UPPERVILLE, Va.--Mark Beecher saddled Goodoldtimes (Ire) to win the featured 3 1/2 mile Open Timber over a field of top timber horses at the Piedmont Fox Hounds Point-to-Point on Saturday, March 22.

Mark Beecher when he was riding racesEven though this was just a point-to-point, the six in the field of the Rokeby were all recognized meet winners or placed horses, and a number of other horses at the meet were top horses prepping for big timber races later in the season.

"It's just the timing," said Beecher."It's three weeks before the first big race, so this was a good place to get a prep race."

Armata Stables' Goodoldtimes (Ire), ridden by Dan Nevin, won by 5 lengths in 7:02 3/5 over The Butler Yates (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Animal Kingdom, trained by Neil Morris.

"He ran a good race,"said Beecher, "Last year, his goal after the Maryland Hunt Cup was the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup. He ran second in Genesee, then they canceled the Hunt Cup."

"He'll go back to the Maryland Hunt Cup, and maybe the Grand National first," said Beecher.

Beecher also saddled Runnymoore Racing's Eternal Story, ridden by Nevin, to win the Amateur and Novice Rider, 3 mile Timber by 1 length in 6:24.2 over Racavan (Ire), trained by Richard Valentine, and Great Road, trained by Joe Davies.

"Eternal Story is a new horse to the barn," said Beecher. "He went around very nicely and jumped well. He'll probably go to the Maiden at the Manor."

"It's nice to get back to good weather," he said. "With the weather it was hard to keep the staff's morale up. We were lucky, we have two sand gallops. We were able to jog there, and we jogged on the roads. It was like the old days."

 

DAVIES had two winners, beginning with Armata Stables' De Nordener (Ire), ridden by son Teddy Davies, who won the Maiden Timber by 3/4 lengths in 7:00 over Absam, trained by William Dowling.

He also saddled the first and second horses in the Lady Rider Timber, winning with his own Pocket Talk (Ire), ridden by Chelsea Secor, who beat Kinross Farm's Blackhall (Ire), ridden by Sophie O'Brien, by a head in 7:19.3, with Blackstar Rocco, trained by Dowling,, third.

Todd Wyatt also had two winners; Sarah M. Jay's Be Counted, ridden by his son James Wyatt won the Foxhunter Timber by 1 1/2 lengths in 6:25 over Gun For Success, trained by Julie Gomena, and Hey Teacher (Ire), trained by Kathy Neilson.

Mrs. S.K. Johnston's Awesome Man, ridden by Elizabeth Scully, won the 1 1/4 mile Open Flat by1 length in 2:07 1/5 over Recoup )GB), trained by Neilson, and Unfolding Beauty, trained by Young.

Gomena saddled Over Creek Stables' Fall Line, ridden by Zach Miller, to win the Maiden Flat by 1/2 length in 2:22 over Split in Two and Le Bilboquet, both trained by Young.

Emily Hannum saddled Adlestrop Hill's Paddy's Crown, ridden by O'Brien, to win the Open Flat by a neck in 2:05 2/5 over Mission Man, trained by Young, and Ricky's Revenge, trained by Wyatt.

Morris saddled Zane Carruth's Thatsmyboxer, ridden by Nevin, to win the Virginia Bred/Sired Flat by 1 length in 2:12 2/5 over My Friend Paddy, trained by David Bourke, and Louvar, trained by Barry Foley.

Pauly Aguilera won all three Pony races, winning the Small Pony Flat on Sassy, the Medium Pony Flat on Rose and the Large Pony flat on Mini.