BUTLER,Md.--The $30,000 Grand National Timber Stakes is often used as a prep for the Maryland Hunt Cup, but the winner, Monbeg Stream, won't be going to the Hunt Cup this year.
Fredd Procter on Monbeg Stream managed to stay on over this fence and went on to win the Grand National Stakes (Photo by Robert Keller)"Monbeg Stream is only 6, so we'll wait until next year for the Hunt Cup with him" said Leslie Young who trains the gelding for Tuscany Racing. "He'll probably go to Willowdale, and then we'll put him away until Genesee. Next year, we'll give him one prep and then run him in the Hunt Cup."
But the most extraordinary story of the day is that of Teddy Davies and his broken collarbone.
Our Friend (Ire) fell with Teddy in the first race, and Teddy, who was scheduled to ride Vintage Vinnie in the Hunt Cup, broke his collarbone.
Teddy won last year on Vintage Vinnie, who is going for a third straight win in the Hunt Cup on April 29.
So, as of Monday morning, Teddy was on his way to NASA.
Yes, that's right -NASA.
Teddy's father Joe Davies, who trains Vintage Vinnie, said the Space X doctors were going to look at the possibility of gluing Teddy's collarbone so he could ride in the Hunt Cup.
Joe said the doctors had glue that they could use on astronauts if need be, and that they'd be looking a different types of glue to see which would work on Teddy.
"He'll have to be able to bench-press 150 pounds tomorrow for us to allow him to ride in the Hunt Cup," said Joe. "We'll know tomorrow if he can ride."
MONBEG STREAM, ridden by Freddy Procter, won by 2 3/4 lengths over Renegade River, trained by Willy Dowling, with Shootist, trained by Todd McKenna, third.
Shootist, along with Withoutmoreado, trained by Kathy Neilson, fourth, and Royal Ruse, trained by Sana Neilson, fifth, are all aimed for the Hunt Cup,
Great Road leads Blackhall over the last fence in the Allowance Timber (Photo by Robert Keller)Eric Poretz took over the ride on Bogey's Image, owned by Harvey Goolsby and trained by Davies, after Teddy was hurt, and he won by 6 lengths over The Butler Yares (Ire), trained by Young, in the $12,000 Maiden Timber.
"Sean McDermott trained Bogey's Image over hurdles, and he called me and said that he would be a nice horse over timber," said Davies. "So we bought him. It's taken us a while with him. He's a big, gangly type of a horse. But now he's won three in a row for us."
Davies saddled both the first and second placed horses, both owned by Kinross Farm, in the $17,000 Allowance Timber, in which all four horses are aimed for the Hunt Cup,
Great Road, ridden by Poretz, won by a neck over Blackhall (Ire), ridden by Teresa Dimpfel, with Rocket Star Red, trained by Mark Beecher and ridden by Brett Owings, and Hill Tie, trained by Billy Meister and ridden by Virginia Korrell a close third and fourth.
"Blackhall jumped around the Hunt Cup course last year," said Davies. "So I think he'll do okay if all goes well."
photo finish photograph of Great Road over Blackhall"Great Road is a young horse, so everything has to go perfectly during the next week for him to run in the Hunt Cup," said Davies. "If not, we'll wait another year for him in the Hunt Cup."
Ricky Hendriks saddled Armata Stables' Chosen Mate, ridden by Korrell, to win the $10,000 Apprentice Rider Timber by 2 lengths over Fletched, trained by Forrest Kelly.
"Ben Griswold is one of the two owners of Armata Stables, and the Grand National is run over his land, so he was thrilled with Chosen Mate's win,"said Brian Korrell, Virginia's father.
With bad weather predicted, the first race at the Grand National was moved up by an hour, but violent thunderstorms erupted over the course following that race, and racing was held up for over 45 minutes.
"The storms just kept coming through, and we were stabled in tents with big metal poles," said Davies.
Not only were the big metal poles sticking up, but of course all the horses had metal shoes, so that was pretty scary.
Luckily, no one was hurt in the storms and the next three races went off without any problems.
