Racing

Storm Team wins the Shawan Downs Timber Stakes for Jack Fisher

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September 26, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

HUNT VALLEY, Md.--Storm Team won the $40,000, 3 1/8 mile Brown Advisory Timber Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths at Shawan Downs on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Storm Team leads over last fence in the Timber Stakes (Photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Sheila Williams and Northwoods Stable, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Graham Watters, Storm Team inherited the lead after Junior Senator, who had charged out to a 30 lengths lead, fell heavily at the second fence but got up to gallop off.

Storm Team was tracked throughout by race favorite Andi'amu, trained by Leslie Young, who was never able to get to Storm Team.

This was the second time Storm Team has beaten Andi'amu.

"Andi'amu likes soft going, and Storm Team likes hard going," said Fisher, who said the plan had not been to go to the lead.

"We knew the other horse (Junior Senator) would go to the lead, although I thought he'd stay there longer," said Fisher. "Storm Team doesn't need the lead any more. He's matured, and as horses mature they can be rated more easily."

Fisher said Storm Team would go next to Middleburg and then to the Gold Cup.

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Both overwhelming favorites beaten in steeplechase races at Aqueduct

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September 21, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

OZONE PARK, N.Y.--Two steeplechase races were held at Aqueduct Racetrack on Sept. 15, and in both races the overwhelming favorites were beaten and in one the favorite was impeded at the start by an outrider.

The start of the Entenmann Novice Stakes, with the outrider in front of The Mean QueenWhile steeplechasing in the 50s and 60s was a big part of racing at New York tracks and a daily occurrence, as betting on those races declined steeplechase racing was relegated to once a week at Saratoga and one day with two stakes races at Belmont, which was switched to Aqueduct this year while Belmont is renovated.

So the question is, did two overwhelming favorites being defeated do more harm than good to racing at major tracks as the betters lost on the two favorites, particularly with one of the favorites, The Mean Queen, being impeded at the start.

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Shawan Downs kicks off the fall season of steeplechase racing on Sept. 24

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September 20, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

HUNT VALLEY, Md.--The 11 meet steeplechasing fall season that includes 63 races and $1.9 million in purses begins with Shawan Downs on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Ludicrous Mode,trained by Mark Beecher,is cross entered in the Ratings and Allowance Hurdle races (Photo by Coady Photography)The fall season will decide the champions in various divisions as well as the Eclipse Award winner.

Leslie Young, with 24 wins, leads in Trainer, Races Won, with Keri Brion second with 21 wins and Jack Fisher third with 11 wins, while Brion leads in Money Won with $751,750 over Young with $643,650 and Fisher, $582,650.

Parker Hendriks leads in both Races and Money with 17 wins and $506,250, with Tom Garner second with 11 wins and $399,050 and Freddie Proctor is third in Races Won with 10 and Graham Waters is third in Money Won with $392,150.

Bruton Street-US leads in Owner, Money Won with $396,350 and has the two top horses with Snap Decision, $220,500 and Proven Innocent,$125,700.

Irv Naylor is second with $346,050 and Leipers Fork Steplechasing is third with $189,050, while Kate and Bernie Dalton's Shadowfaax Stable's Down Royal is third with $120,000.

Ballybristol Farm's Andi'amu leads in Timber Horse, Money Won with $85,500

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Stunning upsets in two hurdle stakes at Aqueduct

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September 16, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

OZONE PARK, N.Y.--Both jump races at Aqueduct on Sept. 15, the William Entenmann Novice Stakes and the G1 Lonesome Glory Stakes, were very unusual in that each had an odds-on favorite, but then, even more unusual, in both races there were stunning upsets.

Harry Beswick celebrates on Noah And The Ark nearing wire in the Lonesome Glory Stakes (Photo by Tod Marks)Snap Decision and The Mean Queen were both expected to win easily, but both were defeated, both finishing second, with Snap Decision defeated by the weight he carried and The Mean Queen by a combination of being impeded at the start while coming off an 11 month absence due to an injury.

Bruton Street-US' Snap Decision, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Graham Watters, went to the lead in the Lonesome Glory as was more or less expected, and was expected to pull away on the turn and go on for the win as he did in the Jonathan Sheppard.

But instead it was rank outsider Noah and The Ark, trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by Harrison Beswick, was the one who swept to the lead on the turn and pulled away to win by 9 lengths, with Snap Decision holding on for second by 3/4 length over Ask Paddington, trained by Keri Brion and ridden by Danny Mullins.

The Mean Queen, trained by Brion and ridden by Parker Hendrks, was impeded by an outrider at the start, losing 6 or 7 lengths on the field but was quickly up close to the lead, went into the lead on the final turn and drew away to lead by a length, but Proven Innocent, owned by Bruton Street-US, trained by Fisher and ridden by Jamie Bargary, made a huge move on the final turn and just caught The Mean Queen to win by a head, with Howyabud, trained by Brion and ridden by Barry Foley, third, with Going Country fourth, giving Brion second, third and fourth but not the win she'd hoped for.

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ARCA ladies compete abroad in Fegentri races

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September 14, 2022

By Staff Writers

Temple Gwathbey Steeplechase Foundation, press release from ARCA

Jockey Elizabeth Scully, who had a good fall season in 2021 and a very productive spring season, was nominated to represent ARCA in the Ladies World Championship Series.

This series is governed and sponsored by Fegentri, an international racing organization with 26 member countries.

Elizabeth had a late start due to some conflicts and an injury but made her first trip to Zurich, Switzerland, to ride at the Dielsdorf Racecourse on Aug. 21.

She drew a pretty nice ride with a horse named Carya (riders are drawn by lot) and finished fourth traveling 2300 m (about 1 mile 3/8).

The following weekend in Belgium, at the Oostende Racecourse, Elizabeth rode Xarco in a 1600 m (1 mile) race where she again finished fourth.

These races are very competitive and the ladies representing their countries ride like they are possessed by the devil to win.

Two good starts for Elizabeth, a handful of points earned and some real experience and fun.

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Snap Decision goes for fourth G1 victory in Lonesome Glory Handicap

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September 13, 2022

By Staff Writers

OZONE PARK, N.Y.--Bruton Street-US’s Snap Decision, having won three G1 steeplechase races, will be trying to score his fourth top-level win for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher in Thursday’s G1, $150,000, 2 1/2 mile Lonesome Glory Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Snap Decision leads early in the Jonathan Sheppard (Photo by Tod Marks)An 8-year-old gelded son of Hard Spun, Snap Decision finished second in this race last year to The Mean Queen, who is entered in the $75,000 William Entenmann Novice in Race 1.

Snap Decision most recently dominated the G1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap on Aug. 17 at Saratoga Race Course where, despite carrying 164 pounds, he won by an impressive 13 1/4 lengths over Going Country in the 2 3/8-mile race.

“I was very proud,” Fisher said. “He’s doing better than ever and I think he’s a much better horse than he was last year.”

Snap Decision will be making his fifth start of a season that began by finishing second to Iranistan in the G2 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle in April at Middleburg in his first race off a six-month respite.

He followed that with a repeat victory in the G1 Iroquois in May at Percy Warner, defeating Pistol Whipped by 7 1/4 lengths.

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Houghton has two allowance winners in one night while Ricky Hendriks had a winner bred by The Queen

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September 12, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

GRANTVILLE, Pa.--Bernie Houghton had two allowance winners in one night, including one bred and owned by his mother Betsy, while Ricky Hendriks had a very appropriate winner the next day, a horse bred by Queen Elizabeth, validating even a day after her death once again her love of horses and racing.

Bourbon Music winning an Allowance race at Penn National (Photo by EquiPhoto)"It was about time, ti's been a little slow lately," said Houghton, who started the year with multiple wins over many weeks but had slowed down over the past couple of months.

Bourbon Music, bred by Betsy Houghton and owned by her Sylmar Farm, won a $31,600, 6 furlong Allowance race at Penn National on Sept. 9.

Bourbon Music stalked the early pace, swung three wide into the stretch and went on to win by 3 1/2 lengths.

"Mom bred him,and we broke him," said Houghton, who raced the gelding by Weigelia as a 2-year-old and then turned him out at the farm over the winter.

"He came back off the farm after the winter bigger and stronger," said Houghton. "I'm very happy with the way he's coming along. He's still young, he's only 3,and he's won a lot this summer. Maybe we'll give him one more race and then put him away for the winter."

Bourbon Music raced three times as a 2-year-old, winning a maiden claiming race in September of 2021.

This year, he's run eight times, winning three allowance races and a starter race as well as finishing third in an allowance race and twice finishing fourth in stakes races.

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Keri Brion has a first-time 2-year-old winner and Motion, Houghton, Matz and Kingsley have winners

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September 9, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Keri Brion saddled a 2-year-old to win in his very first race at Colonial Downs, while Graham Motion had an allowance winner at Saratoga and a stakes winner at  Kentucky Downs.

Bernie Houghton, Michael Matz and Arch Kingsley also had winners, and a Pa-bred filly won impressively at Del Mar.

Dandy Handyman (Photo by Coady Photography)Maram LLC's Dandy Handyman won a $60,000, 1 mile Maiden Special Weight turf race for 2 year olds by a head at Colonial Downs on Sept.7.

"He's a nice little horse,"said Brion. "I've had him since January, and this was his first race.He does everything right in the morning. He should improve off this race. We'll probably take him to Keeneland next."

This was Brion's second flat winner this year, and she's also has a couple of very close seconds at Saratoga.

 Brion was leading steeplechase trainer last year in her first year of training after serving as Jonathan Sheppard's assistant trainer, and this year she is currently leading in Trainer Money Won and stands second in  Races Won, but she is working to expand her stable to include winning flat horses, following in the footsteps of Sheppard who had Eclipse winners both on the flat and over fences. 

"This is what I've always wanted to do, to have flat horses as well as jumpers,"said Brion. "I'm hoping winning races like this will show owners that I'm successful training flat horses, too."

"Karen Woods, who races as Maram, actually had jumpers with Jonathan," said Brion."I've kept in touch with her, and she sent me three 2 year olds in January. I probably have six or seven nice two year olds now."

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Awakened wins another thriller for Jack Fisher

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September 6, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Jack Fisher has gone in for breathtaking finishes of late, first with Proven Innocent at Saratoga last week and now with Awakened at Colonial Downs on Sept.5.

Awakened just nipped Robert's Luxury at the wire (Photo by Coady Photography)Riverdee Stable and Ten Strike Racing's Awakened, ridden by Jamie Bargary and trained by Fisher,  got up in the last stride to win the $50,000, 2 mile Starter Allowance flat race for horses that had started over fences at the meet but had not won.

"When he crossed the wire, I threw my hat across the room and uttered a four-letter word,"said Sean Clancy, owner of Rverdee Stable, who was watching on the live stream with his wife at home. "I thought he'd lost. When we watched the finish again, I thought maybe he had won. It was a pleasant surprise when they announced the results."

Real Factor, trained by Arch Kingsley, went out to a huge lead, in front by 1/16 of a mile at one point, but the field of 12 began to reel him in on the final turn, and Awakened slipped through on the inside turning into the stretch and then swung wide to just nip Robert's Luxury, trained and ridden by Sean McDermott, at the very last stride to win by a nose.

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Keri Brion's Theocrat and Freddy Flintshire place first and second in Saratoga

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September 1, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Keri Brion saddled Theocrat and Freddy Flintshire to decimate the opposition, running first and second by a big margin in the $75,000 Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes at Saratoga on Sept.1.

Theocrat, inside and number 4, outduels Freddy Flintshire to the wire in the Novice Stakes  (Photo by Tod Marks)Upland Flats Racing's Freddy Flintshire went off as the big favorite at 2 to 1, with Atlantic Friends Racing's Theocrat basically overlooked at 7 to1, but Bernie Dalton on Theocrat made a bold move on the turn into the stretch to get a jump on Parker Hendriks on Freddy Flintshire, and although  Freddy Flintshire was gaining on Theocrat in the stretch run, he couldn't quite make up the ground.

Those two were 6 /14 lengths in front of third placed Scorpian's Revenge, trained by Cyril Murphy, with Decisive Triumph, trained by Mark Beecher, who had led through most of the race, another 7 lengths back in fourth in the seven horse, 2 3/8 mile race.

"That's a nice way to end the summer," said Brion. "Theocrat has only run once in this country, and this was a jump-up in class for him. I thought he'd run well, but I didn't think he'd win it. Freddy was gaining on him, but Theocrat just had too much of a jump on him. They both ran winning races."

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Proven Innocent wins a hurdle allowance at Saratoga in a thrilling finish

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August 31, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Jack Fisher saddled Bruton Street-US' Proven Innocent to win the $70,000, 2 3/8 mile Allowance Hurdle in a breath-taking finish at Saratoga on Aug. 31.

Proven innocent, number 7, nails Bandua at the wire (Photo by Tod Marks)Proven Innocent, ridden by Jamie Bargary, beat Bandua, trained by Neil Morris, by 1/2 length after a thrilling stretch run, with Who's Counting trained and ridden by Sean McDermott, third and Baltimore Kid, trained by Keri Brion, fourth.

Bandua, ridden by Gerard Galligan, made a huge move on the final turn to open a big lead in the stretch, with Proven Innocent chasing, but even three-quarters of the way down the stretch it didn't look possible for Proven Innocent to catch the leader.

"I didn't think he'd make it," said Fisher.

Proven Innocent, by Blame out of an A.P. Indy mare, was bred by Stuart Janney and raced by for him by Shug McGaughey, winning a $90,000 Maiden Special Weight at Belmont in September, 2021.

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Bargary again rides two winners, one for Fisher and one for Beecher

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August 29, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Bickley, trained by Jack Fisher, owned by Mrs. S.K. Johnston and ridden by Jamie Bargary, won the $40,000, 2 1/4 mile Maiden Special Weight hurdle race at Colonial Downs on Aug. 29.

Bickley winning at Colonial (Photo by Coady Photography)Racing mid-pack in the eight horse field through much of the race, Bickley made a big move after the last fence and went on to win by 5 1/4 lengths in 4:00.79.

Bickley raced on the flat in 1920 for Mrs. Johnston before being switched to hurdles and trained by Fenneka Bentley, who raced him through 2020 and 2021 until he fell in July 2021.

"He fell at Colonial Downs," said Fisher. "Fenneka called me and said she really loved that horse. He almost died when he fell."

Fisher said that Fenneka felt she couldn't handle  training jumpers any more, and she suggested that I take him.

Bickley has since raced twice for Fisher, finishing second at Tryon in April and at Iroquois in May, both in maiden special weight hurdle races.

The plan ad not been to go to Colonial," said Fisher." But I needed something to train before Snap (Decision), and he went so well we decided to sent him to Colonial."

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Graham Motion and Bernie Houghton have Stakes winners

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August 24, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

DEL MAR, Calif.--Graham Motion won two stakes at Del Mar, one a decisive victory by Spendarella, while the Houghtons had an all-family stakes victory at Penn National.

File photo of Spendarella (Photo by Coady Photography)Gainesway Stables' homebred Spendarella won the G1, $300,000, 11/8 mile Del Mar Oaks turf Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths, cruising to a decisive but fairly easy victory on Aug. 20.

Spendarella was coming off a very good second at Ascot in the Group 1 Coronation Cup, just beaten by the top filly Inspiral.

"I may run her back in the Q E 2 at Keeneland," said Motion. "Otherwise, we'll wait and run her again next year."

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partner's Sister O'Toole won the $100,000, 1 3/8 miles OTT and TOC turf Stakes for fillies and mares by 1/2 lengths at Del Mar on Aug. 19.

Sister O'Toole dug in to hold off Scarabea for the win.

A multiple graded stakes placed stakes 5-year-old mare, Sister O'Toole most recently placed second in the G2 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park on July 9.

"She'll run back in the Bewitch at Keeneland," said Motion.

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Leslie Young wins two at Colonial, including the Stakes with Our Bab

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August 23, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Leslie Young saddled the winners of both the Ratings Handicap and the Filly and Mare Stakes at Colonial Downs on Monday, Aug.22, increasing her lead in Trainers, Races Won.

Our Bab (Photo by Coady Photography)Young now has 24 wins to Keri Bron's 20, while Brion still leads in Money Won.

Leipers Fork Steeplechase's Our Bab (Ire), ridden by Tom Garner, won the $100,000, 2 1/4 mile Randolph D.Rouse Stakes by 3 lengths over Canyoudothetwist, trained by Arch Kingsley, and Magical Charm, trained by Brion,was third.

"I was in England for Cheltenham," said Young. "Matty Flynn O'Connor makes and trains point-to-point horses, and Hamish McCauley,an agent I work with, had been after me for months to buy this horse O'Connor had."

Young said she persuaded Lepers Fork to buy the 4-year-old filly.

"She ran sixth at Colonial  in her first race over here," said Young. "She was a bit green. Today was perfect.There was plenty of pace."

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Graham Motion has 7 race win streak, while Eons, Fille d"Esprit/Kaylasaurus, Beren & Mr. Speaker lead their MATCH divisions

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August 20, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

NEW KENT, Va.--Graham Motion capped off a seven race winning streak with a victory in a MATCH race at Colonial Downs on Aug.16.

King Vega HPG Thoroughbreds' King Vega won the $150,000, 1 1/2 mile Buckland Stakes on the turf by 1 1/2 lengths.

This was one of four MATCH races at Colonial.

The Buckland had an international flavor as King Vega was making his fifth U.S. start after beginning his career in Great Britain.

Trained by Motion and ridden by Angel Suarez, King Vega, who normally comes from off the pace, found himself on the lead soon after the start and coasted home by 1 1/2 lengths over Militarist, with English Tavern another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.

“It was not the plan at all to be on the lead at all,” said Suarez, who is based at Delaware Park but often rides at other Mid-Atlantic racetracks. “I’d like to thank the owners and Graham Motion for letting me ride. The idea was to be fairly close and then catch up, but Plan B worked out pretty good.”

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