Racing

Booby Trap. trained by Leslie Young, won the Maiden Steeplechase at Colonial Downs

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July 27, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

KENT, Va.--Leslie Young saddled Van Cushny and Thomas Rice's Booby Trap, ridden by Tom Garner, to win the $32,100, 2 mile Maiden Special Weight Steeplechase race at Colonial Downs on July 25 by 2 3/4 lengths.

Booby Trap winning at Colonial Downs (Photo by Coady Photography)"Tom said he just popped him out of there, sat handily on him and won nicely," said Young, who missed the race because it wasn't televised by Colonial Downs and was missed by National Steeplechasing's live stream.

The two steeplechase races, although run as the first and second races on the day, are listed as the 10th and 11th races and are run as non-betting races.

"I love this horse's breeding," said Young. "He's by Hard Spun out of a Kitten's Joy mare. "I'd seen him run a couple of times. He was running at Charlestown. Then I saw that a friend of mine, Diana McClure, had claimed him, and I bought him from her and then sold him to Van and Tom. I don't think they even know each other."

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Liz Merryman's Caravel wins the G3 Caress at Saratoga

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July 27, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Liz Merryman's homebred Caravel won her first stakes in the G3, $200,000 Caress Stakes for older fillies and mares at 5 ½ furlongs over Saratoga's Mellon turf course, but it was last race for her owner to train her.

Caravel wins the Caress  Stakes (Photo by Tod Marks)Merryman sold 75 percent of Caravel to Bobby Flay prior to the Caress, and the 4-year-old filly will be trained by Graham Motion from now on.

"It was really hard to sell her, but sometimes you have to make a good business decision," said Merryman. "We'll see in the future if it was a good decision."

Merryman has four half siblings of Caravel's, and still owns her dam, who is now in foal to Street Boss, and Merryman said that part of the reason for selling Caravel was to support the rest of her homebreds that she keeps on her farm in Coatesville.

Merryman said she had tried to breed her dam, Zeezee Zoomzoom, back to Mizzen Mast, Caravel's sire, but he wasn't getting his mares in foal."

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Keri Brion saddles one-two finishers Baltimore Bucko and French Light in the G1 A.P. Smithwick at Saratoga

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July 23, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--In her very first trip to Saratoga as a trainer, Keri Brion saddled Buttonwood Farm's Baltimore Bucko (GB), ridden by Tom Garner, to win the $150,000 G1, 2 1/16 mile A.P. Smithwick Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths over Irv Naylor's French Light (Fra), ridden by Harrison Beswick.

Baltimore Bucko leads the second time past the grandstand (Photo by Tod Marks)"Incredible," said Brion. "It hasn't really sunk in yet. People dream of things like this."

Baltimore Bucko went right to the front and led the six horse field over all eight hurdles and finished strong in the flat portion of the race, which is almost 1/2 mile as they last hurdle is taken out at Saratoga in the hopes of avoiding falls.

French Light gave Brion the exacta when finishing 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Gibralfaro for second.

Baltimore Bucko, who was making his graded stakes debut, won for the first time in five starts in his 5-year-old campaign although he did finish second by a nose in the Novice Stakes at Iroquois and was on his way to winning in Ireland when he fell at the last fence,

Brion, who also saddled fifth-place finisher Galway Kid, credited Garner for the ride.

“My other two need something to run at, and I didn’t think there was much pace, so I figured maybe he would get loose on the lead and no one would catch him,” said Brion. “That was the tactical plan. It’s hard to have three in a race and figure out what the best thing to do is. Tom gave him a great ride and no one came after it. They kind of gave him the race, but I’m not complaining.”

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Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes cancelled

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July 21, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--The Jonathan Kiser Novice Steeplechase Stakes at Saratoga was cancelled today due to rain making the turf course too soft.

We'll let you know when the race is rescheduled.

Saratoga races can only be seen on NBC Sports.

Forgiving won the Maiden Filly race at Colonial Downs

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July 19, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Forgiving surged to the lead in the stretch and drew away to win the 3 lengths in the $30,000 Maiden Fillies and Mares steeplechase at Colonial Downs on July 19.

Sanna Neilson and Parker HendriksBred by Jonathan Sheppard, Forgiving is a 7-year-old by Redeemed out of a Mojave Moon mare and is owned by Sherry Fenwick, trained by Sanna Neilson and was ridden by her son Parker Hendriks.

"Sherry and Jonathan owned Forgiving together, and when Jonathan retired Sherry asked me to take her," said Neilson. "I've had her since last January."

"We ran her at a point-to-point, just so Parker could get a feel for her, and then we ran her at Radnor, but she didn't like that track," said Neilson. "She's a pretty opinionated mare. She's a bit quirky. We ran her in the Gold Cup, and that track has a long stretch. She was a quick closing third. I was really happy with that race."

"She's a  big, strong mare," said Neilson. "There's nothing delicate about her. She has a huge shoulder and a big hind end. There's a filly and mare stakes race at Colonial in a couple of weeks. but she's eligible for a Ratings 110, so maybe we'll try her in that."

Tap Dance Star, owned by Del Rio Chasers, trained by Kate Dalton and ridden by her husband Bernie was second, 18 1/2 lengths  in front of third placed Investor, owned by Beverly Steinman, trained by Paul Fout and ridden by Barry Foley.

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Steeplechasing to begin at Colonial Downs and Saratoga

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July 18, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Steeplechasing's summer schedule begins Monday, July 19, at Colonial Downs with two jump races and continues at Saratoga with the Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes on Wednesday, July 21 and the G1 A.P. Smithwick on Thursday, July 22.

Colonial Downs kicks off with two $30,000 Maiden races, the first, at 12:15, for fillies and mares, with six entries, and the second with 10 entries.

The Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes is the opening race on Wednesday at The Spa, with post time at 1:05.

The A.P. Smithwick, the 24th running of the 2 1/16-mile test for 4-year-olds and up, is the opening race on Thursday at 1:05 p.m.

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports.

 Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher will saddle Gibralfaro and Cite for a strong entry in Thursday's Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Keri Brion will also send aa very strong entry of three to the post, including Irvin Naylor’s French Light, in at 144 pounds and ridden by Richard Condon, Buttonwood Farm’s Baltimore Bucko, in at 142 pounds and ridden by Thomas Garner,  and Hudson River Farms’ Galway Kid, in at 148 pounds and ridden by Bernard Dalton.

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Princess Grace wins the $200,000 James Penny Stakes

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July 9, 2021

By Staff Writers

BENSALEM, Pa.--Princess Grace. owned and bred by Susan and John Moore and trained by Michael Stidham,, won the G3, $200.00 James Penny Memorial Stakes at Parx on July 6.

Princess Grace (Photo by Equi Photo)The homebred won the 1 1/16 mile turf race by a neck.

Princess Grace settled fourth inside in the seven horse race, found an opening entering the stretch and won after a long drive.

The 4-year-old filly has now won four times with one second from five starts and has earnings of $320,460.

GRAHAM MOTION saddled three winners. all at Belmont Park, during the past 10 days,

On June 27, Wertheimer et Frere's hombred Galawi won a $90,000, 1 1/4 mile Maiden Special Weight on the turf.

The 4-year-old colt ran last of six early in the race, went four wide into the stretch and went on to win by 1/2 length.

On July 1, Jack Swain III's  homebred Jarreau won a $40,000, 1 1/16 mile Claiming race on the turf via a disqualification.

Jarreau saved ground while under a snug hold, was blocked from the quarter pole to the eighth pole and then closed fast to finish second before the disqualification made him a winner,.

Eclipse Thoroughbred partners' Sister Otoole won a $92,000, 1 1/4 mile Allowance race, another on the turf, by 1 length.

Sister Otoole tracked the pace early and inched away in the stretch for the win.

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Mrs. Orb and Yaupon each won a Match Series race at Pimlico, while Trolley Ride, trained by Bernie Haughton, ran second in the Filly and Mare race

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July 6, 2021

By Staff Writers

BALTIMORE, Md.--Mrs. Orb and Yaupon took their respective Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series (MATCH) stakes July 4 at Pimlico Race Course, and the usually contentious 3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division is again shaping up as one to watch.

Mrs. Orb holds off Trolley Ride in the MATCH race at PimlicoMrs. Orb, a New York-bred owned by Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn, Script R Farm and trainer Mike Miceli, went over the $500,000 mark in earnings in the 1 1/16-mile Caesar’s Wish, the second of six legs in the Filly and Mare Long—Dirt division.

Finishing a close second was Pa-bred Trolley Rde, owned by James H. Eshleman and trained by Bernie Houghton.

Despite Trolley Ride's finishing just 1//2 length behind Mrs. Orb, Houghton said he wasn't sure she'd run in another of the MATCH races.

"It wasn't my intent to run in the MATCH series," said Houghton. "This race just came up at the right time. Trolley Ride is going next to the Princess of Sylmar Stakes at Presque Isle the last week in July."

Princess of Sylmar  was named after Houghton's mother's farm, Sylmar, and she was foaled there and was trained by Houghton throughout her career.

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Snap Decision wins ninth in a row at Iroquois in 100,000 Stakes

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June 28, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Snap Decision won the first G1 steeplechase of the year, the $100,000, 2 3//4 mile Calvin Houghland Stakes at Iroquois Steeplechase on June 26 for his ninth straight win, to equal the record of consecutive races won by one horse.

Snap Decision leads over the last fence in the Iroquois Stakes (Photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Bruton Street-US, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Graham Watters, Snap Decision basically played with the six horse field, galloping easily behind New Member, also trained by Fisher, before going to the lead at the last turn and finishing in hand after a 3 1/3 length victory.

"He was really geared down going to the last fence, just to make sure he jumped it okay," said Fisher, whose third entry, Footpad, owned by Harold Via, fell early in the race.

Irv Naylor's Amschel (GB) and Bedrock (GB), both trained by Cyril Murphy, finished second and third respectively with Armata Stable's  New Member a distanced fourth and Hudson River Farms' Galway Kid, trained by Ker Brion, was pulled up.

Joe Clancy dug up the previous winner of nine consecutive races.

Thrice Worthy, owned by W.S. Farish III, trained by Jonathan Sheppard and ridden by Jerry Fishback, although he was never a champion, won nine consecutive races from a maiden race at Atlanta on April 4, 1981 through the Hard Scuffle Steeplechase on May 22, 1982, a series of races that included three handicaps and two stakes.

But there's good news for all the other steeplechase trainers - Snap Decision isn't going to Saratoga for the two G1 races there.

Both the G1 A.P. Smithwick and the G1 New York Turf Writer's are handicaps, with the handicapper assigning weights to make the fields as equal as possible.

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Liz Merryman's Caravel wins Monmouth's Goldwood Stakes

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June 27, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

OCEANPORT, N.J.--Liz Merryman's owned and trained homebred Caravel,  ridden by Pablo Morales, stormed to the front in the stretch of the $78,000, 5 furlong Goldwood Stakes on the turf at Monmouth Park on June 25 to win by 4 1/4 l3ngths.

Caravel winning at Monmouth (Photo by Equi-Photo)This exceptional 4-year-old filly now has six wins and two seconds from eight starts and earnings of $257,872, having never finished off the board since her first race in June, 2020, at Penn National.

Merryman said that going into the Goldwood that she'd been worried Caravel would be beaten.

She'd been entered in the $100,000 Pa-bred stakes at Parx last Tuesday, so she was shipped o Parx, and then the race came off the turf, so she was shipped back to Fair Hill Training Center, where Merryman keeps her string of horses.

"This wasn't an ideal way to go into the race at Monmouth," said Merryman, "Caravel was dull for a day or so after shipping to Parx. On Wednesday,  she was pretty dull. It was almost like she was disappointed after being shipped to Parx and then not running. She loves to race, and it had been a long time between races for her.

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Iroquois Steeplechase to feature $100,000 G1 Hurdle Stakes

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June 24, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--A seven horse field faces the starter in the featured $100,000, G1, 2 3/4 mile Calvin Houghland Stakes at the Iroquois Steeplechase on Saturday, June 26.

The races will be live streamed on the National Steeplechase Association's website, with the first post time at 1 p.m.

Bruton Street-US' Snap Decision, trained by Jack Fisher, takes an eight race winning streak into the Calvin Houghland.

In his most recent race, his first this year, the Temple Gwathmey, he beat three of this races' entries, Irv Naylor's Amschel, trained by Cyril Murphy, who was third, Hudson River Farm's Galway Kid (Ire), trained by Keri Brion, who was pulled up, as well as his stablemate, Harold Via'a Footpad (Fr), who was fourth.

Foopad went into the Temple Gwathmey highly touted off his race record in England, where he won 11 races and hit the board 20 times in 26 races, but he started off far back in the field and never showed anything, so it will be interesting to see how he runs Saturday.

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Hendriks and Kachel win two while Graham Motion and Rodney Jenkins have stakes winners

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June 16, 2021

By Staff Writers

WILMINGTON, Del.--The triumvirate of Wendy and Ricky Hendriks ad Debra Kachel won two races at Delaware Park but in the process lost one of their winners to a claim.

Wendy. Porter. Ricky and McLane HendriksWhile the horses are jointly owned, they run in the name of Debra E Kachel and are trained by Ricky Hendriks.

Tankerville won a $21,000, 1 1/16 mile Claiming race on the turf at Delaware Park on June 14 by 1 1/4 lengths.

"He got claimed, which was disappointing, but that's how the game goes," said Wendy Hendriks. "I bought him for the group at the Keeneland January sale for $12,000. He won a race at Mountaineer in his first start for us, and then won here."

Tankerville was claimed for $16,000 by trainer Chelsey Noysey for new owner Louis Matthews.

Between the two purses and the claiming price, Tankerville provided a good return on his purchase price for the group.

Sandy Lane Kitten won a $42,000, 1 1/16 mile Allowance race on the turf at Delaware Park by 1//2 length on June 7.

"Ricky bought him at Timonium a year ago," said Wendy. "He's won five races for us now, plus he's had a couple of seconds. He's a nice horse. The key to him was gelding him."

Sandy Lane Kitten was bought from a consignment of Marshall Silverman's for $30,000,, so he's certainly paid his new owners back.

"We'll probably keep running him back n the same spot," said Wendy.

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Danny Lopez' Chub Wagon wins Shine Again Stakes

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June 15, 2021

By Staff Writers

BALTIMORE, Md.--Chub Wagon, bred and owned by Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut, won the first race in the MATCH series, the $100,000 Shine Again Stakes, on June 13.

Chub WagonLopez, who started his career as a show jumping rider, has been a successful trainer for a number of years.

A freaky-fast workout at Parx Racing in late May led the connections of Chub Wagon to pass on a G3 stakes June 5 in New York, but their patience was rewarded as the filly returned to Pimlico Race Course to win the $100,000 Shine Again Stakes, part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series (MATCH), and remain undefeated in seven starts.

Chub Wagon, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Hey Chub, won the Skipat Stakes, the first of six races in the Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division, at Pimlico and now has 20 points to lead the 2021 MATCH Series divisional and overall standings.

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High School teenager Mell Boucher rides Tryon winner The Happy Giant

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June 7, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

COLUMBUS, N.C.--Mell Boucher, 18, who will only graduate from high school next week, won the featured $30,000, 2 mile Block House Ratings Handicap Hurdle race on The Happy Giant, owned and trained by Allison Fulmer, at the Tryon Block House Races on June 5.

The Happy Giant, ridden by Mell Boucher, leads over the last fence at Tryon (Photo by Tod Marks)"I'd only ridden this horse a couple of times before this race," said Boucher. "His regular jockey, Ross Geraghty, got hurt. Allison is a good friend of our family, so she asked me to ride. He's a super cool horse. It's nice to ride something you can be a passenger on."

Boucher had just won her first race under rules earlier this year at Willowdale.

"Ross called me and told me how to ride the horse," said Boucher. "He told me to ride him out the back and just make my move late in the race. ˆI was worried that I'd gotten to the front to soon. In the past he'd only won by a nose or a neck, so I didn't know if he'd stop when he got in front. But he was OK. He has a good turn of foot."

The Happy Giant won by 6 lengths over KMSN Stable's Sportswear, trained by Keri Brion.

Boucher said she plans to go to a tech college in Camden next fall.

"I was so delighted," said Mell's mother Lilith, who is also a trainer. "I was at home, watching the race live streamed. We're really proud of her. I'm glad she got a chance to shine. She and Allison have known each other for years. When Mell was only about 8 or 9, they rode together in a pair class at a horse show."

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Mean Mary wins the New York stakes for Graham Motion

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June 5, 2021

By Staff Writers

ELMONT, N.Y.--Mean Mary broke sharply and went straight to the front, controlling the pace and just holding on to win the $750,000, G2. 1 1/4 mile New York Stakes for fillies and mares 4 and up on the inner turf course by a nose over Thundering Night.

Mean Mary winning the New York Stakes (Photo by Coglianese Photography)Owned by Alex G. Campbell,, trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Luis Saez, Mean Mary won the New York takes for the second year in a row and ran her earnings to over $1 million.

Mean Mary, 5 by Scat Daddy, set fractions of 25.09 seconds for the first 2 furlongs and a half mile in 50.31 to finish in 2:04.68 on a course soaked by rain that was termed yielding.

This was Mean Mary's second start and second win this year, having won the G3 Gallorette Stakes at Pimlico on May 15,

“I was really anxious when I saw Thundering Nights closing so fast, but I had felt pretty confident to that point,” Motion said. “She was really running. She came out of the gate like a rabbit. I’d never seen her break like that. She really does love it. She’s such a cool filly.”

Saez, aboard for all of her stakes wins, said Mean Mary handled the course with aplomb.

“She just broke well and she loves to run free,” Saez said. “I was just so glad to be on her. She got a great trip, broke out of there so well. She always breaks pretty well, but today was better than ever. She controlled the pace. The track was a little soft, but she handled it. She tried pretty hard the whole time.

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