MONKTON, Md.--Blythe and Joe Davies had two winners and an important second at My Lady's Manor on Saturday, April 13.
Joe and Teddy Davies (File Photo)
Joe Davies saddled Armata Stables' Our Friend, ridden by his son Teddy to win the $50,000 My Lady's Manor Timber Stakes by a neck in 6:21 2/5 over Riverdee Stable's Include It, trained by Todd Wyatt with Daniel Baker's Road to Oz, trained by Mark Beecher, third.
Joy Carrier's Salamanca School, trained by Leslie Young, led for much of the race until Charlie Fenwick's Royal Ruse, trained by Sanna Neilson, who was prepping for the Maryland Hunt Cup , went briefly into the lead on the final turn but was quickly passed by the eventual winners.
Our Friend is nominated for the Maryland Hunt Cup, but Davies said he hadn't decided yet whether Our Friend would run.
"He's entered in the Grand National next week," said Davies. "We had a hiccup there last year, so he'll have to pass that test before we decide on the Hunt Cup."
Our Friend fell at the fifth fence in last year's Grand National Timber Stakes and did not run in the Hunt Cup.
Hard Strike, owned by Keystone Thoroughbreds, trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by Andrew Burke Ott, won the $20,000 John Rush Streett Memorial Allowance Timber by 2 1/2 lengths in 6:26 2/5 over Theda's Boy, trained by Kevin Boniface and ridden by Brett Owings,, but To Be or Not To Be, ridden by Teddy Davies, fell early in the race.
TEDDY'S MOUNT in the next race, the Maiden Timber, was scratched, and Freddie Procter rode Wagner, who had been scheduled to be ridden by Teddy, in the second division of the Maiden Timber.
Before the last race, there was some worry that Teddy might be hurt and unable to ride in the Hunt Cup, but in the final race, The John D. Schapiro Memorial Apprentice Rider Timber, Teddy was back on Vintage Vinnie.
Vintage Vinnie won the Hunt Cup in 20221 and 2022 but was pulled up in last year's Hunt Cup,, and Davies said he gotten tired running in the soft going.
Vinnie, as usual, went straight to the lead at the Manor and led by big margins until close to the end when Upland Partners' Rhythmia, trained by McKenna and ridden by Burke Ott, went into the lead to beat Vinnie by 10 1/4 lengths in 6:18 with Awesome Adrian, trained by Kathy Neilson, third.
"When To Be or Not To Be fell, Teddy was a little slow to get up," said Davies."He passed the medics,, but I thought he should sit out the two Maiden races. Freddie was able to come in and win on Wagner."
"I think I left Vinnie a little unprepared for this race," said Davies. "He'd missed a flat race, and he probably was not 100 percent fit. Those two, Rhythmia and Awesome Adrian, had had the benefit of a good run before. Vinnie came back well, and I hope this sets him up well for the Hunt Cup. That was the fastest race of the day. It's going to rain next Thursday and Friday, and then we'll be hoping for a bit of firm ground, while I expect others will be hoping for softer going."
Druid's Altar (Ire), owned by Hyggelig Haven, trained by Willie Dowling and ridden by Dan Nevin, won the first division of The Thomas H. Voss Memorial Maiden Timber by 1 1/4 lengths in 6:20 over Hero's Return, trained by Mark Beecher and ridden by Owings.
Wagner (Ire), owned by Merriebelle Stable, trained by Blythe Davie, and ridden by Procter, won the second division of the Maiden Timber by 2 3//4 lengths in 6:25 over Don't Shout (Ire), owned and trained by Elizabeth Korrell and ridden by her daughter Virginia.
