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." 

 

THAT RULING meant Beecher saddled just one winner and two second placed horse in the three races, instead of the two winners he'd thought he'd had,

"We had a good day, with two winners at Genesee and one in Middleburg," said Beecher before the ruling was announced.

Along with Beecher's two wins at Genesee, I Can Only Imagine (Ire) won the Steeplethon in Middleburg.

But despite the change in results, Beecher still had a good day with a winner and two seconds at Genesee.

Old Style Humor (Ire), owned by Runnymoore Racing and ridden by Dan Nevin, won the $15,000, 3 mile, Maiden Timber by 1 length in 6:09 3/5 over Hey Teacher (Ire), trained by Kathy Neilson, and The Red Fox, trained by Todd McKenna.

"I've had Old Style Humor since the spring," said Beecher. "He had a couple of runs in the spring. He won a point-to-point race and was fifth in a steeplethon. This was his first race this fall, and I felt he was the best horse."

"He may go to the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup in the non-winners of two," he said.

"Master Seville is a good old boy," said Beecher. 'I've had him since he was 4. He has five wins under rules, and he's also won some point-to-point races. He always shows up and runs his race."

"Goodoldtimes is another good old campaigner," said Beecher. "He was third in the Maryland Hunt Cup this spring, He'll probably head to the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup."