THE PLAINS, Va.--Keri Brion had two winners, including the G1 Stakes winner, at the Gold Cup to extend her long winning streak in both flat and steeplechase horses.
Kathy Neilson also had two winners at the Gold Cup, one of them in the Steeplethon.
Brion saddled Paul and Molly Willis' Carloun, ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, to win the inaugural running of the G1, $150,000, 2 1/8 mile William A. Allison Stakes at the International Gold Cup on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Brion now has seven grade one steeplechase winners.
Carloun led all the way and won by 3 1/2 lengths over Welshman, trained by Jack Fisher, and Too Friendly (GB). trained by Leslie Young, finishing in 4:03 3/5.
"We bought him as a 3-year-old," said Brion of the 5-year-old Carloun. "He's tiny, barely 15 hands. He's very athletic. We ran him on the flat, but the races were never far enough for him. He'd be running at the end but would run out of room."
"HE HAD A fall at Far Hills two years ago and had a small fracture in his neck, so he was out for 10 or 11 months," said Brion. "He's just maturing. He was a mediocre flat horse and a maiden claiming steeplechase horse last year. Stephen has him figured out."
Brion said she'd put him away for the winter and bring him back out next year.
"I think he'd be a fun horse for Saratoga," she said.
"He's small, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in heart," said Mulqueen. "He's tough. He settles nicely in front. I held him back as much as I could until I could see the winning post."
"Right from the get-go he's been my little Seabiscuit," said Willis. "This was my first grade one on my own. I had one before but with a partner."
Brion also saddled Serio Racing Stables, USA Steeplechase, R and K Racing and Paul and Molly Willis' St. James the Great, ridden by Mulqueen, to win the $40,000, 2 1/8 mile Maiden Hurdle by a nose over Risk Taking, trained by Julie Gomena, and Cartographer, trained by Neil Morris, finishing in 4:16 4/5.
St. James the Great was the only 3-year-old in the race.
"He's a really nice horse," said Brion "I love him. We bought him at Timonium as a 2-year-old."
"Keri said to drop him out at the start and give him an educational race," said Mulqueen. "If he's going well, see what happens. At the end, he rushed into a gap that wasn't there, and I thought he was beaten, but he came with a rush at he end."
"That was an impressive showing," said Brion. "He's the best 3-year-old in the barn."
"The flat horses have been running great," said Brion, who has won nine flat races in the last month. "I have a full card going to Montpelier and Jimmy P for the G1 at Colonial."
"I don't know how trainers are getting horses ready with this drought," said Brion. "The ground is so hard. I don't know what we'd do if we didn't have the track at Fair Hill."
NEILSON saddled Armata Stables' Fashion Line, ridden by Gerard Galligan, to win the $20,000, 2 5/8 mile Steeplethon by 4 3/4 lengths over Wicked West (Ire), trained by Todd Wyatt, and Animal Kingston, trained by Neil Morris.
That was Galligan's third win of the day.
"I've had Fashion Line for about four years," said Neilson. "He loves the steeplethon. He's a big galloping horse. Gerard loves riding him in steeplethons."
"His owners, Ben Griswold and Harry Bolton, love Maryland Hunt Cup horses," said Neilson. "That's their focus. But Fashion Line doesn't like straight up-and-down fences. So they're happy to have a horse for steeplethons. He'll come back next year for Middleburg and the Gold Cup."
Neilson also saddled L'Avvocato (Fr), owned by KSN Racing and ridden by Evan Dwan, to win the $30,000, 2 1/2 mile Maiden Claiming Hurdle by a neck over King of the Kids, trained by Cyril Murphy, and Love Foreverafter, trained by Morris.
"Amy Jackson gave him to me," said Neilson. "She had him for some high powered connections. He was bought for $206,000 as a yearling. I think when they imported him they expected him to be a high powered turf horse. "
L'Avvocato never ran on the flat in this country.
"I was lucky enough to get him," said Neilson, "Those two horses are little comedians. They're both barn favorites."
TODD McKENNA saddled Mystic Strike, owned by Upland Partners and ridden by Galligan, to win the $75,000, 3 1/2 mile Timber Stakes by 8 1/4 lengths over Druid's Altar, trained by William Dowling.
First the race was scratched down to three and then became a two horse race when Anticipating went off course.
When Anticipating went off course, the remaining two slowed almost to a trot as neither wanted the lead.
McLenna said Mystic Strike, 15, would be retired following that race.
"He loves to win," said Galligan. "He's a one in a million horse, he doesn't realize he's 15."
"I've had him 10 years," said McKenna. "I was going tor run his half-brother here and run him in the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup. Luckily, I decided to send him here."
SEAN McDERMOTT trained and rode Metahorse Racing''s Praghas Ceart (Ire) to win the $50,000 Allowance Hurdle by 3 lengths over Blue Creek, trained by Brion, and I Can Only Imagine, trained by Mark Beecher, finishing in 4:17.
Praghas Ceart means Price is Right in Irish and is pronounced price cart, and he also won two weeks ago in Middleburg.
He's a nice horse,"said McDermott, who led throughout the race. "This was quite slow race. This horse doesn't do well in heat, but he'll be back next spring."
JACK FISHER saddled Bruton Street-US' Quick Master, ridden by Graham Watters, to win the $35,000, 2 1/2 mile Ratings Handicap Hurdle by 5 1/4 lengths over Icandothat, trained by McDermott, and Decisive Triumph, trained by Beecher.
"He won powerfully," said Watters. "He has a quick turn of foot."
GOMENA saddled Over Creek Stables' Little G T, ridden by Galligan, to win the $30,000 Optional Maiden Starter/Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 9 1/4 lengths over Can't Catch Camacho, trained by Leslie Young, and Laker Mamba, trained by Morris.
Galligan shot Little GT right to the front and led by huge amounts throughout the race.
"This was his eighth run this year, and I said this time we'll go all out," said Galligan. "He's lovely ride."