HOLLYWOOD, S.C.--Lightning Strike, trained by Keri Brion, won the $35,000 Sport of Kings Three-Year-Old Hurdle Stakes by an impressve 21 lengths at the Steeplechase of Charlestonon Sunday, Nov. 12.
Gerard Galligan on Outperform winning the Ratings HandicapOwned by KMSN Stable and ridden by Graham Watters, Lightning Ridge went right to the lead, opening up immediately by 8 or 9 lengths and just widening the lead throughout the 2 1/16 mile race to finish under wraps while leading second placed Clifton Down (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, by 21 lengths.
"Graham said he never even tried," said Brion. "He just galloped all the way."
Despite being eased at the end, Lighting Ridge finished in 3:50 4/5, the fast time of the three 2 1/16 mile races.
"He's a homebred of Kevin and Diana Galraith's," said Brion. "The Galbraiths were with Jonathan Sheppard, and when he retired they came to me."
"We ran Lighting Ridge on the flat at a 2-year-old," she said. "He won a maiden race at Penn National, but he didn't like running on dirt. He comes from a steeplechasing family. He''s a half brother to High Sierra and Inverness, a handicap winner over fences. Parker Hendriks did all his schooling over fences."
LIGHTNING STRIKE won a Maiden Special Weight at Shawan Downs in his first time over fences, then didn't finish at Far Hills before winning at Charleston.
Taylor Kingsley on Fingal winning the flat race"He hated the ground at Far Hills, so Parker took care of him that day and just pulled him up," said Brion.
Hendriks then hurt his shoulder in a fall at Monpelier and has taken time off since, so Watters had the ride at Charleston.
"Lightning Ride will get a break now," said Brion. "He's tall horse, and he's still a baby in his head. "We'll stick to jumping with him and run him again in the spring."
Richard Valentine saddled Kinross Farm's Outperform, ridden by Gerard Galligan, to win the $30,000, 2 1/16 mile Maiden Hurdle by 1/2 lengths over In Effect, trained by Neil Morris, finishing in 4:10 2/5.
Ricky Hendriks saddled Winflower's Prophet's Voice, ridden by Harry Beswick, to win the $15,000, 2 1/16 mile Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 6 lengths over Secret Soulmate, trained by Leslie Young, finishing in 4:00 4/5
Morris saddled William M. Russell's Seismic Wave, ridden by Watters, to win the $20,000, 2 3/8 mile Ratings Handicap by a neck over Oscar Winner, trained by Young, finishing in 4:28.
Taylor Kingsley continued her skein of flat wins, riding Fingal, owned by Huricana Farm and trained by her father Arch.
Fingal won the 1 1/2 mile Training Flat by 1 3/4 lengths over Lord Donegal, trained by Morris.
In her first year of riding, Taylor has won 10 flat races from 25 starts.
