HUNT VALLEY, Md.--Jack Fisher saddled four winners and Virginia Korrell rode two winners and two third place horses, so between them they won five of the six races on the card at the Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Queens Empire, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Virginia Korrell (Photo by Tod Marks)
Korrell rode Riverdee Stable's Queens Empire (Ire) for Fisher to win the featured $25,000, 3 1/8 mile Timber Stakes by 1 length over Bogey's Image, trained by Joe Davies, and Druid's Altar. trained by William Dowling, finishing in 7:09 1/5.

"That was  his first win,"said Fisher of Queens Image, who ran over hurdles in 2021 and 2022 before turning to timber in 2023, and despite never having won also has never run worse than fourth since 2022.

"He'll probably run next at Genesee Valley," said Fisher.

"I rode Queens Image once before, at Willowdale, where he was second in the Allowance race," said Korrell. "He doesn't like to be passed by horses, so I kept him back and just made one run with him. When he starts to pass horses, he gets some confidence."

The going was very deep and holding, it was very humid and after the second race it also got hot, so that affected the performance of a number of horses.

"There were 17 horses that had heat stroke," said Fisher. "All of them are okay now."

 

FISHER also saddled Merriebelle Stable's Beat Le Bon (Fr), ridden by Graham Watters, to win the featured hurdle race, the $35,000, 2 mile Allowance Hurdle by 30 3/4 lengths over Walk the Warrior, trained by Leslie Young, and Blue Nile, trained by Richard Valentine and ridden by Korrell, finishing in 4:01 4/5 after leading all the way.

""Beat Le Bon isn't the best jumper," said Fisher. "I think Far Hills will be too much for him. He'll probably go to Callaway Gardens."

"Blue Nile didn't handle the ground," said Korrell. "He jumped good but he didn't like the going."

Fisher's first win at Shawan Downs was in the second race, the $30,000 Maiden Hurdle in which he also saddled the second placed horse.

Bruton Street-US' Doesn't Sting (GB), ridden by Watters, won by 1/2 length over Minella Juke (Ire), trained by Fisher, and Mischief Afoot, trained by Kathy Neilson, finishing in 3:58 4/5, the fastest race of the day.

That was only Doesn't Sting's second race after pulling up at Iroquois last spring.

"He loved the going," said Fisher. "We'll try the novice at Far Hills for him next."

 Fisher also had the first and second placed horses in the last race of the day, the $15,000 Maiden Timber, winning with Keys Discount, owned by his mother, Mrs. John R.S. Fisher, and ridden by Whitney Schweizer.

Keys Discount won by 12 lengths over Potus, also trained by Fisher, and Don't Shout (Ire), trained by Elizabeth Korrell and ridden by daughter Virginia, finishngin 7:16 2/5.

 "We bought him last year  from Sam Cockburn," said Fisher. "Sam rode him in a number of point-to-points. He got his name because Sam and Gordon Keys went to a sale, and they thought he'd go for $5,000, but they got him for $2,000 so they named him Keys Discount."

 "Don't Shout ran great," sid Korrell. "He got tired with the ground. It was very deep and tiring."

Korrell rode the Ricky Hendriks owned and trained I Am Fortunata to win the $30,000 Ratings Handicap Hurdle by 1/2 length over Soviet Pimpernel (Ire), also trained by Hendriks, and Kicking Myself, trained by Sean McDermott, finishing in 4:02 3/5.

"I won on I Am Fortunata at Willowdale, and also rode him at Radnor," said Korrell. "He's a nice horse, but he's quirky. He prefers a right handed track. Going past the barns, he wanted to go back to the barn. You can't tell him what to do. I'm not as strong as the men who ride him, so I'm not strong enough to push him around, so we get along."

Keri Brion saddled Upland Flats Racing's Blue Creek, ridden by Steve Mulqueen, to win the $20,000 Maiden 3-Year-Old Hurdle by 1 3/4 lengths over Brie's Mission, trained by Fisher, and Not Listening, trained by Kate Dalton, finishngin 4:06 1/5.

Fisher's four wins at Shawn Downs took him to 19 wins, just two behind Leslie Young with 21 wins, while in Trainer, Money Won, Fisher has $786,200 to Young''s $823,500.

There are 11 steeplechase meets left  on the fall circuit, with Fisher having a stable full of top prospects, so he has a good chance of winning yet another Leading Trainer Title.

"I'm trying, said Fisher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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