Racing

Todd Wyatt's Elkridge-Harford team won the Team race, Keri Brion won at Warrenton

Details: March 18, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

WEST GROVE,Pa.--Elkridge-Harford Hunt's teams placed first and second in the Foxhall Farm Team Chase on Sunday, March 16, with Todd Wyatt's team winning in 12 minutes over the 3 1/2 mile course.

Todd Wyatts winning team Todd Wyatt's winning team at home after the Team Chase (Photo from Todd Wyatt)Todd's wife Blair on Left Bank, his 17-year-old son James on Be Counted, Elizabeth Scully on Include It and Freddie Procter on Wagner (Ire) won by 19 seconds over the team of Zach Miller on Mr. Fine Threads, Teddy Davis on Bogey's Image and Sophie O'Brien on Blackhall (Ire), with Cheshire Hounds teams finishing third, fourth, fifth and sixth.

"All four horses are in training with me," said Wyatt of the winning team. "All of them are pointing towards spring steeplechase races. They hunted over the winter, but we didn't get as much hunting as usual due to the weather."

"We've been going to Amy and Peter Fenwick's farm, where they have a schooling day that gets horses in the groove," said Elkridge-Harford Master of Foxhounds Joe Davis. "It's a beautiful, friendly course."

Elkridge-Harford has won the Team trophy a number of times.

"We have a great sense of local pride in the Foxhall Farm Cup,"said Davis. "Foxy was quite a local legend. As legend goes, Foxy's father offered a purse of $100,000 to anyone who could beat Foxy in any of his sports. Young Foxy was quite an athlete. He was a great steeplechase rider, a 10 goal polo player, a scratch golfer and a race car driver for Mercedes."

$100,000 was a huge amount of money in the 1800s.

Williie Mullins was Leading Trainer at Cheltenham

Details: March 14, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

CHELTENHAM, England--In front of jam packed huge stands at Cheltenham, Inothewayurthinkin (Ire), trained by Gavin Cromwelll and ridden by Mark Walsh ,won the $808, 500, 3 1/4 mile Cheltenham Gold Cup to deny Galopin des Champs (Fr) his historic third victory in the G1 Stakes race.

th 1 Willie Mullins, Cheltenham Leading TrainerInothewayurhinkin won by 6 lengths over Galopin de Champs, trained by Williie Mullns, with Gentlemansgame third.

Walsh stalked the defending champion on the eventual winner and his mount produced an impressive turn of foot to power clear.

"I'm dancing inside, it's brilliant. I can't believe it," he said in The Irish Times.

"I'm absolutely speechless. He was hanging in all the time that he was flat out, he's such a good horse.

"He has grown up in the last year. Gavin is a genius to have him spot on for today.

"He is a homebred too which makes it extra special."

It was a second win of the week for Cromwell after Stumptown's victory in Wednesday's Cross Country Chase.

"I never thought I would have a horse good enough to run in the Gold Cup, let alone win," he said.

"A huge thank you to JP and Noreen - to have horses like this is unbelievable. Thanks to them for having the confidence to supplement him."

Irish trainers dominated the four day meet, with Willie Mullins saddling 10 winners to be Leading Trainer, and his chief jockey Paul Townend was the Leading Jockey with four wins and a second.

Gordon Elliott had a frustrating week that finally ended with a win with Wodhooh in the very last race of the meet, Martin Pipe - his fourth winner in the race.

Cheltenham Festival opened with three wins for Willie Mullins

Details: March 12, 2025; By Staff Writers

CHESHIRE, England--The Cheltenham Festival, which runs Wednesday, March 12 through Sunday, March 16, is the pinnacle of National Hunt jumps racing and a week that all racing fans look forward to.

Marine Nationale Ire Marine Nationale (Ire)The prestige of the Cheltenham Festival is unrivaled with 28 top class races spread across four days showcasing many of the sport’s best horses.

There are 14 Grade 1 contests including the feature race on each day, the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Stayers Hurdle and The Gold Cup.

Cheltenham has three courses, the New Course, the Old Course and the Cross Country Course. The first two days of the Festival are run on the Old Course, before switching to the New course for the final two days.

The Cross Country Chase on Wednesday is the only race to be run over the cross country fences, a figure-of-eight course set in the centre of Cheltenham racecourse that crosses both the Old and New courses.

On opening day, champion trainer Willie Mullins saddled three winners, including Lecky Watson (Ire), ridden by Sean O'Keefe, who won the G1, $250,000 Brown Advisory Novice Chase.

Barry Connell saddled Marine Nationale (Ire), ridden by S. Flanagan, to win the $500,000 G1 Queen Mother Chase.

Billy Meister saddled his own Peace Out to win at Penn National, while Keri Brion, Graham Motion, Michael Matz and Ricky Hendriks also had winners.

Details: March 8, 2025; By Staff Writers

MONKTON, Md,--Billy Meister, known for many years as a top rider and trainer of steeplechase horses, a few years ago switched to training mainly flat horses, and he saddled his own Peace Out to win a $12,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares four and up at Penn National on March 7.

This was Meister's second flat race win in eight days as he had won another $13,000, 1 mile Claiming race for fillies and mares four at up at Penn National on Feb. 27 with Mary Haire's Happybirthdaycorey, who won by a neck.

Peace out Bill Denver Peace out (Photo by Bill Denver)Meister's homebred Peace Out won the 6 furlong race by 1 1/4 lengths after making a four wide move around the turn.

"I bred her," said Meister. "She's always trying. She's had a few bad rides."

Peace Out, an allowance winner, has a first and a second from four starts this year.

Meister won 102 races from 1973 to 2014 as a jockey, including winning the Maryland Hunt Cup three times, in 1988 on Freeman's Hill, in 1990 on The Hard Word and in 1997 on Hello Hal.

He also was a multiple stakes winning trainer of 140 winners of over $2 million, four of them Maryland Hunt Cup winners, including Twill Do, who won twice, in 2010 ans 2012, and was Leading Trainer of the Delaware Valley Point-to-Point Association a number of times.

A few years ago, Meister switched to mainly training flat horses, although he still has some steeplechase runners.

"I've switched gears around horses a number of time, from show horses to steeplechase horse and flat horses," he said. "It's supply and demand."

"I have 13 horses now, seven flat, four steeplechase and two looking for homes that I think I''v e found for them,"said Meister. "I'm looking for more owners now."

"I've kept myself alive by having nice show horses, both hunter and jumper, that I buy, remake and sell," he said. "I just sent two show horses to Florida to sell. They'd make either hunters or jumpers. They're both very good jumpers."

Ricky Hendriks had three winners at Rappahanock Point-to-Point

Details: March 4, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

BOSTON, Va.--Ricky Hendriks saddled three winners at Rappahanock Hunt Point-to-Point on Saturday, March 1, steeplechasing's first meet of the spring season.

Ricky HendriksAfter such a cold and icy winter, this first jumping meet of the year is a welcome sign of spring.

"It was a rough winter," said Hendriks of Unionville, Pa. "The team did a great job of keeping the horses going. If Greg Bentley hadn't allowed up to use his track we never could have gotten the horses fit."

"We had a very good day," said Hendriks of his three wins and two seconds..

Armata Stables' Chosen Mate trained by Hendriks and ridden by Virginia Korrell, won the 3 mile Open Timber by 10 lengths over Zy, trained by Larry Levy.

Pleasecallmeback, trained by Billy Meister, pulled up at the 18th fence.

"Chosen Mate is a lovely older horse," said Hendriks of the12 year old gelding.. "He's been coming along nicely."

Hendriks had both the first and second placed horses in the two open flat races.

In the 1 1/2 mile Open Flat, Little Triby (GB), ridden by Gerard Galligan, won by 3/4 length over Set Point, (Ire), both owned by Del Rio Racing.

"Little Trilby won his last race over hurdles last fall at Aiken, and he's heading to the Carolina Cap," said Hendriks.

Snap Decision leads the list of three nominees for the Eclipse Award

Details: January 6, 2025; By SARA CAVANAGH

Snap Decision, with three graded stakes victories, including two G1 wins, should finally win the Eclipse Award that he so richly deserves.

Snap Decision nips Galvin in Grand National 6 Snap Decision winning the Grand National in a spectacular, gutsy finish (Photo by Tod Marks)
Along with Snap Decision, Carloun (Ire) and L'Imperator (Fr) were nominated for the Steeplechase Horse award.

Snap Decision won two G1 stakes and one G2 stakes while Carloun and L'Imperator won one G1 stakes each.

Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced during the ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 23 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2024 Horse of the Year.

Of the 240 eligible voters represented by the NTRA, consisting of racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), and Daily Racing Form, 208, or 87%, took part in the voting.

Finalists were determined in each category by voters' top three selections, using a 10-5-1 point basis.

Eclipse Award winners are determined solely by first place votes.

Leslie Young saddled Too Friendly to win the G1 Colonial Cup

Details: November 19, 2024; By SARA CAVANAGH

CAMDEN, S.C.--Leslie Young saddled Irv Naylor's Too Friendly (GB), ridden by Jamie Bargary, to win the $150,000, G1 Colonial Cup in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd that welcomed the race meet back after a eight year hiatus.

Too Friendly left outduels Snap Decision center Quick Master over last in Col Cup 1 Too Friendly, left, outduels Snap Decision, center, and Quick Master over last in the Colonial Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)
Too Friendly won the 2 5/8 mile race by 1/2 length over Noah and the Ark (Ire), trained by Todd McKenna, and Snap Decision, trained by Jack Fisher, finishing in 5:09 2/5.

This was Too Friendly's third race in this country and his second over fences after finishing sixth in the G1 Jonathan Sheppard and third in the G1 Hurdle Stakes at Great Meadows.

"We bought him at the Tattersall Horses in Training sale last summer," said Young. "He was a very reasonable $55,000. He was rated 90 running on the flat, and he'd run over jumps. The Naylors wanted a horse to run at Saratoga."

"He hadn't run over fences for six months, but we ran him in the Jonathan Sheppard," said Young. "He was bumped over the first fence,and he grabbed a heel badly. We let the heel recover, the he ran a good race in the flat race at Far Hills. He was caught on the inside, and when he got out there were a lot of stakes horses in front of him. Then in the Gold Cup, he didn't like the ground. He loved the ground yesterday."

"Jamie just wanted to sit handy," said Young of their plan for the race. "There was plenty of pace, and he just kept creeping up. Snap is a wonderful horse. You never want to see a true champion beaten, but my horse ran great."

"He'll get a break over the winter, and then if all's well he'll run in the Temple Gwathmey next spring," said Young.

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Details: November 29, 2024; By Staff Writers

Jack Fisher won Trainer, Money Won, tied with Leslie Young in Trainer, Races Won

Details: November 27, 2024; By SARA CAVANAGH

AIKEN, S.C.--The top steeplechase trainers, owners, jockeys and horses were honored at an Awards Gala that showed the health of the sport.

Jack Fisher Fair Hill 2 Jack Fisher
The Gala was held after the Aiken Fall Steeplechase on Saturday, Nov. 23.

For the first time ever the National Steeplechase Association distributed over $7 million in purses at 27 races meets, Saratoga, Colonial Downs and Belmont at Aqueduct.

Four Grade 1 races were added, the Comonwealth Cup at the Virginia Gold Cup, the Beverly Steinman at Aqueduct, the Will Allison at the International Gold Cup and the return of the Colonial Cup.

The awards highlighted the depth of the trainers involved with steeplechasing, as along with Jack Fisher and Leslie Young who won the top awards, another four trainers conditioned horses that won in various categories.

And for the first time, two trainers earned over $1 million and a jockey earned over $1 million.

Jack Fisher led in Trainer, Money Won with $1,274,600 over Leslie Young with $1,197,300 and Keri Brion with $724,400.

This was Fisher's 13th time leading in Money Won and his seventh time winning over $1 million.

Fisher also tied with Young for Races Won, with each winning 29 races, while Brion again was third with 13 races won,

"I guess the Races Won title s considered the most important, but I'd rather win the Money Won title," said Fisher. "I thought it was good to tie with Leslie for Races Won. I was so far behind after the spring races, But I don't think Leslie won anything over the summer, so that helped us."

Joerg Hoffman - Three Winners

Details: November 29, 2024; By Staff Writers

Three winners900x500

Leslie Young reaches over $1 million in purses with four wins on Nov. 2

Details: November 6, 2024; By SARA CAVANAGH

MONTPELIER STATION, Va.--With a win at the Montpelier Hunt Races on Saturday, Nov. 2 and three at Callaway Gardens on the same day, Leslie Young made history as the second person in the same year to make over $1million in purses and also tied with Jack Fisher in Trainer, Races Won.

Leslie YoungTodd McKenna saddled Keystone Thoroughbreds' Noah and the Ark (Ire) to win the featured G2, $75,000 Hurdle Handicap Stakes, but that win was overshadowed by Young's historic achievement.

While Fisher now has reached over $1 million in purses seven times, only one other person had previously won over $1million, and that was Keri Brion in 2022.

But to have two trainers reach that pinnacle of success in one year is not only historic but also is a tribute to the strength of steeplechasing in this country and the huge increase in purses over the years.

Fisher leads in Trainer, Money Won with $1,194,600 and Young is second with $1,078,650, followed by Brion with $703,000, Arch Kingsley with $424,450 and Kathy Neilson with $304,200.

Fisher and Young are tied in Trainer, Races Won with 27wins each, and Brion is third with 13.

"That's great," said Young. "It's a huge feat. Two years ago we just missed making $1million by a couple of hundred dollars. We did it this year without any heavy hitters. We only had one stakes winner."

Young saddled Sharon E. Sheppard''s Rucker Road (Ire), ridden by Paddy O'Hanlon, to win the $40,000 Maiden Hurdle by 1 length over Avakate, trained by Neil Morris, and Fouroneohsmokesh, trained by Brion.

"He's a beautiful horse," said Young. "We got him at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale. He s a lovely, athletic, leggy horse."

Great Bulls of Fire Ad

Details: November 30, 2024; By Staff Writers

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Westerland, trained by Kathy Neilson, won the Novice Hurdle Stakes at Callaway Gardens

Details: November 4, 2024; By SARA CAVANAGH

PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga.--Kathy Neilson saddled Irv Naylor's Westerland, ridden by Parker Hendriks, to win the $75,000, 2 3/8 miles Novice Hurdle Stakes on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens.

Westerland takes jump 2nd pass Aflac 2 Westerland, ridden by Parker Hendriks (Photo by Tod Marks)
Westerland won by 2 1/4 lengths over Walk the Warrior, trained by Leslie Young, and Beat Le Bon, trained by Jack Fisher.

"When I got Westerland, he'd been on the track and he had sore feet," said Neilson, who got the 8-year-old gelding four years ago. "He struggled with foot issues. Finally, I began to watch what Larry Smith was doing."

Westerland ran over fences from 2020 through 2023 without a win.

"This winter I decided I have to do something different," said Neilson. "I'd tried every kind of shoes you could think of. So I trained him out of the field with no shoes. He thrived on it. He got really sound."

Westerland broke his maiden at Colonial Downs in August and then was third in the Michael Walsh Novice Stakes in Saratoga and has now won a novice stakes.

"I have very patient owners," said Neilson. "I said I believe in the horse. It just took longer than I'd expected."

Withoutmoreado won theTimber Stakes at Genesee Hunt Races

Details: October 13, 2024; By SARA CAVANAGH

GENESSEO, N.Y.--Kathy Neilson saddled Irv Naylor's Withoutmoreado (Ire), ridden by Eric Poretz, to win the $25,000, 3 1/2 mile Genessee Valley Hunt Club Timber Stakes at the Genessee Valley Hunt Races on Saturday, Oct.12.

Withoutmoreado leads Boutonniere over last in 2nd 2 Withoutmoreado in a file photo from an earlier race
Withoutmoreado won by 1 length over Goodoldtimes (Ire), trained by Mark Beecher, and Queens Empire (Ire), trained by Jack Fisher.

Withoutmoreado won the 2023 Maryland Hunt Cup but didn't finish this year in either the Grand National or the Maryland Hunt Cup.

"Last spring, he just wasn't as confident as he'd been the year before,"said Nelson. "So we made some changes."

"Eric Poretz really wanted to ride him, so we put him upon Ado on Shawan schooling day," said Neilson. "They got along like peas and carrots. Ado loved Eric. Eric gave him a forward ride,"

"Ado ran and jumped for Eric at Genessee," she said. "He saved his energy and kicked on after the last fence."

Jack Fisher won two, including the Stakes, at Foxfield Fall Steeplechase

Details: October 7, 2024; By SARA CAVANAGH

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--Jack Fisher saddled two winners and a second placed horse at Foxfield Fall Races on Sunday, Oct. 6 and moved into the lead in Trainer, Money Won and into a tie in Trainers, Races Won.

Jack Fisher Fair Hill 2 Jack Fisher
As most expected, Fisher trained the winner of the featured, G3, $75,000, 2 1/8 mile Mariann De Tejeda Hurdle Stakes, but he didn't win it with the horse most people had expected it to be.

C and C Boultbee Brooks' Sebastopol (Ire), ridden by Parker Hendriks, won the Stakes by 1 3/14 lengths over Who's Counting, trained and ridden by Sean McDermott, while Snap Decision, trained by Fisher and the clear favorite in the race, finished third.

The going was very deep in places, going that Snap hates, plus he was giving anywhere from 12 to 20 pounds to the other five horses.

Snap Decision went straight to the start and led through much of the race until he was challenged by Who's Counting, who was then passed by Sebastopol.

"I thought he ran great," said Fisher. "This sets him up well for Far Hills. But he won't run there if it's soft."

Snap, who has won 15 hurdle races, most of them graded stakes, has been beaten at Far Hills for the past two years when the going was very deep and holding.

"If not Far Hills, it was a perfect set up for the Gold Cup," said Fisher.

"It was a really straight forward race," said Hendriks of his ride on Sebastopol. "I just followed the best horse, Snap. He jumped really nicely. I had ridden him in a schooling race at Shawan Downs. He's very nice horse, a very cool horse. Everyone in the barn loves him. Hopefully, I'll ride him back."