THE PLAINS,Va.--Jack Fisher had a spectacular weekend, saddling four winners plus three seconds in the eight races at the International Gold Cup on Saturday, Oct.28.

Snap Decision leads over West Newton over the last fence in the Ferguson (Photo by Tod Marks)Fisher saddled the winners of both the features, including,most importantly, Snap Decision in the G2, $75,000, 2 1/8 mile  David L "Zeke" Ferguson Memorial Hurdle Stakes.

Snap Decision was winning his second G2 stakes this year while giving away up to 20 pounds and beating the G1 Jonathan Sheppard Stakes winner Awakened by 5 lengths and stakes placed West Newton by 3 lengths.

By winning two Grade 2 races as well as finishing second and fourth in two of the five grade1 races, Snap Decision has put himself in the forefront of the Eclipse Award picture.

Snap didn't run in the two G1 races in Saratoga because of the prohibitive amount of weight he would have had to carry.

Snap Decision hates soft going, and the G1 Grand National at Far Hills was run over very soft, holding ground, and Snap was pulled up.

Fisher said that as Snap hates soft going, the idea of scratching him was discussed, but that his owners, Charlie Fenwick, Mike Hankin and Charlie Noell, partners in Bruton Street-US, felt that with the Eclipse Award on the line, Snap should run.

 

"I THINK he should win the Eclipse Award," said Fisher. "He gave away 20 pounds to a field of top horses in the Gold Cup. That means he's considered the best horse. The two races in Saratoga weren't true grade 1 races. The first five finishers in one of them were all novices."

"It was rewarding to see Snap return to form today," said Fenwick at the Gold Cup. "Jack has done a wonderful job with him. He won giving away 20 pounds against a grade 1 field. I loved the way he walked around the paddock, his head up, saying bring it on. Of course I feel he should win the Eclipse Award."

"His enthusiasm is great," said his jockey Graham Watters, who rode four winners at the Gold Cup. "It was wonderful to see him win like that."

Fisher saddled Schoodic, owned by his mother, Mrs.John R.S (Dolly) Fisher, and ridden by Watters, to win the other featured race, the $75,000, 3 1/2 mile International Cold Cup Timber Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths over Cracker Factory, trained by Mark Beecher.

"We''ve had Schoodic for 11 years, since he was a 2-year-old," said Fisher. "It's cool to have a horse that long."

"He's such a neat horse," said Dolly Fisher. "He's such a character. He won this race in 2019, too. Graham gave him a great ride."

Schoodic has now won 10 stakes, first over hurdles and more recently over timber.

Parker Hendriks rode the winner of the first race and then trained the winner of the seventh race, his second win as a trainer while still just 19 years old.

"Imperial Assassin (Ire), owned by Armata Stables, trained by Kathy Neilson and ridden by Hendriks, won the $30,000, 2 1/8 mile Maiden Hurdle by 3/4 length over Quick Master, trained by Fisher.

"I schooled him Thursday with blinkers, and he went better," said Hendriks. "Kathy's horses are great to work."

Fisher saddled Northwoods Stable''s Look North, ridden by Jamie Bargery, to win the second division of the $30,000 Maiden Hurdle by 5 lengths over High Deff, trained by Neilson.

Mercoeur (Fr), owned by Ballybristol Farm, trained by Neil Morris and ridden by Harry Beswick, won the $30,000, 3 mile Steeplethon over Storm Team, trained by Fisher.

"Storm Team will go to Callaway Gardens next," said Fisher.

Fisher then saddled Bruton Street-US' Neotropic, ridden by Watters, to win the $35,000, 2 1/8 mile Allowance Hurdle by 6 3/4 lengths over Pure Courage , trained by Todd Wyatt.

"I jumped the last fence and looked back, and I couldn't believe how far in front I was," said Watters.

Following the two featured races, Hendriks saddled and then rode He'll Do, owned by his mother, Sanna Neilson, to win the $30,000, 2 1/8 mile Ratings Handicap Hurdle by 1 length over Ping Pong Champ, trained by Fisher.

"I've been riding this horse for four years," said Hendriks. "I haven't done anything different with him, training him. He was an inexpensive horse. He's not the most simple horse to train, and he's not the most simple horse to ride."

"Jody Petty was galloping him at Fair Hill, and he told me about him," said Sanna Neilson. "I really didn't need another  horse, but I looked at him and decided to get him. He's been a fun horse."

Auction Kingdom, owned by Maranto Nanor, trained by Morris and ridden by Watters, won the 20,000, 2 1/8 mile Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 3/4 length over Greylover, trained by Beecher."

"That's the first time I've won four races in one day," said Watters.

Watters is now tied for the lead with Beswick in Rider, Races Won, with 16 wins each, and he leads in Rider, Money Won with $624,450 to Beswick's $574,450.

Fisher has drawn to within 10 races of Leslie Young in Trainer, Races Won, with 19 wins to Young's 29 wins, and he leads in Trainer, Money Won with $875,710 to Young's $744,050.

"I'm not even worried about that," said Fisher.