BERRYVILLE, Va.--Mark Beecher saddled four winners between Blue Ridge Hunt Races on Saturday, March 30 and Green Spring Valley Point-to-Point on Sunday, March 30, including having the winner of the $15,000 NSA sanctioned Amateur Apprentice Timber race at Blue Ridge.

Mark Beecher (File photo from when he was a jockey)
Daniel R. Baker's Decisive Triumph, trained by Beecher and ridden by Dan Nevin, won the $15,000,2 mile Amateur Apprentice Hurdle by 4 lengths in 3:41 3/5 over Eye of Gunfighter, trained by Lawrence Smith.

"Decisive Triumph has been a great horse for me," said Beecher. He's 11. He had some time off last year, but it's nice to se him at 11 as enthusiastic as ever."

"He's normally a front runner, but he likes a good gallop, and as long as there's a good gallop he doesn't have to be in front," said Beecher. "In the past, he's been second three times in novice stakes, so he has a bit of class behind him."

Turks Head Turf's Exuma (Ire), trained by Beecher and ridden by Nevin, won the Maiden Hurdle by 3 lengths in 3:52 3/5 over Sliabh Aughty (Fr), trained by Liam Bourke.

"Exuma started with Aiden O'Brien in Ireland," said Beecher. "He had a nice run around Warrenton. This was his second race. He'll probably go in a sanctioned race in three or four weeks."

In the other sanctioned race at Blue Ridge, Upland Partners; Bob's Bar (Ire), trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by Andrew Burke Ott, won the $15,000, 3 mile Amateur Apprentice Timber by 11 1/2 lengths over Salamanca School (Fr), trained by Leslie Young.

 

McKENNA also saddled Keystones Thoroughbreds' Honeymooner, ridden by Ott, to win the Maiden Hurdle by 4 lengths in 4:27 3/5 over Pursuing Pace, trained by Willie Dowling, and Bon Nouvel Chasers' Karl Cares, trained by Julie Gomena and ridden by Zach Miller, won the Novice Timber in 6:38 3/5 over Junonia, trained by Neil Morris.

Maranto Manor's Auction Kingdom, trai9ned by Morris and ridden by Conor Reddy, won the Novice Rider Flat, and Quest Realty's E.P. Milton, trained by Susan Cooney and ridden by Conor Tierney, won the Virginia Bred Flat,

At Green Spring Valley, Beecher saddled Armata Stable's Goodoldtimes (Ire), ridden by Nevin, to win the 3 mile Heavyweight Timber in 7:36.93 over Blackhall (Ire), trained by Joe Davies.

Both Goodoldtimes and Blackhall are nominated for the Maryland Hunt Cup.

"Goodoldtimes is a new horse for me," said Beecher. "Alicia Murphy sent him to me. She's not training any more. He's a nice horse."

Beecher also saddled Holwood Stable's Road to Oz, ridden by Nevin, to win the Open timber in 7:10.50 over Storm Team and Schoodic, trained by Jack Fisher.

"Road to Oz is coming back after a year and a half off," said Beecher. "He put in a nice performance against two good horses. He's nominated for the Manor."

Fisher saddled Bruton Street-US' Presence of Mind, ridden by Graham Watters, to win the Novice Timber in 6:59.14 over Ping Pong Champ, also trained by Fisher, and Davies saddled H. Goolsby, A. Donovan and D. Calhoun's Bogey's Image, ridden by Teddy Davies, to win the Amateur Apprentice Timber in 7:02.44 over Gaye Breeze (ire), trained by Meriwether Morris.

Jimmy P, trained by Keri Brion and ridden by Felix Astudillo, won the Amateur Flat, and St. James the Great, also trained by Bron and ridden by Davies, won the first Training Flat.

Loose Ends, trained by Cathal Lynch and ridden by Anthony Lynch, won the second Training Flat, and High Definition, trained by Young and ridden by Jamie Bargary, won the third Training Flat.

Cami Kern on Hoof Hearted won the Small Pony, Cambrie Franks on Sugar won the Medium Pony and Yomar Ortiz Jr. on Class Day won the Large Pony.

In the three Jr. Field Master Chases, Kern on Mallory won the Small Pony, Ortiz on Blueberry won the Medium Pony, Savannh Hutchins on Captain won the Large Pony and Jaidyn Shore on Railmaster won the Horses.