CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--Jack Fisher saddled two winners, one of hurdles and one over timber, at the Foxfield Spring Race on April 30.
Jack Fisher Harold A. Via, Jr.'s Welshman, ridden by Graham Watters, won the $25,000, 2 1/8 mile Maiden Hurdle by 8 3/4 lengths over Cause for Pardon, trained by Leslie Young.
"I bought Welshman from Barclay Tagg," said Fisher. "I ran him once on the flat and then at Old Dominion Point-to-Point."
Fisher said he ran last at Old Dominion, but that he doesn't let his horses run at point-to-points so that they won't get hurt.
"He'll probably go to Nashville in the novice," said Fisher. "It looks like a fairly easy race."
"Turbo Drive gave us a nice lead,"said Watters. "This was a great win for Jack."
"This horse came in from the back door, off the flat track," said Via. "He's just 4. He's a really nice horse. We're happy to have him."
RATHER BE RACING'S Our Legend, ridden by Watters, won the $15,000, 3 mile Maiden Timber by 2 lengths over Western Crusader, trained by Ricky Hendriks.
"That was a good spot for this horse," said Fisher. "He got a lead all the way.He ran in the timber at Willowdale, and he was ahead by 15 lengths at the last fence and got beaten. I couldn't figure out why, but I found out when he came back. He'd fractured his coffin bone."
Our Legend ran in Ireland in 2017, 2018 and 2019, then was imported into this country where he ran over hurdles in 2019 and 2020, winning an allowance race at Fair Hill.
"Last year was his first timber season,"said Watters. "I rode him at the Manor in his first timber race, but he was a bit novicy. Then he had a bit of an injury last year. He's a seasoned campaigner now."
Kate Dalton saddled Layton Register's Seb's Welcome (Fr), ridden by Bernie Dalton, to win the $15,000. 21/8 mile Maiden Claiming Hurdle by a nose over Ondalove, trained by Young, and George Laird saddled Clarke Ohrstrom's Mr. Bridger, ridden by Barry Foley, to win the $20,000, 2 1/8 mile Ratings Handicap Hurdle by 2 3/4 lengths over Criticize, trained by Neil Morris.
Chief Justice (GB), owned by Irv Naylor, trained by Cyril Murphy and ridden by Foley, won the featured $50,000 Hurdle Handicap Stakes by 6 lengths over Brianbakescookie, trained by Fisher.
Running third early in the race,Chief Justice moved up to first after the first mile and widened through the stretch for the win.
Mark Beecher saddle Straylight Racing's Sempre Medici (Fr), ridden by Alex Leventhat, to win the $15,000 Apprentice Rider Hurdle by a head over Court Ruler (Ire), trained by Young.
