MIDDLEBURG, Va.--Jack Fisher trained horses that again dominated in a steeplechase meet, this time at the Virginia Fall Races on Saturday, Oct. 11.

Ethics ridden by Freddie Procter (Photo by Tod Marks)Fisher had three winners, including in both Stakes, and had horses finish first, second and third in the Three-Year-Old Hurdle Stakes.

Riverdee Stable's Ethics, ridden by Freddie Procter, won the $50,000, 2 1/8 mile Will O'Keefe Memorial Three-Year-Old Stakes by 2 lengths in 4:06 45 over Scorpius and Cooper, both also trained by Fisher.

Mrs. John R.S. Fisher's Keys Discount, ridden by Graham Watters, won the $50,000, 3 1/4 mile National Sporting Library & Museum Timber Stakes by 10 1/4 lengths in 6:38 over Marcel Magic (Ire), trained by Kathy Neilson, and Wagner (ire), trained by Todd Wyatt.

Fisher's third winner was Potus, another owned by Riverdee Stable,and ridden by Watters, who won the $20,000, 3 mile Maiden Timber by 4 1/4 lengths in 5:37 2/5 over Glencorrib Sky (Ire), trained by Leslie Young and Total Joy (Ire), also trained by Young.

Ethics was bred and raced by Calumet as a 2- and 3-year old with only one third place finish from four starts,

"I watched him race as a 2-year-old at Kentucky Downs," said Sean Clancy, syndicate manager of Riverdee Stable. "He fell out of the gate and was far behind, but he finished 10 when he should have been dead last. I thought right then he'd make a jumper. He certainly had the pedigree."

 

ETHICS is by Hard Spun out of a Blame mare.

"As a 3-year-old, he ran in a maiden claiming, at the  beginning of the year, and then I bought him privately in February," said Clancy. "We turned him out for two months, and then he learned to jump in April."

Ethics ran on the flat twice in maiden claiming races for Riverdee in July and August.

"We screwed up the plan in the first race," Clancy said. "He ran too close to a fast pace and finished ninth. Then in the second race he finished four but showed me enough to be a jumper. He was never bought to be a maiden claimer on the flat." 

Ethics then won in a his first race over fences, a maiden special weight at Colonial Downs before running in and winning the Stakes race at Middleburg.

"He's run twice in two weeks now," said Clancy. "If he's good coming out of that, he'll run next in Camden on Colonial Cup Day."

Keys Discount has now run four times in 2025, all in Stakes races, and he's won four times, and he seems to get better ever time he runs.

The way he won in Middleburg was impressive.

He went right to the lead and led by five lengths, increasing his lead throughout the race to lead by 14 lengths at the last fence and was eased in the stretch to win by 10 1/4 lengths.

 Julie Gomena saddled Stonelea Stables' Risk Taking, ridden by Bernie Dalton, to win the $40,000 Maiden Hurdle by 4 3/4 lengths in 4:07 3/5 over Verbal, trained by Young, and Getti'downtoit, trained by Mark Beecher.

Tom Garner saddle Butler Hall Racing's Take Your Seats (Ire), ridden by Evan Dwan to win the $30,000 Optional Maiden Starter, division 1, by 2 3/4 length in 4:06 over King of Tsavo (GB), trained by Young, and Fiery Dart, trained by Keri Brion.

Gratia Prince, owned by BJF Racing, trained by Barry Foley and ridden by Harry Beswick, won the $30,000 Optional Maiden Starter, division 2, by 3/4 length in 4:06 2/5 over Fouroneohsmoke, trained by Brion, and Maryland Moon, trained by Wlliiam Dowling.

Young saddled Sharon Sheppard's Chosen Judge ridden by Dalton, to win the $35,000 Ratings Handicap hurdle by 1 1/4 lengths in 4:07 4/5 over Dante's Fire, trained by Neil Morris and Artistic Choice (Ire), trained by Young.

Beecher saddle South Branch Equine's i Can Only Imagine (Ire), ridden by Wattere, to wn the $30,000,2 5/8 miles Steeplethon by 12 lengths in 5:31 2/5 over Gun For Success, trained by Gomena, and Animal Kingston, trained by Morris.