LEESBURG, Va.--Mark Beecher saddled Decisive Triumph to win the $15,000 Apprentice Rider Hurdle, one of three recognized races at the Loudoun Hunt Point-to-Point on Sunday, April 20.
Keri BrionKeri Brion had four winners, including three in flat races, in the Point-to-Point section.
Decisive Triumph, owned by Daniel R. Baker, trained by Beecher and ridden by Dan Nevin, won the 2 1/4 mile race by 1 length in 4:27 1/5 over Tufton Avenue (Ire), trained by Todd McKenna, and Kiyomori, trained by Todd Wyatt.
Decisive Triumph has been with us for six or seven years," said Beecher. "He loves the game, and he loves to jump. "It's nice to see a horse come back time after time."
"He's a hard knocking horse that everyone in the barn likes," said Beecher. "He'll go next in the apprentice rider hurdle at Willowdale."
Neil Morris saddled Maranto Manor's Auction Kingdom, ridden by James O'Sullivan, to win the $25,000 Ratings Handicap Hurdle by 1 1/4 lengths in 4:34 1/5 over Dante's Fire, also trained by Morris, and Love Saga, trained by Sean McDermott.
Todd McKenna saddled Keystone Thoroughbreds' Box Office Warrior, ridden by Gerard Galligan, to win the $20,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 6 1/2 lengths in 4:34 3/5 over Love Shaq, trained by Brion, and Selassie, trained by Kathy Neilson.
In the Point-to-Point secton, Brion saddled Arturo Toscanini (Ire), owned by K. Valerio,, T. Murabito and The International Venture and ridden by Stephen Muqueen, to win the first division of the Maiden Hurdle by 3/4 length in 5:00 over Rejection Hurts, trained by Beecher, and Anador (Fr), trained by McKenna.
"Arturo Toscanin iis an old classy horse that actually ran in the Irish Derby in Ireland years ago for Aidan O'Brien," said Brion. "He's got a new lease on life since jumping, and we plan to take him to the Maiden at Nashville."
RICKY HENDRIKS saddled Hunt Lane Racing's Quick Cat, ridden by Gerard Galligan, to win the second division of the Maiden Hurdle by 3/4 length in 5:06 2/5 over Red Tone, trained by F. Hill Parker, and Star Force, trained by Hendriks.
Jack Fisher saddled Bruton Street-US; Quick Master, ridden by Dylan McDonagh, to win the Open Hurdle by 1 /2 length in 5:10 3/5 over Palio (Ire), also trained by Fisher, and Soramond (Ger), trained by Morris.
Brion saddled Issa Vybe, owned by Dark Horse Racing, Heidi and Carol Wehner and CFC Stales, and ridden by Declan Carrol, to win the Virginia Bred 1 1/4 mile Flat race by 7 lengths.
She also saddled Dark Horse Racing and The International Venture's Anoint,, ridden by Carroll, to win the Open Flat by 2 3/4 lengths.
"Both Issa Vybe and Anoint are prepping for races at Laurel, which they'll be running in next weekend, said Brion.
Brion then saddled Moreperfection, owned by Parkland Thoroughbreds and ridden by Mulqueen, to win the Maiden Flat race by a nose.
"Moreperfestion is a full brother to a graded stakes winner, Joy's Pride, and we are exploring jumping options with him as he seems to go all day long, and he handled the racing in a field very well," said Brion.
Casy Pinkard saddled CMK Stables' Late Night Larry, ridden by Carly Kern, to win the Restricted Ride/Young Adult Flat race by 100 lengths.
Sadie Canup on Apache won the Small Pony Flat, and Pauly Aguilera on Rose won the Medium Pony Flat and on Mimni won the Large Pony flat.
Farrah Kern on Goose won the Lead Line Trot race.
