PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga.--Kathy Neilson saddled Irv Naylor's Westerland, ridden by Parker Hendriks, to win the $75,000, 2 3/8 miles Novice Hurdle Stakes on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens.

Westerland, ridden by Parker Hendriks (Photo by Tod Marks)
Westerland won by 2 1/4 lengths over Walk the Warrior, trained by Leslie Young, and Beat Le Bon, trained by Jack Fisher.

"When I got Westerland, he'd been on the track and he had sore feet," said Neilson, who got the 8-year-old gelding four years ago. "He struggled with foot issues. Finally, I began to watch what Larry Smith was doing."

Westerland ran over fences from 2020 through 2023 without a win.

"This winter I decided I have to do something different," said Neilson. "I'd tried every kind of shoes you could think of. So I trained him out of the field with no shoes. He thrived on it. He got really sound."

Westerland broke his maiden at Colonial Downs in August and then was third in the Michael Walsh Novice Stakes in Saratoga and has now won a novice stakes.

"I have very patient owners," said Neilson. "I said I believe in the horse. It just took longer than I'd expected."

 

"PARKER RODE him beautifully," she said. "He can really get a run out of a horse. We knew Beef Le Bon would make the pace. I said just track him, Westy loves running up hills, so I knew he'd do well going to the finish."

"I'm going to try to make hay while the sun shines, so I'm going to run him back at Camden," said Neilson.." There's a race for horses that haven't won an open stake. He's won a novice stake but not an open stake."

Leslie Young had a good day, with three wins, while Jack Fisher won the other two races on the card, and Young and Fisher are now tied for Trainer, Races Won with 27 races each.

Young saddled Potter Group's Uco Valley, ridden by Jamie Bargery, to win the $25.000, 3 1/2 mile Steeplethon by 4 3/4 lengths over Storm Team, trained by Fisher, and Court Ruler, also trained by Young.

She then was first and second in the $20,000 Maiden Steeplethon, with Michel . Smith's Wrestlingwithrae, ridden by Bargery, winning by a neck over De Grey Guy, while Potus, trained by Fisher, was third.

Young saddled Smith's Foxy Walk (Ire), ridden by Bargery, to win the $35,000 Ratings Handicap Hurdle by 2 1/4 lengths over Lydford, trained by Tom Garner, and He'll Do, trained by Hendriks.

Fisher saddled Mrs.S.K. Johnston's Smart Uncle to win the $30,000 Maiden Hurdle by 2 3/4 lengths over Dynamite Dan (Ire), trained by Garner, and China Beach, trained by Kate Dalton.

Fisher also saddle Matthew T. Groff's Pavoni to win the $20,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 10 lengths over Mischief Afoot, trained by Neilson, and Vana Bright, trained by Lillith Boucher.