Racing

Barnavara Fairytale Keeps Russell Jones Young

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December 3, 2025

By Staff Writers

Reprintedd from the Thoroughbred Daily Times

By Chris McGrath

He called it a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience, smiling in the Paris sunshine, spry and dapper in his bow tie and blazer. And then he added: “I mean, I'm 90 years old, so I don't know how much more lifetime there is!”

Barnavara (Phoo by Scoop Dyga)That helped the interview go fairly viral. But there was much else besides: the sheer joie de vivre, the sense of just how much living Russell Jones has crammed into that lifetime; plus an infectious sense of the fulfilment available, when you invest in a horse in a purely sporting spirit.

Jones only found himself at Longchamp because he had wanted to honor the memory of Johnny Harrington by participating in a partnership at the stable run by his dear friend's widow Jessica. In his time, to be sure, Jones has plenty of horse trading. He would know as well as anybody the commercial potential of bloodstock. In fact, along with his late brother Richard, he consigned Producer (Nashua) to achieve a broodmare record $5.25 million at Keeneland in 1983. Even so, there may be a lesson for those people who nowadays approach the game in a wholly mercenary spirit, in the way things have played out with Barnavara (Ire) (Calyx {GB}). Because this €70,000 yearling goes to the Sceptre Sessions at Tattersalls Tuesday (hip 1753) as winner of the G1 Prix de l'Opera–a race once won, funnily enough, by Producer.

What a weekend the Alpha Racing syndicate had in Paris–and how often did thoughts turn to Johnny. Jones had gotten to know him way back in the 1960s, when Johnny was working for the Curragh Bloodstock Agency, and had come to America to help launch Jonathan Sheppard's training career. They hit it off so well that Johnny started staying with Jones in Pennsylvania, whenever he travelled over.

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Ricky Hendriks' Fil Dor won the $150,000 Colonial Cup

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November 25, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

CAMDEN, S.C.--Ricky Hendriks saddled two stakes winners, including his own Fil Dor (Fr) in the $150,000 Colonial Cup, at the Colonial Cup races on Sunday, Nov. 23. 

Fil Dor, ridden by Dan Nevin, led over the last fence in the Colonial Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)"It was a very exciting day," said Hendriks."Wow! So cool."

Fil Dor, owned by Hendriks' Morningstar Farm and ridden by Dan Nevis, won the G1, 2 5/8 mile Colonial Cup by 1 1/4 lengths, setting a new track record of 5:02 2/5, and beating Vae Patron (Fr), trained by Leslie Young, and Zarak the Brave (Fr), trained by Tom Garner.

The Colonial Cup results threw the  race for the Eclipse Award into total disarray.

Cool Jet, Little Trilby and Jimmy P had been in the lead for the award, with the results of the Colonial Cup expected to give the winner between those three the edge to win.

But Cool Jet, trained by Jack Fisher, fell at the first fence, Little Trilby, trained by Hendriks, fell at the second fence, and Jimmy P,  trained by Keri Brion, was never a factor, finishing a dull fifth in the  nine horse race, beating only two tiring horses in the stretch.

And now Fil Dor has entered the picture, too, with his win.

Del Rio Racing's Coutach (GB), trained by Hendriks and ridden by Nevis, won the $56,000, 2 1/2 mile Hokirk Hill Hurdle Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths in 4:50 4/5 over Pure Courage, trained by Todd Wyatt, and Active Duty (Fr), trained by Garner.  

Both Fil Dor and Coutach were brought to this country by top Irish trainer Gordon Elliott for the races at Far Hills, with Del Rio finishing fifth in the G1 Grand National and Coutach winning the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle by 4 1/4 lengths. 

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Arch Kingsley won three at Aiken

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November 24, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

AIKEN, S.C.--Arch Kingsley saddled three winners and was leading trainer at the Aiken Fall Steeplechase on Saturday, Nov, 22.

Sweet Will, ridden by Freddie Procter (Photo by Tod Marks)Freddie Procter rode all three of Kingsley's winners, and with those three wins moved into a tie for Rider, Races Won with 15 wins behind runaway winner Graham Watters, who won 26 races.

"It was a very good day, said Kingsley. "We always try to do well at Aiken, so it's nice when it all comes together."

"I was really happy for Freddie," said Kingsley. "He's put in a lot of work and he came down here to work the horses. So it's nice for him to have a three win day."

Kingsley saddled Hurricana Farm's Sweet Will (Ire) to win the $35,000, 2 1/8 mile Ratings Handicap Hurdle b y 1 length in 3:48 4/5  over Rucker Road (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Caramelised, also trained by Young.

"We've had Sweet Will for a year," said Kingsley. "This was his first win for us. He won six hurdle races in Ireland. We bought him to be a timber horse, but right now he's still a productive hurdle horse. He was third in the G1 Lonesome Glory."

"I'm not sure what we'll do with him next year," he said. "Whether we'll make him a timber horse or or stay with him over hurdles. He still has some good days over hurdles."

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Risk Taking won the Allowance race at Steeplechase at Charleston

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November 10, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

HOLLYWOOD, S.C.--Julie Gomena saddled Risk Taking to win the $35,000 Allowance Hurdle at Steeplechase at Charleston on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Risk Taking and Bernie DaltonStonelea Stables' Risk Taking, ridden by Bernie Dalton, won the 2 3/8 mile race by 13 1/2 lengths in 4:28 3/5 over Cainyoudothetwist, trained by Arch Kingsley, and Brie's Mission, trained by Kathy Neilson.  

That was a nice end to the year," said Gomena.

"I've had Risk Taking for three years now." she said. "I bought him at the Keeneland fall sale. He'd been trained by Chad Brown, and he ran in the Preakness."

Risk Taking had sold for $240,000 as a yearling, and he won the G3 Withers as a 3-year-old.

Gomena bought Risk Taking for $75,000.

"He was a raging, screaming stallion, so we had him gelded." said Gomena. "I ran him first at Colonial, and he blew a tendon, so he had a year off."

"He's still a keen horse, so if he runs up front against another horse he runs himself out, so we always tuck him in behind," she said. "He's one paced, so he needs to close on speed."

"He'll get a vacation now," said Gomena. "He's now officially a novice, so we'll bring him out again next spring."

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Keri Brion had five winners, Motion, Matz and Merryman also had winners

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November 9, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

LAUREL, Md.--Keri Brion had five winners, including two allowance winners, in the last month, while Graham Motion had seven winners, including two Stakes winners, and Michael Matz and Liz Merryman also had winners.

Sporting LadyAudley Farm Equine's Sporting Lady won a $50,500, 5 1/2 Allowance race for Fillies and Mares on the turf by 1 1/2 lengths and paid $70.60 for the win.

"Sporting Lady is a nice filly," said Brion. "She threw  in a bad race last start with no real excuse. She came out of it fine, so we regrouped and tried again."

"I can't believe they let her go off at 30 to one," said Brion. "She's always been  very consistent. She's a nice really filly who should keep improving."

Sporting Lady ran second five times in Maiden Special Weight races before winning on Aug. 23, and then finishing eighth in an allowance race before her win at Laurel.

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Master Seville, trained by Mark Beecher, won the Pa. Hunt Cup

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November 5, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

UNIONVILLE, Pa.--Mark Beecher saddled Master Seville to win the $35,000, 4 mile Pennsylvania Hunt Cup on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Master Seville, number 4 on the right. early in the Hunt Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)Master Seville, owned by South Branch Equine and ridden by Graham Watters, won the Hunt Cup by 4 3/4 lengths in 8:35 3/5 over Uco Valley (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Goodoldtimes (Ire), also trained by Beecher.

Also, at a previous race meet, Duncan Patterson, a steward at the Hunt Cup in an interview explained the rulings in a controversial timber race at the International Gold Cup.

"Master Seville has been with me a long time," said Beecher. "I got hm as a 4-year-old and he's 9 now. He's won five or six sanctioned races and a number of point-to-point races."

Beecher said he didn't give Watters any instructions.

"Graham is a very good rider," he said." I thought he gave him a very good ride, The horse jumped beautifully."   

"He's been a rock solid horse for us," said Beecher. "This is his first stakes win. He's a lovely horse. He foxhunts, and anyone can ride him,"

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Cool Jet won the Noel Laing Stakes at Montpelier

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November 3, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

MONTPELIER STATION, Va.--Riverdee Stable's Cool Jet (Ire) won the G3, $75,000 Noel Laing Stakes at Montpelier, while Mark Beecher had two winners and a third to win the Leading Trainers award.

Cool Jet led over last to win the Commonwealth Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)Cool Jet, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Bernie Dalton, won the 2 1/2 mile Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths inn 5:12 2/5 over Noble Anthem (Ire), trained by Tom Garner, and For the Parish, (Ire), trained by Leslie Young,

"Cool Jet has a very high cruising speed," said Sean Clancy, manager of the Riverdee Stable syndicate "He loved it at Montpelier, He loved those hedge jumps. Some horses brush through them, but he jumped over them. It looked beautiful. And he never put a foot wrong."

Cool Jet went to the front from the start and was never headed, opening up after the last fence to win comfortably.

"Bernie got on him three rides ago, and he's got him in rhythm," said Clancy.

Cool Jet has won the last three stakes he's run in,, the Commonwealth Cup at Great Meadow, the Mariann de Tjjeda Stakes at Foxfield and now at Montpelier, after finishing second and third earlier this year.

"He's 9, and he's had a good year," said Clancy. " He'll probably go to the Colonial Cup. I think he'll like it there."

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Mark Beecher as trainer and Virginia Korrell as jockey dominated Genesee Valley

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October 14, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

GENESEO, N.Y.--Armata Stable's Crealion, trained by  Tom Garner and ridden by Virginia Korrell was disqualified on Saturday, Oct. 11 due to not weighing out at the correct weight at the Genesee Valley Hunt Races.

Crealion ridden by Virginia KorellThen 48 hours later the National Steeplechase Association Stewards Advisory Committee ruled that the disqualification of the horse was not warranted.  

"When i weighed out, I was one-tenth of a pound under," said Korrell. "It used to be that jockeys were allowed a half pound leeway, but that was changed this year. Tom argued the decision and it was changed."

Originally, it was announced that South Branch Equine's Master Seville, ridden by Nevin, won the $15,000 Amateur or Apprentice Rider Timber by 5 1/4 lengths in 5:40 3/5 over Project Two (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Rhyhmia, trained by McKenna.

The Steward's ruling reinstated Crealion, and dropped Master Sevile to second and Project Two to third.

With that ruling, it meant that Korrell had ridden two winners, Crealion and The Butler Yates in the Timber Stakes and a second placed horse, Hey Teacher..

 "Crealion has run about 35 times," said Korrell. "Tom got him last year, and I rode him in some races. Then he wasn't himself this spring, so we gave him the summer off. He's a nice horse, and he jumped really well." 

The Butler Yates, owned by Greenlights, trained by Young and ridden by Korrell, won the $25,000, 3 1/2 mile Timber Stakes by 3/4 length in 6:54 2/3 over Goodoldtimes, trained by Beecher, and Hard Games, trained by Neilson.

"I rode and schooled The Butler Yates quite a lot when I worked for Leslie."said Korrell. "He's very uncomplicated now. He used to be quirky, when he came over from Ireland. He used to be very slow over the fences, but that was the best he's ever jumped." 

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Cool Jet won the $75,000 Mariann De Tejeda Memorial at Foxfield

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October 7, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va--Cool Jet (Ire), trained by Jack Fisher, won the G3, 12 1/8 mile, $75,000 Mariann De Tejeda Memorial at the Foxfield Fall Races on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Cool Jet winning the Commonwealth Cup (Photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Riverdee Stable and ridden by Bernie Dalton, the 9 year-old Cool Jet won by 4 3/4 lengths over Foxy Walk (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, with Who's Counting, trained by Sean McDermott, third, finishing in 4:03, the fastest time of the day.

The favored Snap Decision, owned by Bruton Street-US and also trained by Fisher, finished fifth. 

"Cool Jet came to me from Pat Doyle as a 6-year-old, and he's been sterling ever since," said Sean Clancy, head of the Rverdee syndicate. "He's a hard trying over-achiever."

Cool Jet has run 12 times for Riverdee Stable with five wins, three seconds, a third and two fourths after racing in England and Ireland as a 4- and 5-year old.

"He'll run next a the G2 at the International Gold Cup," said Clancy. "It depends on how he does there where he goes after that. He's not gong to Far Hills. The 2 5/8 mile race would be too far for him."

Fisher was unavailable for comment as he was in hospital following a fall.

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Graham Motion, Jack Fisher, Keri Brion, Liz Merryman and Michael Matz have winners

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September 30, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

FAIR HILL, Md.--Over the past month, Graham Motion has had 11 winners, including five stakes winners, Jack Fisher had  $170,000 Maiden winner, Keri Brion and Liz Merryman had four winners each, and Michael Matz had a winner.

Jack Fisher Fisher saddled Bruton Street-US' The Jackal, ridden by Forest  Boyce, to win a $170.000, 1 1/2 mile Maiden Special Weight turf race at Kentucky Downs by 3/4 length on Aug. 31.

The Jackal, a 5-year-old by Medaglio D'Oro out of a Tapit mare.was trained by Chug McGaughey for Woodford Racing from July 2024 to October, 2024 with one second and one third in maiden special weight races, and then was purchased by Bruton Street to become a steeplechase horse.

Fisher ran him over hurdles at Colonial Downs on Aug. 7, and he won.

"He can't jump," said Fisher despite his win. "He won that race, but I thought he was going to fall over every fence on the backside."

So Fisher entered him on the flat and won the $170,000 Maiden Special Weight at Kentucky Downs.

"He's in the field now" said Fisher. "Then when we bring him back up, we'll teach him how to jump this winter."

When The Jackal does learn how to jump,  he looks like he'll be another powerhouse for Fisher and Bruton Street.

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Jack Fisher had three winners including Keys Discount in the Timber Stakes at Shawan Downs

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September 28, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

HUNT VALLEY, Md.--Jack Fisher dominated the races at Shawan Downs, winning three of the six races and finishing second in one and third in two others on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Keys Discount leads over the last in the Brown Advisory Stakes (Photo by Tod Marks)Fisher's three winners included Maiden and Allowance Hurdle winners and the winner of the Timber Stakes.

He saddled Keys Discount, owned by his mother, Mrs. John R.S.Fisher and ridden by Graham Watters to win the $25,000 3 1/8 mile Brown Advisory Timber Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths in 6:46 2/5 over Animal Kingston, trained by Neil Morris, and Queens Empire (Ire), also trained by Fisher.

"Keys Discount has stamped himself as the horse to beat," said Fisher. "It was the way he won it that was so impressive. He won it easily."

"He'll go to Middleburg next," he said. 

Keys Discount has now won three hurdle stakes this year, beginning with the Virginia Gold Cup and then the Middleburg Hunt Cup and now at Shawan Downs.

Fisher's horses finished first and second in the first race on the card,  the $20,000 Maiden Three Year Old Hurdle.

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Mark Beecher saddled Timetoshine to win $100,000 hurdle at Colonial

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September 12, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va..--TimetoShine (Fr) won the !00,000 Life''s Illusion 2 1/4 mile Filly and Mare Hurdle Stakes at Colonial Downs on Thursday, Sept. 11.

Timetoshine (Photo by Coady Media)Trained by Mak Beecher, owned by Runnymoore Racing and ridden by Dan Nevin, Timetoshine won by 8 lengths over Anador (Fr), trained by Todd McKenna, and Madaket's Arrow trained by Kate Dalton, finishing in 4{03.86.

"That was a massive win," said Beecher. "It was a great pick-up for us."

"I bought her iin May for Runnymoore," he said. "She'd been running in England. I got her acclimated to the heat here. This was her first race in this country."

"Her owners never put any pressure on me to race her," Beecher said. "They said, run her when she's ready."

"Today was perfect for her," he said. "A little overcast, and the ground was a little yielding."

"She's a lovely, light-type mare," Beecher said, ""We'll get her home and see how she is, She'll probably run next in the filly and mare stake at Far Hills."

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Successful Fair Hill Races leads to plans for additonal meets

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September 3, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

ELKTON, Md--Officials have declared the Fair Hill Races on Aug. 30 to have been a success and say that there will be another meet over Memorial Day weekend.

Fair Hill turf course "We were thrilled with the day," said George Mahoney, Chairman of the Maryland Racing Commission.

"This was a good first step," said Joe Clancy, a member of Sports Corp., the group that organized the meet. "We puposely didn't have any jump races. We didn't want to compete against Colonial Downs or Saratoga or hurt their entries. We held the number of entries to eight in the interest of safety, and we didn't charge admission."

"We got a good crowd, and I think that the people that came had a good time," said Clancy. "The total betting handle was $56,5503. The total handle is always going to be small, and that never was a money maker, but it's a tradition to have betting. In the old days the handle was around $200,00, but 75 percent of that goes back to the betters and 25 percent is divided between the races, which pay all the expense of betting, and the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources."

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Taylor Kingsley won two races at the first meet held at Fair Hill in six years

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September 1, 2025

By SARA CAVANAGH

ELKTON, Md.--Recently turned professional Taylor Kingsley rode two winners as racing returned to the Fair Hill turf course on Saturday, Aug, 30 after six long years. 

Taylor Kingsley (File photo)The day, which featured six flat turf races, all without a starting gate but with para-mutual betting, was very successful despite a few minor glitches.

Kingsley won both divisions of the $20,000, 1 mile and five furlongs Starter Allowance, one for Tom Garner and one for her father Arch Kingsley.

Garner saddled Bonita Farm's Fightnomoreforever to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Fenwick, trained by Garner, and Mortal Sin trained by Danielle Hodsdon.

"Fightnomoreforever was a professional," said Kingsley. "He really didn't need me at all. When a hole opened up on the turn, I didn't have to ask him, he just went through it."

"I was delighted to win at the first races  back at Fair Hill," she said. "It was like christening the track. I would love to win one for my Dad at this track."

So in the very next race, she did just that, winning on Gossiper.

"That was brilliant, wasn't it," said Kingsley. "Perfect timing. That was my first win for him as a professional. i still want to win for him at a flat track out of the gate."

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Jimmy P, trained by Keri Brion, won the G1 Sheppard at Saratoga

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August 27, 2025

By Staff Writers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. --Keri Brion continued her incredible week-long stretch with yet another win, this time with Jimmy P in the G1 Jonathan Sheppard Memorial Hurdle Handicap on Wednesday, Aug, 27 at Saratoga,

Jimmy P, saddlecloth 9, outduels Zarak the Brave to win the Sheppard (Photo by Tod Marks)Brion has now won seven races in seven days, four on the flat and three over fences.

Madaket Stables, Molly Willis and Paul Willis’ Jimmy , ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, won by 3/4 length over Zarak the Brave, trained by Tom Garner, and Hidden Path, trained by Ricky Henriks.

Jimmy P had blinkers taken off by Brion and successfully defended his title in the G1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard, a 2 3/8-mile hurdle handicap for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

Jimmy P had run five times between winning the Sheppard last year and then again this year, not hitting the board in any of those five races.

Brion said she took the blinkers off Jimmy P to help keep his interest throughout the race.

“He’ll outwork anything in the morning and then you put him in the race and he’s just kind of nonchalant about it,” Brion said. “So, I put them on and then I thought let’s just change it back up again, take them off, just keep messing with him a little bit – he did nothing wrong last year in this race, let’s just do exactly the same thing.”

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