Man's first race in this country after running five times in Ireland with two third place finishes.

"We brought him over last fall," said Kingsley. "We were going to run him last fall, but he got little hurt when he got here. That gave him a little extra time to get acclimated."

Owned by Hudson River Farms and ridden by Freddie Procter, I'm A Rocket Man won the 2 1/8 mile race by 1 3/4 lengths over Coal Boss, trained by Kate Dalton, and Rotterdam, trained by Ricky Hendriks.

"He's always trained like a nice horse," said Kingsley. "We were really pleased with him. There's a couple of non-winners of two were looking at for him, at Middleburg and at Great Meadows."

Kingsley also had Bee Well run third in the $40,000 Ratings Handicap.

"That was a satisfying performance," said Kinsley. "He was stepping up in class. We think a lot of him."

Elkridge Harford Hunt won the Foxhall Farm Cup Team Chase

Details: March 17, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

WEST GROVE, Pa.--Elkridge Harford Hunt placed first, second and third in the Foxhall Farm Cup Team Chase for the fastest time, while Green Spring Valley Hounds team won the Full Cry for the team chase average time.

Foxhall Farm Cup Foxhall Farm Team CupCharlie Fenwick rode on the winning team in the Full Cry Chase and owns a horse that was on the winning team in the Foxhall Farm Cup Chase.

The Foxhall Farm Team Cup is competed over about three miles of fair hunting country, and Elkride Harford, Green Spring Valley annd Cheshire Foxounds alternate hosting the Chase.

The team of James Wyatt on Fenwick's Neutral, Dan Nevin on Riverdee Stable's Include It and Freddie Procter on Sarah Jay's Be Counted won in 12:03 over the Elkridge Harford team of Teddy Davies, Sophie O'Brien and Chelsea Secor that finished in 12:08.

There were six team in the fastest time division, and the Elkridge Harford team of Manuel Aguilera, Gretchen Eisenberg and Pauly Aguilera was third, finishing in 12:28.

Leslie Young had two winners and four placed at Warrenton

Details: March 16, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

WARRENTON, Va.--Leslie Young had two winners, two seconds and two thirds at the Warrenton Hunt Point-to-Point on Saturday, March 14.

Leslie YoungAfter a long, hard winter, trainers were obviously anxious to give their horses an outing as the maiden, novice and flat races all had big entries.

Leipers Fork Steeplechasers' Walk the Warrior, trained by Young and ridden by Ben Mulligan, won the Amateur/Novice Hurdle by 20 lengths over Articuno, trained by Ricky Hendriks.

"Walk the Walk was a very competent hurdle horse," said Young. "We ran him last year in steeplethons, and that didn't work, so now he's back to hurdles."

"All the horses had a nice prep," said Young. "We use the point-to-points as a work. The jockeys said the going was good. I was really happy without first outing. It;s a long season."

Young's horses ran first, second and third in the Open Flat that had 11 entries.

Sharon Sheppard's Rucker Road (Ire), ridden by Sarah Cundith, won by 4 lengths over Foxy Walk (Ire) and Rampoldi Plan.

"Rucker Road is headed to Aiken for the Ratings Handicap," said Young. "Foxy Walk and Rampoldi both had good runs."

Ricky Hendriks also had a good day as a trainer, with one winner, three seconds and a third.

Learnington Racing's Chortal (GB), trained by Hendriks and ridden by Virginia Korrell, won the Novice Rider Flat by 5 lengths over two of Young's, Two Past Eight (GB) and Garrison Forest (Ire).

George Strawbridge heads Chester County day in California

Details: December 30, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

ARCADIA, Calif.--In a once in a lifetime finish, three horses owned by two men who live just a few mile apart in southern Chester County finished one, two, three in a Grade 1 race at Santa Anita race track in California.

Ambaya Benoit Photo Ambaya (Photo by Benoit Photo)Ambaya, owned and bred by George Strawbridge Jr.'s Augustin Stables, won the G1, $300,000, 1 1/4 mile American Oaks turf race for 3-year-old fillies by 1/2 length.

Cliffs, owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Stables, finished second, and Strawbridges's homebred Will Then placed third, another neck back.

Strawbridge had flown out to California to watch his two homebreds run and was richly rewarded.

Strawbridge has been a top owner and breeder for decades, but his greatest success came during his five decades with Jonathan Sheppard, when he won both flat and steeplechase Eclipse Awards with the two flat Awards being with Forever Together and Informed Decision.

Ambaya, trained by Jonathan Thomas, ran fifth until the final turn in the Oaks, launching a bid at the top of the stretch and digging in late to beat Cliffs on her inside and Will Then on her outside.

Graham Motion and Keri Brion won multiple races

Details: December 28, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

FAIR HILL, Md.--Graham Motion won seven races while Keri Brion won four and Michel Matz won one during the past months.

No Show Sammy AdamCoglianese No Show Sammy Jo (GB) (Photo by Adam Coglianese)All three trainers are based at the Fair Hill Training Center.

Motion's wins included two stakes, an allowance and four maiden special weights while Brion's included two maiden special weights and two claiming races and Matz won a maiden claimer.

Newstead Stables' No Show Sammy Jo (GB) won the $125,000, 1 3/8 mile Via Borghese Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up on the turf by 5 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park on Christmas Eve.

The 5 year old mare saved ground off the pace, advanced three wide around the turn and drew off in the stretch to win comfortably.

No Show Sammy Jo's win ran her career totals to six wins and three seconds from 13 starts, including three stakes wins, and $503,225 in earnings.

Head of the Plains' homebred Jaxer won the !25,000, 1 mile Notebook Stakes for New York bred 2 year olds on the turf by 1 length at Aqueduct on Nov. 14.

Jaxer ran seventh of 10 until put to a drive entering the stretch, closing strongly for the win.

Jaxer had previously won a maiden race at Belmont after finishing eighth and then second in his first two races.

Keri Brion and three Grade 1 thrillers

Details: December 23, 2025; By Staff Writers

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - To celebrate a remarkable year of racing action on the New York Racing Association, Inc. circuit, the NYRA Press Office checked in with a selection of trainers, owners, jockeys and racing personalities to share their reflections on the memorable year.

Keri Brion NYRA Keri Brion (Photo by NYRA)Trainer Keri Brion has posted a career-best year in wins and purse earnings, with 44 victories banking over $2.3 million [as of Dec. 19], including a trio of steeplechase Grade 1 victories on the NYRA-circuit, all in thrilling finishes.

Historic Heart, an 8-year-old Fracas gelding owned by Atlantic Friends Racing, captured the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Handicap by a nose holding off the oncoming Grade 1-winner Proven Innocent on July 23 at Saratoga Race Course.

The chestnut was making just his second start off a nearly two-year layoff, which ended with a return in an April 20 allowance at Morven Park where he stumbled and lost the rider.

Jimmy P, a 7-year-old Slumber gelding owned by Madaket Stables, Molly Willis and Paul Willis, repeated in the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap on Aug. 27 at Saratoga.

Barnavara Fairytale Keeps Russell Jones Young

Details: December 3, 2025; By Staff Writers

Reprintedd from the Thoroughbred Daily Times

By Chris McGrath

He called it a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience, smiling in the Paris sunshine, spry and dapper in his bow tie and blazer. And then he added: “I mean, I'm 90 years old, so I don't know how much more lifetime there is!”

Barnavara Scoop Dyga Barnavara (Phoo by Scoop Dyga)That helped the interview go fairly viral. But there was much else besides: the sheer joie de vivre, the sense of just how much living Russell Jones has crammed into that lifetime; plus an infectious sense of the fulfilment available, when you invest in a horse in a purely sporting spirit.

Jones only found himself at Longchamp because he had wanted to honor the memory of Johnny Harrington by participating in a partnership at the stable run by his dear friend's widow Jessica. In his time, to be sure, Jones has plenty of horse trading. He would know as well as anybody the commercial potential of bloodstock. In fact, along with his late brother Richard, he consigned Producer (Nashua) to achieve a broodmare record $5.25 million at Keeneland in 1983. Even so, there may be a lesson for those people who nowadays approach the game in a wholly mercenary spirit, in the way things have played out with Barnavara (Ire) (Calyx {GB}). Because this €70,000 yearling goes to the Sceptre Sessions at Tattersalls Tuesday (hip 1753) as winner of the G1 Prix de l'Opera–a race once won, funnily enough, by Producer.

What a weekend the Alpha Racing syndicate had in Paris–and how often did thoughts turn to Johnny. Jones had gotten to know him way back in the 1960s, when Johnny was working for the Curragh Bloodstock Agency, and had come to America to help launch Jonathan Sheppard's training career. They hit it off so well that Johnny started staying with Jones in Pennsylvania, whenever he travelled over.

Arch Kingsley won three at Aiken

Details: November 24, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

AIKEN, S.C.--Arch Kingsley saddled three winners and was leading trainer at the Aiken Fall Steeplechase on Saturday, Nov, 22.

Sweet Will takes jump 2nd pass 5th 2 Sweet Will, ridden by Freddie Procter (Photo by Tod Marks)Freddie Procter rode all three of Kingsley's winners, and with those three wins moved into a tie for Rider, Races Won with 15 wins behind runaway winner Graham Watters, who won 26 races.

"It was a very good day, said Kingsley. "We always try to do well at Aiken, so it's nice when it all comes together."

"I was really happy for Freddie," said Kingsley. "He's put in a lot of work and he came down here to work the horses. So it's nice for him to have a three win day."

Kingsley saddled Hurricana Farm's Sweet Will (Ire) to win the $35,000, 2 1/8 mile Ratings Handicap Hurdle b y 1 length in 3:48 4/5 over Rucker Road (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Caramelised, also trained by Young.

"We've had Sweet Will for a year," said Kingsley. "This was his first win for us. He won six hurdle races in Ireland. We bought him to be a timber horse, but right now he's still a productive hurdle horse. He was third in the G1 Lonesome Glory."

"I'm not sure what we'll do with him next year," he said. "Whether we'll make him a timber horse or or stay with him over hurdles. He still has some good days over hurdles."

Risk Taking won the Allowance race at Steeplechase at Charleston

Details: November 10, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

HOLLYWOOD, S.C.--Julie Gomena saddled Risk Taking to win the $35,000 Allowance Hurdle at Steeplechase at Charleston on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Risk Taking Bernie Dalton Risk Taking and Bernie DaltonStonelea Stables' Risk Taking, ridden by Bernie Dalton, won the 2 3/8 mile race by 13 1/2 lengths in 4:28 3/5 over Cainyoudothetwist, trained by Arch Kingsley, and Brie's Mission, trained by Kathy Neilson.

That was a nice end to the year," said Gomena.

"I've had Risk Taking for three years now." she said. "I bought him at the Keeneland fall sale. He'd been trained by Chad Brown, and he ran in the Preakness."

Risk Taking had sold for $240,000 as a yearling, and he won the G3 Withers as a 3-year-old.

Gomena bought Risk Taking for $75,000.

"He was a raging, screaming stallion, so we had him gelded." said Gomena. "I ran him first at Colonial, and he blew a tendon, so he had a year off."

"He's still a keen horse, so if he runs up front against another horse he runs himself out, so we always tuck him in behind," she said. "He's one paced, so he needs to close on speed."

"He'll get a vacation now," said Gomena. "He's now officially a novice, so we'll bring him out again next spring."

Keri Brion had five winners, Motion, Matz and Merryman also had winners

Details: November 9, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

LAUREL, Md.--Keri Brion had five winners, including two allowance winners, in the last month, while Graham Motion had seven winners, including two Stakes winners, and Michael Matz and Liz Merryman also had winners.

Sporting LadyAudley Farm Equine's Sporting Lady won a $50,500, 5 1/2 Allowance race for Fillies and Mares on the turf by 1 1/2 lengths and paid $70.60 for the win.

"Sporting Lady is a nice filly," said Brion. "She threw in a bad race last start with no real excuse. She came out of it fine, so we regrouped and tried again."

"I can't believe they let her go off at 30 to one," said Brion. "She's always been very consistent. She's a nice really filly who should keep improving."

Sporting Lady ran second five times in Maiden Special Weight races before winning on Aug. 23, and then finishing eighth in an allowance race before her win at Laurel.

Master Seville, trained by Mark Beecher, won the Pa. Hunt Cup

Details: November 5, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

UNIONVILLE, Pa.--Mark Beecher saddled Master Seville to win the $35,000, 4 mile Pennsylvania Hunt Cup on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Master Seville 4 early in PHC 1 Master Seville, number 4 on the right. early in the Hunt Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)Master Seville, owned by South Branch Equine and ridden by Graham Watters, won the Hunt Cup by 4 3/4 lengths in 8:35 3/5 over Uco Valley (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Goodoldtimes (Ire), also trained by Beecher.

Also, at a previous race meet, Duncan Patterson, a steward at the Hunt Cup in an interview explained the rulings in a controversial timber race at the International Gold Cup.

"Master Seville has been with me a long time," said Beecher. "I got hm as a 4-year-old and he's 9 now. He's won five or six sanctioned races and a number of point-to-point races."

Beecher said he didn't give Watters any instructions.

"Graham is a very good rider," he said." I thought he gave him a very good ride, The horse jumped beautifully."

"He's been a rock solid horse for us," said Beecher. "This is his first stakes win. He's a lovely horse. He foxhunts, and anyone can ride him,"

Cool Jet won the Noel Laing Stakes at Montpelier

Details: November 3, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

MONTPELIER STATION, Va.--Riverdee Stable's Cool Jet (Ire) won the G3, $75,000 Noel Laing Stakes at Montpelier, while Mark Beecher had two winners and a third to win the Leading Trainers award.

Cool Jet leads pver last in Commonwealth Cup Cool Jet led over last to win the Commonwealth Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)Cool Jet, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Bernie Dalton, won the 2 1/2 mile Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths inn 5:12 2/5 over Noble Anthem (Ire), trained by Tom Garner, and For the Parish, (Ire), trained by Leslie Young,

"Cool Jet has a very high cruising speed," said Sean Clancy, manager of the Riverdee Stable syndicate "He loved it at Montpelier, He loved those hedge jumps. Some horses brush through them, but he jumped over them. It looked beautiful. And he never put a foot wrong."

Cool Jet went to the front from the start and was never headed, opening up after the last fence to win comfortably.

"Bernie got on him three rides ago, and he's got him in rhythm," said Clancy.

Cool Jet has won the last three stakes he's run in,, the Commonwealth Cup at Great Meadow, the Mariann de Tjjeda Stakes at Foxfield and now at Montpelier, after finishing second and third earlier this year.

"He's 9, and he's had a good year," said Clancy. " He'll probably go to the Colonial Cup. I think he'll like it there."

Mark Beecher as trainer and Virginia Korrell as jockey dominated Genesee Valley

Details: October 14, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

GENESEO, N.Y.--Armata Stable's Crealion, trained by Tom Garner and ridden by Virginia Korrell was disqualified on Saturday, Oct. 11 due to not weighing out at the correct weight at the Genesee Valley Hunt Races.

Crealion ridden by Virginia KorellThen 48 hours later the National Steeplechase Association Stewards Advisory Committee ruled that the disqualification of the horse was not warranted.

"When i weighed out, I was one-tenth of a pound under," said Korrell. "It used to be that jockeys were allowed a half pound leeway, but that was changed this year. Tom argued the decision and it was changed."

Originally, it was announced that South Branch Equine's Master Seville, ridden by Nevin, won the $15,000 Amateur or Apprentice Rider Timber by 5 1/4 lengths in 5:40 3/5 over Project Two (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Rhyhmia, trained by McKenna.

The Steward's ruling reinstated Crealion, and dropped Master Sevile to second and Project Two to third.

With that ruling, it meant that Korrell had ridden two winners, Crealion and The Butler Yates in the Timber Stakes and a second placed horse, Hey Teacher..

"Crealion has run about 35 times," said Korrell. "Tom got him last year, and I rode him in some races. Then he wasn't himself this spring, so we gave him the summer off. He's a nice horse, and he jumped really well."

The Butler Yates, owned by Greenlights, trained by Young and ridden by Korrell, won the $25,000, 3 1/2 mile Timber Stakes by 3/4 length in 6:54 2/3 over Goodoldtimes, trained by Beecher, and Hard Games, trained by Neilson.

"I rode and schooled The Butler Yates quite a lot when I worked for Leslie."said Korrell. "He's very uncomplicated now. He used to be quirky, when he came over from Ireland. He used to be very slow over the fences, but that was the best he's ever jumped."