SENECA, Md.--Mark Beecher saddled Decisive Triumph to win the $7,500 Preakness Open Hurdle on Sunday, May 18 at the Potomac Hunt Races.
Mark Beecher, while still a jockey, on Professor Maxwell in the Maryland Hunt Cup without stirrups over the 13thDaniel R.Baker's Decisive Triumph, ridden by Dan Nevin, won the 2 1/8 mile Open Hurdle in 4:39 3/5 over Total Joy (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Brie's Mission, trained by Kathy Neilson.
Decisive Triumph is a multiple handicap and allowance winner in sanctioned races, and he was running in the last point-to-point of the spring season.
"I wanted to get a run in him before the summer," said Beecher. "He's 12, so he's too old to run at Saratoga, and he's rated above118, so he's too highly rated to run at Colonial Downs. So Potomac was my only option to get a run in him. We'll run him again in the fall."
"He jumped off second, then went to the lead," said Beecher. "He hooked up with Total Joy. They ding-donged down to the last, and then he pulled away to win."
NEIL MORRIS had three winners, including William Russell's Animal Kingston, ridden by Eric Poretz, in the $10,000, 3 1/4 mile Preakness Open Timber.
Animal Kingston won in 6:50 2/5 over Fit for a King, trained by Todd McKenna, and Blackstair Rocco (Ire), trained by Willy Dowling.
Morris also saddled Ballybristol Farm's Cartographer, ridden by Poretz, to win the $2,500 Maiden Hurdle in 4:40 over Solomon's Choice, trained by Jason Cole,, and Nathan Detroit, trained by Morris.
Good Medicine, owned by Pathfinder Racing, trained by Morris and ridden by Joe Sharp, won the 2 2/3 mile Amateur Rider Open Flat in 3:15 1/5 over Caramelised, trained by Young, and Go Take Charge, trained by Neilson.
Sam Cockburn saddled Run and Gun's Cinco Linko, ridden by Poretz, to win the $2,500, 2 mile Maiden Hurdle in 4:48 3/5 over Mission Man, trained by Young, and Avakate, trained y Morris.
Kevin Boniface saddled James Foulk's Sorolla, ridden by Virginia Korrell, to win the $5,000, 3 mile Novice Timber in 5:35 2/5 over Make a Stand, trained by Dowling,, and Straw into Gold, trained by Julie Gomena.
Kate Dalton saddled Daigneault's Madaket'sArrow, ridden by Bernie Dalton, to win the 1 3/4 mile Open Flat in 3:32 2/5over Owhatanite,t rained by Suzanne Stettinius, nd Tanka Tough, trained by Sean McDermott.
Todd Wyatt saddled Buttonwood Farm's Sa'ad (Fr), ridden by James Wyatt, to win the 1 1/2 mile young Rider Open Flat in 3:21 2/5 over Lucky Partners, trained by Betty McCue.
Carson Sharp on Graham Cracker won the Small Pony Flat, Pauly Aguilera on Rose won the Medium Pony Flat, and Camilla Hubbard on Janneydancer won the Large Pony Flat.
