BUTLER, Md.--McLane Hendriks rode Michael A, Smith's Le Chevalier, trained by Julie Gomena, to win the $30,000, 3 1/4 mile Grand National Timber Stakes on April 17, thus fulfilling a boyhood dream.
Le Chevalier, ridden by McLane Hendriks, over the last fence at the Grand National (Photo by Tod Marks) "I love that course," said Hendriks. "It's pretty special to win there for my first time. I rode there in pony races and dreamed of winning the Grand National Growing when I was growing up, and now I've finally won it."
In an interview on April 18, Hendriks said that he hadn't talked to Gomena yet, but that the plan was, if Le Chevalier came out of the Grsnd National okay, that they would go to the Maryland Hunt Cup on April 24.
Le Chevalier is a 12-year-old hard-knocking veteran with a record of over 50 percent of the time having hit the board in 33 starts that include five wins, nine seconds and three thirds.
"He ran great," said Hendriks.. "He was just a dream. He's everything you could ask for in a horse."
"My focus was on getting him in rhythm," said Hendriks. "He carried me, and he was there when I asked him."
LE CHEVALIER ran mid-pack through the race. moved up to send and went into the lead when Grand Manan, who ran his usual race by going to the lead and opening up about 10 lengths at times, fell three fences from home.
"I had Grand Manan in my sights," said Hendriks. "I was making a run at him when he fell."
Le Chevalier won by 6lengths over Charlie Fenwick's Royal Ruse, trained by Sanna Neilson and ridden by her niece Skylar McKenna, with Mrs. S.K. Johnston Jr.'s Hanno, trsined by Jack Fisher and ridden by Hadden Frost, another 12 lengths further back.
Six of the nine starters finished, with Class Indian having fallen early and Mystic Strike, one of he early favorites, being pulled up by Chris Gracie after his stirrup broke at the first fence.
KATHY NEILSON saddled her 200th sanctioned winner when Nancy A. Reed''s homebred Awesome Adrian, ridden by Eddie Keating, won the $15,000, 3 1/4 mile Benjamin H. Murray Allowance race.
"This was a particularly sweet win for me," said Neilson. "Nancy bred Awesome Adrian, and we broke him as a yearling and have had him ever since. Plus, this was my 200th sanctioned win."
Neilson had two entries in the Murray, with her daughter Skylar riding Armata Stable's Joshua G to lead until three fences from home and then finishing last of the six entries.
"I wanted Joshua G to have a nice, quiet rip around the course as he is running in the Maryland Hunt Cup next Saturday," said Neilson. "This will be Skylar's first time in the Hunt Cup. If I was going to ride in the Hunt Cup, I'd pick Joshua G. He's a little long in the tooth, but he's been lightly raced."
The 15-year-old Joshua G had run 27 times hitting the board eight times.
"This was Awesome Adrian's first time around the Grand Nstionsl course, and his first time over big fences," said Neilson. "He can be difficult, but Skylar found a new noseband for him, and he was very respectful of it. Eddie was able to keep him back."
"I held him back," said Keating, who was last until three fences from home. "He jumped beautifully. He was giving me an education around thee. When I came to the third fence from home I just gave him a squeeze."
Awesome Adrian won by 2 3/4 lengths over Lucy A. Goelet's Rocket Star Red, trained by Mark Beecher and ridden by Brett Owings.
KEATING won two of the three races on the card, winning the $10,000, 3 mile Western Run Plate Allowance race for Apprentice riders on Riverdee Stable's Include It, trained by Todd Wyatt.
It was a remarkable win, as Include It had only run over fences in sanctioned races twice before, and both of those times had been over hurdles, so that was his first sanctioned race over timber.
Include It had won a Novice Timber st Elkridge-Harford Point-to-Point on April 3.
"I went to Todd's to school a few horses for him," said Keating. "Include It schooled great. He jumped so good that Todd said he might run him in the Grand National, and would I ride him. Tod had him ready, He did a great job,"
"I sat in the middle of the pack," said Keaing. "This was his first sanctioned race over timber, so I wanted to give him a good education."
Include It jumped in tandem with My Afleet over the last two fences, jumped the last superbly and went on to win by 4 1/4 lengths over Jeffrey S. Amling's My Afleet, trained by Beecher and ridden by Owings.
Keating will now have to decide whether toride at the Queen's Cup, where he has three mounts next weekend, or ride in the ZHunt Cup, where he has a couple of choices to ride.
