THE PLAINS, Va.--Parker Hendriks rode Sherry Fenwick's Anticipating, trained by Jonathan Sheppard, to win the $30,000, 2 1/8 mile Ratings Handicap, the featured hurdle race at the International Gold Cup, to give Hendriks his first sanctioned race win and Sheppard the first of his two wins on the day.
Jonathon SheppardSheppard is now leading Jack Fisher by two wins, 14 to 12, in Trainer, Races Won, while Fisher still leads, $371,560 to Sheppard's $313,440 in Trainer, Money Won.
Hendriks got the usual reward for winning his first sanctioned race, a bucket of water dumped over his head.
Hendriks benefited from a big difference in the weights, with Anticipating carrying 134 to second placed New Member, trained by Fisher, who carried 158 pounds.
"I told Parker that there wasn't much pace in the race, so I told him to go out in the lead and take advantage of the break in the weights," said assistant trainer Keri Brion, who saddled all Sheppard's horses at the Gold Cup. "Parker gave him a brilliant ride.
"Parker has worked for us for almost two years now," said Brion. "He comes in every day,, even with school. e works very hard, so he deserved that."
Sheppard's second win came with Hudson River Farm's Galway Kid (Ire), ridden by Darren Nagel in the $25,000 Rating Handicap Hurdle.
Brion found Galway Kid in Ireland at Mick Goff's, and he is now one of the most consistent steeplechasing horses, with three wins, a second and a third, all but his first win coming this year..
He broke his maiden at Callaway last fall and won at Middleburg earlier this year.
BRION SAID that all Sheppard's horses that had been expected to do well had excuses.
"French Light came back from the Rating Handicap with a bad cut," said Brion. "Hopefully, he's be fine. Codrington College, who pulled up in the timber stakes, ripped off part of his heel."
Sheppard's stable has only one horse going in a sanctioned race at the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup, but Brion said she expected to have a good number going to Callaway on Nov. 7 and Charleston on Nov. 15.
"Iranistan and Winston C are going in the flat race at the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup so that they get used to running without lasix," said Brion. "They're both going to Ireland, leaving Nov, 24. They'll be stabled at Baltimore Stables, but we'll be training them. I'm going with them."
"We have a license to stay in Ireland until April 5," said Brion.
CURVE OF STONES, owned by Rebecca Shepherd, trained by David Bourke and ridden by Barry Foley, won the $25,000, 3 1/2 mile International Gold Cup Timber Stakes, following up his win in the timber stakes at Midleburg.
Rated early, Curve of Stones moved to the front last in the race and won easily over the very consistent Super Saturday, trained by Kathy Neilson.
Hendriks won his second sanctioned race, riding He'll Do, owned and trained by his mother Sanna Neilson, in the $10,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle.
Todd Wyatt saddled two winners, the first being Riverdee Stable's Douglas Road, ridden by Mikey Mitchell, in the first race, the $20,000 Maiden Hurdle.
Wyatt's second win was with Mrs. S.K. Johnston's Be Counted, ridden by Colin Smith, in the $20,000 Apprentice Rider Claiming Hurdle.
Invocation, owned by Straylight Racing LLC, trained by Mark Beecher and ridden by Sean McDermott, won the $15,000 Steeplethon, following up his win in the Steeplethon at Middleburg earlier in the year.
Rated near the back of the field, Invocation moved to the lead two fences from home and went on to beat Mercoeur, trained by Leslie Young, by about 10 lengths.
Vintage Vinnie, owned by Armata Stable, trained by Joe Davies and ridden by Archie Macauley, won the $5,000 Apprentice Rider Timber in the most unusual race of the afternoon.
Vintage Vinnie went out to a huge lead, well over a fence in front of the rest of the field, almost a quarter of a mile in the lead, and held on to win easily by about 60 lengths.
