UPPERVILLE, Va.--Joe Davies saddled Irvin l. Crawford's To Be or Not to Be, ridden by his son Teddy, to win the Rokeby Challenge Bowl Open Timber at the Piedmont Fox Hounds Point-to-Point on Saturday, March 23.

Joe and Teddy Davies (File photo)
To Be or Not to Be beat two horses nominated for the Maryland Hunt Cup.

The 8-year-old gelding won by 2 lengths over Shootist, trained by Todd McKenna and Hafajay, trained by Richard Valentine.

To Be or Not to Be ran 11 times on the flat at Laurel with one win before Davies got him and converted him to a timber.

To Be or Not to Be has run twice over timber, winning a maiden race at My Ladies Manor and winning at Willowdale, both in 2023, before his win at Piedmont.

While he is not nominated for the Hunt Cup, Davies has five other horses nominated for the big race.

Shootist, who ran last year in the Hunt Cup, pulling up at the 23rd fence, went to the lead at the 16th fence at Piedmont but was soon joined by To Be or Not to Be, who pulled away in the stretch to win.

Leslie Young saddled two winners, Runnymoore Racing's Eternal Story ,who won the Maiden Timber by 2 lengths over Animal Kingdom, trained by Neil Morris, and Greenlight's The Butler Yates (Ire), who won the Amateur and Novice Rider Timber over Our Friend, trained by Davies.

Both Young's winners were ridden by Freddie Procter.

 

KEYS DISCOUNT, owned, trained and ridden by Sam Cockburn, won the Foxhunter Timber by 3 lengths over Be Counted, trained by Todd Wyatt,, and Gaye Breeze, trained by Meriwether Morris and ridden by Virginia Korrell, won the Ladies Timber by1/2 length over City of Grace, trained by Casey Pinkard.

Band Tour, trained by Betty McCue, won the Maiden Flat, Scanno, trained by Liam Bourke, won the Open Flat, and Grunion, trained by Donal Yovanovich, won the Virginia Bred Flat.

Cami Kern on Mallory won the Small Pony race, while Yomar Ortiz, Jr. rode both the Medium Pony winner, Blueberry, and the Large Pony race winner, Janneydancer.