BUTLER, Md.--Joe Davies saddled Mr. Fine Threads to win the $50,000, 3 1/4 mile Grand National Timber Stakes on Saturday, April 18 after barely avoiding a catastrophic collision that took out three horses.
Mr. Fine Threads after splitting loose horses (Photo by Robert Keller)Mr. Fine Threads, owned by Ben Griswold's Armata Stables and ridden by Teddy Davies, won by 3 lengths over Shootist, trained by Todd McKenna, and Master Seville, trained by Mark Beecher, with Royal Ruse, trained by Sana Meilson, the only other finisher, fourth.
Approaching the 11th fence while Uco Valley (Ire) was leading, Justin Batoff on Storm Team wandered way off to the right outside of a flag.
Despite having already been off course, Batoff dragged his horse sharp left and collided violently with Uco Valley, throwing both riders to the ground.
Riderless, Uco Valley and Storm Team veered sharp right to avoid jumping the fence just as Davies was approaching.
"Teddy said that he had a split second to decide whether to try to pull up or to go between Uco Valley and Storm Team," said Joe Davies.
Teddy chose to try to go through, and he just squeaked through by a hair's length.
BUT CHLOE HANNUM on Huyana had no choice but to pull up and was lucky not to be hit as both horses crossed directly in front of her, thus taking a third horse out of the race.
You can watch the dramatic replay of the race on YouTube.
Amazingly, no horse or rider was hurt.
"It was very exciting," said Griswold. "It was a little bit of home cooking, as the race is run around our property."
"Having participated in point-to-point racing myself when I was younger, that was a very unfortunate situation," said Griswold of the collision. "It was a major error and a danger to everyone, including himself."
Mr. Fine Threads is entered in Saturday's Maryland Hunt Cup.
"Great excitement," said Griswold. "It's a challenge just to get around the course. "He's earned his right to go."
Mr. Fine Threads fell at the third in 2024, fell at the 16th last year and then won the Timber Stake at Willowdale a few weeks later.
The 16-year-old gelding didn't start racing until he was 6 and has five wins, three seconds and two thirds from 17 starts, all over fences.
Kathy Neilson saddled Irv Naylor's Recoup (GB), ridden by Eric Poretz, to win the $20,000 Allowance Timber by 20 lengths over Great Road and Jeremy Pass (Ire), both trained by Davies.
McKenna saddled Molly and Paul Willis and Turks Head Turf's Pavoni, ridden by Davies, to win the $15,000 Maiden Timber by 3 3/4 lengths over Ice Bar, trained by Sarah Cundith, and Ruthenian, trained by Kathy Neilson.
Leslie Young saddled Leipers Fork Steeplechase's For the Parish (Ire), ridden by Barlow, to win the $15,000 Apprentice Rider 3 mile Timber race by 1 1/4 lengths over Include It, trained by Todd Wyatt, and To Be or Not To Be, trained by Davies.
