AIKEN, S.C.--Keri Brion saddled Blue Creek to win the featured $40,000 Hurdle Handicap and Porte Jeune (Fr) to win a $25,000 Maiden race at Aiken Spring Steeplechase on Saturday, March 22.
Blue Creek, left, outduels Kiyomori to the wire i(Photo by Tod Marks)Upland Flats Racing's Blue Creek, ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, won the Handicap in 3:58 /5 and by 1/2 length over Kiyomori, trained by Todd Wyatt, with L'Avvocato,, trained by Kathy Neilson, another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.
The livestream of the race ended abruptly as the horses turned into the stretch, with one fence left to jump and Kiyomori leading Blue Creek, leaving racing fans wondering who won.
"My owner call me, saying `Did we win? Did we win?'" said Brion.
"I picked him out as a yearling," said Brion. "He was stakes placed on the flat as a 2-year-old, but then he seemed to be losing interest in running, so we started jumping him. We think he's a budding star."
Blue Creek ran third in both the Laurel Futurity and the Awad Stakes at Belmont in 2023.
He won his first race over fences, a maiden race at Shawan Downs, and the ran second and third in allowance races over fences last year.
"He went into the lead in the stretch," said Brion. "Todd's horse fought back, but Stephen had him covered. He didn't want to win by too much and get his ratings up."
"The Novice race at Nashville is a possibility for him," she said.
LEIPERS FORK Steeplechasers', Madaket Stables and Layton Register's Porte Jaune (Fr), ridden by Mulqueen, won the $25,000 Filly and Mare Maiden Hurdle in 4:00 4/5 and by 2 3/4 lengths over Mosey, trained by Kate Dalton, and Articuno, trained by Ricky Hendriks.
"She's an import from Ireland," said Brion. "I got a group to buy her. We think highly of her. She'll go in the mares stakes at Nashville."
"It was a slow winter, but we had some nice winners on the flat," said Brion. "It's going well, and the turf and jump seasons are just starting."
Arch Kingsley saddled Richard C. Colton's Bee Well, ridden by Freddie Procter, to win the $20,000 Optional Maiden Starter/Maiden Claiming Hurdle in 3:50 4/5 and by 2 1/4 lengths over Box Office Warrior, trained by Todd McKenna, and Equate, trained by Brion.
Lilith Boucher saddled Why Not Racing's Lowcountry, ridden by Mell Boucher, to win the $25,000 Ratings Handicap Hurdle in 3:46 4/5 and by 3/4 length over Dante's Fire, trained by Neil Morris, and Eye of Gunfighter, trained by Lawrence Smith.
Barry Foley saddled GreenV alley Construction's Bigerthanbigtime to win the $30,000 Maiden Hurdlei n 3:40 and by a nose over Bonnebosq (Fr), trained by Kingsley, and Holiday Charm, trained by Julie Gomena.
Hendriks saddled Hunt Lane Racing's Quick Cat, ridden by Gerard Galligan, to win the Training Flat by 1 3/4 lengths over Auction Kingdom, trained by Morris, and King Menelssohn, also trained by Hendriks.
