WINTERTHUR, Del.--Trainers had hoped for rain to soften the rock hard ground prior to the Winterthur Races on May 30, and their wishes were answered in spades.
Heavy rain for two and a half days prior to the races had left the course deep and slippery, causing a horse to slip and fall on a turn in the first race that wiped out half the field.
Mrs. George L. Ohrstrom Jr.'s Hafajay (GB), trained by Richard Valentine and ridden by Barry Foley, won the $15,000, 3 1/4 mile Maiden Timber race by 8 1/4 lengths after leading throughout the race.
Irv Naylor's On My Wish List (Ire), trained by Cyril Murphy and ridden by Jamie Bargery, was second.
"Hafajay is a lovely horse and a very good jumper," said Valentine. "I bought him at a Goff sale in Doncaster. He needs to be kept up to pace, so we added blinkers. He's won and placed quite a few times at point-to-points."
"He'll probably go to Nashville for the allowance timber," said Valentine. "Then we'll put him away for the summer and look at the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup this fall. We bought him to be a Maryland Hunt Cup horse, so we're excited about him."
IN THE FIRST race, one horse slipped and fell on a turn at the top of the track, and two horses fell over him while a fourth slipped and fell behind them, resulting in wiping out half the field.
Falling were Stooshie, First Friday, You're No Better and Master Seville.
"They moved the beacons out after the fall," said Valentine, and that made the turn not quite so sharp, plus the riders were more careful to steady their horses on that turn in later races.
Rakhaa (GB), second when the first horse fell, went on to lead for the rest of the race.
Owned by Ballybristol Farm LLC, trained by Leslie Young and ridden by Tom Garner, Rakhaa went on to win the $15,000 Maiden Timber race by 20 1/2 lengths.
"It was nice that he got it done at Winterthur," said Young. "I bought him at Doncaster for 14,000 Sterling. He's beautifully bred. He was bred by Shadwell, and he's by New Approach."
"He was second in a point-to-point in 2018, and then he ran over hurdles against horses like Snap Decision," said Young. "Then we converted him to timber. I was super happy with him."
"He can jump a big fence." said Young. "If I can keep him sound, he's my Maryland Hunt Cup horse."
Young also had two in the flat race that finished third and fourth, Court Ruler ridden by Virginia Korrell and Booby Trap, ridden by Teddy Davies.
I told their riders that those two were just going for the work, so to hold them together and keep them on the bit on the turns," said Young.
EHB's Racing's Huyana, trained by Casey Pinkard Savin and ridden by Dan Nevin, won the $10,000 Apprentice Rider Timber by 42 1/2 lengths after leading the whole way.
The announcer said Nevin must think he was back in the Maryland Hunt Cup as he led by over 50 lengths through the race.
Nevin rode Vintage Vinnie to win the Maryland Hunt Cup by 112 lengths after leading by over a field's length throughout.
Keri Brion saddled Buttonwood Farm's Baltimore Bucko (GB) and Nice to Meet Ya (Ire) to finish one, two in the Apprentice Rider Training Flat race.
Baltimore Bucko won by 2 1/2 lengths.
"They were both prepping for Nashville," said Brion. "The 4-year-old, Nice to Meet Ya, will go in the Maiden, and Bucko will go in the Novice."
"This was the first race ever for the 4-year-old," said Brion. "We really like him."