KENNETT SQUARE, Pa.--Joe and Teddy Davies teamed up to win the featured $35,000, 3 1/2 mile Buttonwood/Sycamore Farms Willowdale Steeplechase Timber Stakes with Our Friend at Willowdale Steeplechase on Saturday, May 11.
Our Friend on his way to winning at Willowdale (Photo by Robert Keller)
Armata Stables' Our Friend, trained by Joe Davies and ridden by son Teddy, won the Timber Stakes by 11 1/2 lengths in 7:14 over The Butler Yates, trained by Leslie Young.
Earlier this year, Our Friend had won the My Lady's Manor Stakes, but Davies decided against running him in the Maryland Hunt Cup.
"He won the Manor, but because Teddy had gotten along with him so well, and he was going to ride Vinnie in the Hunt Cup, we decided not to run him in the Hunt Cup," said Davies. "Then he ran in the steeplethon at the Virginia Gold Cup, but he was carried off course early in the race, so he got to run at Willowdale. It was a lovely course, and he won."
"He'll go hound exercising this fall," said Davies. "He may be pointed towards the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup, or maybe he'll just fox hunt and someday hope to run in the Maryland Hunt Cup. All my horses are aimed for that."
"HE'S A LOVELY horse," said Davies. "He's the easiest ride, goes on the buckle of the rein. He's a lady's hunter,"
Our Friend, ridden by Teddy Davies, relaxed after the finish (Photo by Robert Keller)
Jack Fisher saddled Riverdee Stable's Jimmy Dan, also ridden by Teddy Davies, to win the $20,000. 2 1/4 mile Rose Tree Cup Rating Handicap Hurdle.
Jimmy Dan led throughout the race and opened up in the stretch to win by 11 lengths in 5:06 4/5 over Prophet's voice, trained by Ricky Hendriks.
Fisher and Young each won two races at the seven race meet that drew large crowds of spectators enjoying the racing, tail-gating, shopping and the variety of entertainments at Willowdale.
Fisher saddled Bruton Street-US' Proven Innocent, ridden by Whitney Schweizer, to win the $15,000 Apprentice Rider Hurdle by 1 1/2 lengths in 5:043/5, the fasted hurdle race of the day, over Decisive Triumph, trained by Mark Beecher.
Hendriks saddled his own Morning Star Farm's I Am Fortunata (Ire), ridden by Virginia Korrell, to win the first section of the $15,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 5 1/2 lengths over Ricky's Revenge, trained by Todd Wyatt.
Young saddled Runnymoore Racing's Codigo to win the second section of the Maiden Claiming by 1 3/4 lengths over Fox in the Park (Ire). also trained by Young.
Young also saddled Leipers Fork Steeeplechasers' Court Ruler(Ire), ridden by Conor Tierney, to win the $15,000 Apprentice Timber by 10 3/4 lengths over Queens Empire, trained by Fisher.
There was a long wait for the results to be made official due to a Steward's Inquiry.
Tierney had steered Court Ruler way wide approaching the final fence, but the Stewards finally decided he had not actually gone off course, and the result stood.
Beecher saddled Happenstance's Hero's Return to win the $15,000 Maiden Timber by 2 lengths over Glencorrib Sky, trained by Kathy Neilson.
