Racing

Leslie Young and Neil Morris tied for lead in Trainers, Races Won after Young saddled two winners while Morris saddled three on Oct. 9

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October 10, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

MIDDLEBURG, Va.--With two wins on Oct. 9, Leslie Young stayed in the lead in Trainers, Races Won with 12 wins, but she was tied for the lead by Neil Morris who saddled three winners at the Virginia Fall Races, while Jack Fisher looms just one race behind with 11 wins.

Drewscourt, left, leads Elusive Soul over the last fence in Middleburg (Photo by Tod Marks)Keri Brion, who still leads in Trainer, Money Won, has nine wins and Kathy Neilson, with a win at Genesee Valley, also on Oct. 9, has eight wins.

Neilson's daughter Skylar McKenna had a spectacular day at Genesee Valley, riding the winners of all four races on the card, including Rakhaa (GB) for Young in the $10,000 Apprentice Rider Timber and two for her mother.

Young won one race in Middleburg along with the one with Rakhaa in Genesee Valley.

Leipers Fork Steeplechasers' Drewscourt (Ire), ridden by Tom Garner, won the $20,000, 2 1/8 mile Maiden Hurdle by 1 3//4 lengths over Westerland, trained by Neilson, in 4:08 3/5.

"I got Drewscourt this summer from Ireland," said Young. "I bought him for Leipers Fork. We had been aiming for this race for a while, so I'm glad it worked out."

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Leslie Young moved into a lead in Trainer, Races Won, at Foxfield

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October 6, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va--Leslie Young saddled The Flasche to win the $25,000, 2 1/8 mile Maiden Hurdle race at the Foxfield Fall races on Oct. 3 to move into the  lead in Trainer, Races Won by one race over Keri Brion and Jack Fisher, who has won both the Races Won and Money Won titles numerous times.

Foxfield file photoThe Flasche, owned by Ballybristol Farm and ridden by Tom Garner, who had run five times over fences before breaking his maiden, won by 10 lengths in 4:01 over Quality Road, trained by Mark Beecher.

After moving into a tie for the lead in Races Won two weeks ago, Young had said, "We're going for it. Wouldn't winning that title be what we all dream of? It's the greatest honor in training."

Fisher has said that the most important thing for him is to see his horses run well, and Brion said that saving her up-and-coming young horses is more important to her than a trainer title.

Fisher didn't have any horses run at Foxfield, while Brion saddled Iranistan, ridden by Richard Condon, to win the  1 1/4 mile Training Flat race, a race that doesn't count towards the training title.

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Leslie Young and Keri Brion, tied for Trainer Races Won, have multiple entries at Foxfield

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October 3, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--Keri Brion, Jack Fisher and Leslie Young are tied in leading Trainer, Races Won, but Fisher only has one entry at Foxfield while Brion has four and Young has five.

Foxfield Races Foxfield has six races scheduled on Sunday, Oct. 3, beginning st 12:30, but only five are hurdle races counting towards races won, while the second race is a training flat race.

The first race is a $10,000, 2 1/8 mile Maiden Claiming race with seven entries, including one each from Brion and Young.

The third race is a $25,000 Filly and Mare Maiden Hurdle, with only four entries, again with one each from Brion and Young, and the next is a $25,000 Maiden Hurdle with seven entries, with one each from Brion and Young.

The fifth race is a$10,000 Apprentice Rider Hurdle with six entries with one entry from Young, and the final race is the $20,000, 2 1/4 mile Ratings Handicap Hurdle with nine entries, with one entry each from Brion, Fisher and Young.

Brion is saddling Atlantic Hill Racing's 4-year-old Peat Moss (Ire), a first time starter in this country who won a handicap earlier this year at Lingfield race course in England.

Fisher has Riverdee Stable's 7-year-old Gostisbehere, who won a maiden claiming race at Charlotte in April and was second in a handicap at Colonial Downs in July.

Young is saddling Ballybristol Farm LLC's Soramond (Ger), another 4-year-old that is making his first start in this country, and he won twice in England earlier this year, winning  a Maiden Weight for Age Hurdle at Southwell race course in May and then a Handicap at Leicester in July.

Foxfield has run spring and fall race meets since 1978, but there was no racing there for the past two years.

The course has be redone and is in the best shape it has ever been.

Foxfield races will be live streamed at the National Steeplechase Association's website.

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Ricky Hendriks saddled the Handicap winner at Shawan Downs, Jack Fisher and Leslie Young tie Keri Brion for lead in Trainer, Races Won

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September 26, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

HUNT VALLEY, Md.--Ricky Hendriks saddled Upland Flats Racing LLC's West Newton, ridden by Schyler McKenna, to win the featured $25,000, 2 mile Rating Handicap Hurdle at Shawan Downs on Sept. 25.

West Newton leading over last fence (Photo by Tod Marks)Jack Fisher and Leslie Young each had one win on the card to move into a tie with Keri Brion for Trainer, Races Won.

West Newton ran in fifth in the six horse field early on, gradually moving up to go into the lead over the last fence and go on to win by 8 1/2 lengths in 3:38 4/5.

"I claimed him this year at Radnor from Irv Nayor," said Hendriks. "I claimed him because of his breeding. He's very well bred."

West Newton in by Kitten's Joy out of Queens Prize (GB), by Dansili (GB), who stands in England.

He was imported from England in 2019.

"I had a new owner, Patrick Lewis, who wanted a horse," said Hendriks. "We've run him a few times. We ran him in Nashville, because his owner lives there. He won a maiden race st Colonial Downs and finished third in an allowance at Saratoga. He's a high energy horse. He's fun to train. Schyler saved him early in the race. She did a wonderful job on him. It was a very exciting win."

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Matz, Hendriks, Motion, and Jenkins have multiple winners while Lopez and Houghton have wins

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September 26, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

COATESVILLE, Pa.--Michael Matz of Coatesville had three recent winners, including a Stakes winner, on the track as well as a son and daughter, following in his footsteps, who are winning at horse shows in jumper competitions.

Michael Matz during his jumping careerSon Alex is an up-and-coming professional grand prix jumper rider, and daughter Lucy is a winner in amateur jumpers, most recently at the Devon Fall Classic.

Michael was a top grand prix rider who was a six-time U.S. national champion,winning at least one major show jumping event in 20 consecutive years.

Matz won team gold at the 1986 World Championships in Aachen riding Chef, to go with his individual and team bronze medals that he won at the 1978 World Equestrian Games while riding Jet Run on whom Matz also won the 1981 Show Jumping World Cup.

Matz, after retiring from riding jumpers, turned to training race horses, where he has established himself as a top trainer.

Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust's homebred La Babia won the $75,000, 1 1/16 mile George Rosenberger Memorial Stakes on the turf at Delaware Park on Sept. 25.

La Babia now has three firsts, three seconds and two thirds from 16 starts and earnings of $139,800.

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The Mean Queen defeats Snap Decision in a much anticipated duel

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September 17, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

ELMONT, N.Y--The meeting of The Mean Queen and Snap Decision in the G1. $150,000 Lonesome Glory Steeplechase Stakes was a much anticipated event, with The Mean Queen coming off a G1 victory in the Jonathan Sheppard Stakes at Saratoga and Snap Decision putting a nine race winning streak on the line following a summer off after winning the G1 Iroquois Stakes in July.

The Mean Queen defeats Snap Decision in the Lonesome Glory (Photo by Tod Marks)And the duel lived up to every expectation.

Bodes Well, trained by Leslie Young, had led for the entire 2 1/2 mile race The Mean Queen, trained by Keri Brion and ridden by Richard Condon, and Snap Decision, trained by newly  crowned Hall of Famer Jack Fisher and ridden by Graham Watters, hooked up on the turn into the stretch and drove into the stretch stride for stride.

The Mean Queen got her head in front and then at the sixteenth pole drove clear and went on to win by 2 lengths.

Snap Decision, who was carrying 164 pounds to The Mean Queen's 157, finished second, 9 1/4 lengths in front ot Redicean, trained by Young.

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Jack Fisher and Leslie Young have multiple entries in Saturday's steeplechase at Shawan Downs

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September 23, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

COCKEYSVILLE, Md.--Steeplechasing returns to a fall schedule of hunt meets, beginning with the Legacy Chase ar Shawan Downs, and Jack Fisher and Leslie Young, currently tied in second place with eight wins apiece in Trainer, Races Won, have multiple entries, both over fences and on the flat.

Shawan Downs Charlie Fenwick, a successful jockey and owner, is the Race Director.

Keri Brion, who leads in Trainer, Races Won with nine, only has one entered over fences with three in the Training Flat races, that don't count towards Races Won.

Fisher has seven entered over fences, while Young has five in over fences.There are eight races scheduled, six of them over fences, with $100,000 in prize money.

The races begin at 12:30, and three maiden races are the first to run, each with a $15,000 purse, beginning with a maiden race for 3-year-olds.

The fourth race is the featured $25,000 Ratings Handicap with six entries. including one each from Fisher and Young.

An $20,000 Open Timber drew five entries, including two from Fisher and one from Young.

A $10,000 Maiden Timber with nine entries concludes the over fences portion of the meet, followed by two Training Flat races, each of which dew a full field of 14 entries plus also eligibles.

Races will be live streamed on the National Steeplechase Association website.

The G1 Lonesome Glory and the William Entemann Novice Stakes will be featured on Belmont's opening day

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September 15, 2021

By Staff Writers

 ELMONT, N.Y.--Buttonwood Farm’s The Mean Queen goes up against Bruton Street-U.S.' Snap Decision in the G1, $150,000, 2 1/2 mile Lonesome Glory for 4-year-olds and up at Belmont Park on Thursday, Sept. 16.

The Mean Queen winning the Jonathan Sheppard (Photo by Tod Marks)The Mean Quenn will attempt to beat males for a second consecutive G1 race after winning the G1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard at Saratoga by 4 2/3 lengths on Aug. 18

Bruton Street’s Snap Decision is coming off a nine-race win streak dating from 2019 ,and he'll be trying to win his second consecutive G1 stakes after a 3 1/2-length score in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois in June at Percy Warner for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher.

That marked the second consecutive graded stakes win for the 7-year-old Hard Spun gelding, who started this year's campaign with a win in the Gr2 Temple Gwathmey Handicap in May at Glenwood Park.

The 12th running of the Lonesome Glory, race 2 on the nine-race card,has a seven-horse field including The Mean Queen and Galway Kid, trained by Brion, Snap Decision and Brianbakescookies, trained by Fisher, two from Leslie Young, Bodes Well and Redicean, and Amschel from Cyril Murphy.

The Mean Queen began her career with Brion with a win last April at Ireland’s Wexford Racecourse that made Brion the first U.S.-based trainer to win an Irish hurdle race. In just her third start overall and first over jumps, and then the 5-year-old mare won her first two starts in North America.

The Mean Queen was leading by about 6 lengths in the Jonathan Kiser Novice on July 28 when she ducked away from the whip and then back in from a pylon, unseating Thomas Garner.

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Danny Lopez and George Chestnut's Pa-bred filly Chub Wagon won the Roamin Rachel Stakes at Parx

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September 11, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

BENSALEM, Pa.--Chub Wagon, a Pa.-bred 4-year-old filly by Hey Chub, continued her meteoric career with her ninth win from 10 starts in taking the $100,000, 5 1/2 furlong Roamin Rachel Stakes at Parx by 4 lengths on Sept. 6.

Chub Wagon winning at Parx (Photo by Equiphoto)The homebred filly, owned by Daniel J. Lopez and George Chestnut, is trained by Guadaloupe Preciado, but until a year ago she was trained by Lopez.

Lopez was a very successful trainer with an almost 50 percent rate of horses hitting the board, with 3,807 of his trainees placing first, second or third from 7,840 starters.

"I was training up until last year, but you can't find any good help at the racetracks anymore, so I gave the filly to Guadaloupe, who I've known for a long time," said Lopez.

Lopez got his start in the horse business riding jumpers in the 50s and 60s, and he did that very successfully, competing against others on Long Island, N.Y., like Neil Shapiro, who went on to be an Olympic veteran with silver and bronze medals from the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany.

"I just walked away from it," said Lopez when asked why he transitioned from riding to training racehorses.

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Graham Motion saddles two Stakes winners at Colonial Downs, while Rodney Jenkins has one Stakes winner

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September 3, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

KENT, Va.--Graham Motion saddled two first time stakes winners at Colonial Downs on Aug. 28, both on the turf, while Rodney Jenkins also had a Stakes winner at Colonial Downs, his on Aug. 23.

Wootton Asset (Photo by Coady Photography)Wootton Asset.owned by Madaket Stables LLC, won the G3,  $250,000, 1 1/8 mile Virginia Derby for 3-year-olds on the outer turf by 3/4 lengths over Slicked Back, but there was a nervous waiting period before the results became official after the second placed jockey, Fernando De La Cruz,claimed foul against Jose Ortiz, Wootton Asset's rider.

A rerun of the race showed no foul had occurred, and the result finally became official.

"I don't know what that was about," said Motion. "But Jose was really confident that he hadn't done anything wrong. Wootton Asset won very decisively."

"I'd like to run him against 3-year-olds one more time, possibly at Keeneland," said Motion. "I'll run him only one or two more times this year and then give him some time off. I think he'll be a fun horse to have next year."

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Booby Trap wins Saratoga steeplechase, Leslie Young moves into a tie for Leading Trainer

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September 2, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Leslie Young saddled Booby Trap and Perfect Tapatino (Fr) to finish first and second in Saratoga's final steeplechase of the year, moving her into a tie for Trainer, Races Won with Keri Brion and Jack Fisher.

Booby Trap leads Perfect Tapatino and West Newton to the wire at Saratoga (Photo by Tod Marks)Booby Trap, owned by Van Cushny and Thomas Rice, trained by Young and ridden by Gerard Galligan, won the $65,000, 2 3/8 miles Allowance Steeplechase at Saratogs on Aug. 29.

Booby Trap was bumped and forced out at the start, resulting in his jumping the first fence poorly, but he recovered nicely, made an inside bid on the last time around the clubhouse turn, opened up a sizeable lead around the final turn and was eased at the wire to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Leipers Fork Steeplechasers' Perfect Tapatino, ridden by Tom Garner, with Uplands Flat Racing and John Lewis' West Newton (GB),, trained by Ricky Hendriks and ridden by Parker Hendriks, third, another 2 1/2 lengths back.

"That was quite something," said Cushny. "All these years, my horses have been second so many times but never have won. This is hard to believe, It's like a dream come true."

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Sean McDermott trained and ridden Compass Point wins at Colonial

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August 30, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

KENT, Va.--Compass Zone, trained and ridden by Sean McDermott, ran first or second throughout the $30,000, 2 mile Maiden Special Weight steeplechase at Colonial Downs on Aug. 30 and stretched out through the stretch to win by 2 lengths.

Compass Zone at the finish (Photo by Coady Photography)Owned by South Branch Equine LLC, Compass Zone vied with second placed Ballybristol Farm LLC's The Flasche, trained by Leslie Young and ridden by Tom Garner, throughout the race and held him off in the stretch, while Buttonwood Farm's Lizzy, trained by Keri Brion and ridden by Richard Condon finished third, another 3/4 lengths back.

"I got Compass Point a year ago March, right around the time Covid stopped everything," said McDermott. "He was worse for the wear, but we gave him a little TLC and some time, but it was hard to get him back to form."

"This year, he's run second twice and then was third at the Gold Cup," "I gave him a little holiday, and then he got a stone bruise, so he came into this race a little light."

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Keri Brion saddles Howya Tuppence to win at Colonial

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August 24, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

KENT, Va.--Keri Brion saddled The International Venture's Howya Tuppence (Ire), ridden by Richard Condon, to win the $30,000, 2 mile Maiden Special Weight steeplechase by 1 1/2 lengths at Colonial Downs on Aug. 23.

Howya Tuppence at the finish (Photo by Coady Photography)The win tied Brion with Jack Fisher in Trainer, Races Won, with eight apiece, while she continues to lead in Trainer, Money Won.

"I got Howya Tupppence last March in Ireland from Harley Dunne to bring back to the States," said Brion. "He had run in a 3 mile point-to-point in Ireland and hadn't finished. We thought he'd do better in this country. He wasn't very expensive, so I put it out on twitter, asking if anyone was interested in buying a piece of him. I got a huge response. He's now owned by a syndicate of 30 people from England, Ireland, France and Canada. None of them have been able to come to this country to watch him race because of Covid restrictions, but they all have hopes of coming."

Howya Tuppence ran fifth or sixth in the 10 horse field, behind pace setters Hail Michigan and Cause for Pardon, moved up on the inside on the final turn, looked like he wasn't going to catch Cause for Pardon, and then looked like he found another gear near the wire and flashed into the lead, finishing 1 1/2 lengths in front of Ballybristol Farm LLC's Cause for Pardon, trained by Leslie Young and ridden by Tom Garner, with Irv Naylor's Westerland (GB), trained by Kathy Neilson and ridden by Gerard Galligan, finishing a neck back in third.

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The Mean Queen, Baltimore Bucko & French Light run 1, 2, 3 for Keri Brion

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August 18, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Keri Brion saddled the first, second and third placed horses in the $150,000, 2 3/8 mile, G1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 1.

The Mean Queen leads Baltimore Bucko and French Light (left) at the wire (Photo by Tod Marks)Formerly known as the New York Turf Writers Cup, the race was run as the Jonathan Sheppard for the first time, in honor of the Hall of Fame trainer who won the race a record 15 times and trained at least one winner at Saratoga every year from 1969 to 2015.

Brion worked for Sheppard for 11 years, much of that as his assistant trainer.

"Jonathan taught me everything I know, so all credit goes to him," said Brion after winning the Sheppard..

Brion took horses to Ireland last winter to train as his assistant and became the trainer when Sheppard announced his retirement, and she was still in Ireland when it was announced that the Turf Writers would be renamed in his honor,

She said at the time that she hoped she'd have at least one horse to tun in the race, and instead ran four, finishing first, second, third and eighth with A Silent Player.

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Michael Dickinson and Graham Motion have first time out Maiden winners at Colonial

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August 18, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

KENT, Va.--Michael Dickinson had two Maiden Special Weight winners at Colonial Downs, and Graham Motion also had a first time runner Maiden Special Weight winner at Colonial Downs as well

Belle Belisa (Photo by Coady Photography)Belle Belisa (Ire), owned by GoldMark Farm and Arthur Applegate, won by a length first time out  in a $54,500, 1 1/8 mile Maiden Special Weight on the turf for fillies and mares 3 and up on Aug. 10.

"Belle Belisa is very well bred," said Dickinson. "She's by Lope de Vega, who is one of the best stallions in Europe. We didn't think she was going to win. We though she'd need a race. And she did everything wrong before the race.

"We shipped her down to Colonial the day before the race, and she walked probably 100 miles in her stall. Then on the day of her race her boyfriend, Search for Truth shipped in. They love each other. She walked another 100 miles around her stall. Then at 11 o'clock on the day of her race, she was lying down in her stall. She wasn't relaxing, she was exhausted.

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