Between February 22 and March 8, three South Carolina training center graduates won Stakes races. On February 22, Barbadian Runner won his second Stakes race in a row capturing the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park. On January 25, he won the Spectacular Bid Stakes also at Laurel. In the Miracle Wood, Barbadian Runner rated behind the leaders before angling out four wide entering the stretch. In a hard-fought stretch long duel, he won by a nose. Barbadian Runner was prepared for his racing career by Bobby and Jason McCutchen at their training center in Kingstree, SC.

On March 1, the 3-year-old filly, Drexel Hill, proved best in the Busher Stakes, a Kentucky Oaks prep race run at Aqueduct. After stumbling before bumping with a foe, Drexel Hill had only one beat for the opening ½ mile. She made her move midway through the turn headed for home and in a very game effort, got up to win by ¾’s of a length. Prepared for her racing career at the Travis Durr Training Center, Drexel Hill has 2 wins. 2 seconds and a third in 7 career starts.

Another Travis Durr graduate, Circle P, was best in the Not For Love Stakes at Laurel Park on March 8. In another very close finish, Circle P found a clear path in the stretch and in the shadow of the wire, got up to put his nose first on the wire. As a 2-year-old in 2023, Circle P won the Maryland Juvenile Stakes, also at Laurel Park.

While not a Stakes victory, Book’em Danno recorded a notable win at Colonial Downs on March 14. In a Handicap race, Book’em Danno was a convincing 2 ½ length winner. He is a graduate of Randy and Kala Rentz’s training center in Erhardt, SC. In 12 career starts, Book’em Danno has 7 wins, including 5 Stakes victories and $1,098,125 in earnings.

Aiken Trials Weekend Fun Filled

On Saturday, March 15, the 82nd Running of the Aiken Trials was held at the Aiken Training Track. On the day before, the Breakfast at the Gallops took place. The guest speaker was Hall of Fame jockey Ramon Dominguez. Both events were well attended.



Trials day consisted of a mixture of pony races, a polo pony race, a ladies’ side saddle race, and two Thoroughbred trials.

The first Thoroughbred trial was for 2-year-olds covering a ¼ mile. In a close battle down the lane, an unnamed son of Connect, owned by brothers Travis and Cody Durr, was the winner. Travis is preparing the colt for his racing career at the Travis Durr Training Center in St. Matthews, SC. Well-known trainer Joe Sharp rode the colt.

Tiz the Prince, a 4-year-old son of Cairo Prince, captured the trial for older horses. Owned by Youngs Racing Stable and saddled by Bill Allyn, Tiz the Prince was ridden by Lizzie Quinn. Last year, Tiz the Prince won his race at the Aiken Trials before going to New York and recording two second-place finishes. The co-owner, Ed Young, and his partners decided to retire the horse and find a home for him in Aiken. In his swan song race, they wanted to run in the Aiken Trials. This was truly a fairy tale ending to his racing career.

A ceremony was held at the Aiken Racing Hall of Fame and Museum the following day. Ellen Charles’ Post Time was honored as the 2024 Aiken-trained Horse of the Year. On behalf of Charles, Cary Frommer purchased Post Time at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale and brought him to Aiken. In 2024, Post Time ran 9 times, winning four races and $975,000. He is trained by Brittany Russell and regularly ridden by her husband, Sheldon. Post Time was named 2024 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, Champion Older Male, and Champion Sprinter.

Elloree Trials Big Success

The 60th running of the Elloree Trials took place Saturday March 22 in front of a record crowd at Franklin G. Smith’s Elloree Training Center. Six Thoroughbred trials were held.

The first, a half-mile Maiden race for three-year-olds, was won by Mi Marquesa who is a Kentucky-bred colt by Caracaro trained by Gregory Viands for owner Ira Ashwal. Rider J L Adams was aboard for the win. The second race, a half-mile Maiden race for three-year-olds and up, was won by Pop’s Gold, a South Carolina-bred by Done Talking. Owned by Bari and Emma Cuttino, trained by Lyn Cuttino, and ridden by Rakheem Pauling. This was one of two victories on the day for rider Rakheem Pauling.

The next race, an open half-mile event for older fillies and mares, was won by Shuler Stables’ The Last Say. Trained by John R, Shuler, and ridden by Lamont Smalls, this was one of two wins on the day for these connections. The fourth Thoroughbred trial of the day, a half-mile race for three-year-old maidens, was won by trainer Jason McCutchen with the three-year-old Kentucky-bred filly Slanderous (by Classic Empire) who’d placed last year at Colonial Downs. Owned by Walker and Mason McCutchen, Slanderous was ridden by Demetrius Chandler.

The second to last race of the day, an open half-mile event for older colts and geldings, was won by Shuler Stables’ West Virginia-bred gelding Mac Daddy (by Limehouse) who signaled a return to the form he showed as a three-year-old when he won three out of his first four starts at Mountaineer Park. Mac Daddy was trained by John R. Shuler with rider Lamont Smalls aboard for the win.

The featured race was The Elloree Cup, an open race for three-year-olds going a half-mile. The Ontario bred filly Citori was a convincing winner of The Elloree Cup in a time of 49.43 for trainer Travis Durr with rider Rakheem Pauling in the irons. Owned by Legion Bloodstock, who purchased her from the Keeneland September yearling sale, Citori is by The Factor out of the stakes winning City Zip mare Ruslana.

Aiken Spring Steeplechase Attracts Horses and People

The 58th Running of the Aiken Spring Steeplechase was run at the Aiken Steeplechase Racecourse on March 22. Under clear skies, while breezy, the event attracted a crowd of 34,000. Six races were held, one flat and five over hurdles.

The first race, covering 1 ¼ miles, was won by Hunt Lane Racing’s Quiet Cat. He was saddled by Ricky Hendriks and ridden by Gerard Galligan. The margin of victory was 1 ¾ lengths.

The second race for Maidens was run 2 1/8 miles over National Fences, as were all of the following races, was won by Richard Colton’s Bee Well, trained by SCTOBA member Arch Kingsley and ridden by Freddie Proctor. Bee Well reached the finish line 2 ¼ lengths in front. Lowcountry, owned by Why Not Racing LLC and trained by Lilith Boucher, proved best in the next race, a Ratings Handicap. He was ridden by the trainer’s daughter, Mell Boucher to a ¾ length victory.



The fourth race, a Filly and Mare Maiden Hurdle, went to Leipers Fork Steeplechase LLC’s Porte Jaune. Keri Brion gave Stephen Mulqueen a leg up. Porte Jaune crossed the finish line 2 3/4 lengths in front.

The next to last race, a Maiden Special Weight, produced the closest finish of the day. In a hard-fought stretch duel, Green Valley Construction LLC and John Moylan’s Biggerthanbigtime reached the finish line just a nose in front. Trained by Barry Foley, he was ridden by James O’Sullivan.

The feature race of the day, The Imperial Cup, went to Upland Flat Racing LLC’s Blue Creek. The team of Keri Brion and Stephen Mulqueen recorded their second win of the day. Blue Creek crossed the finish line a ½ length in front.

Steeplechase racing will return to Aiken on November 22.

SCTOBA Members Finish First and Second in Carolina Cup

For the second year in a row the team of SCTOBA members Kate and Bernie Dalton

won the $75,000 The Carolina Cup at the Springdale Racecourse in Camden on March

29. Having won last year with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Abaan, Kate gave her

husband, Bernie, a leg up on China Beach, making his first Stakes start. China Beach, owned by St. Rita Racing, took the lead over from Little Trilby after the last fence and went on to a 5 ½ length victory. Little Trilby is campaigned by Del Rio Racing, managed by SCTOBA member Virginia Lazenby.

The SCTOBA member team of Arch Kingsley and Mark Buyck, Jr. won a Maiden Hurdle

event with Memento by eight lengths. Buyck was the owner of Show Court, winner of The Carolina Cup in 2017. Kingsley also was the trainer of Show Court. Memento was

ridden to victory by Gerard Galligan.

The first race of the day, a Maiden Claiming Hurdle race, was captured by

Happenstance Stable’s Awesome Strike in his first start over jumps. Dan Nevin rode for trainer Mark Beecher. Awesome Strike made the lead in the stretch and crossed the finish line 6 lengths in front.

Upland Flats Racing LLC’s Moonshine Time proved best in the third race, another

Maiden Hurdle race. He went wire-to-wire under jockey Stephen Mulqueen after being

saddled by Keri Brion. Moonshine Time won by 5 ¾ lengths.

Noble Anthem, making his first start in the USA after campaigning in Europe, came from off the pace to win a Ratings Handicap. Head and head with another at the last fence, Ballybristol Farms LLC’s Noble Anthem, trained by Thomas Garner and ridden by Evan Dwan, took control and charged to a 2 ½ length victory. South Carolina-bred jockey Taylor Kingsley, daughter of Arch and Wendy, made her debut over jumps in this race.

The final race of the day, a flat race covering 1 ½ miles, was won by a nose in an

exciting finish by Kevin Conto’s Pickford. He is trained by Lillith Boucher and was

ridden by her husband, Richard.

The final meet of the 2025 National Steeplechase Association season, the Colonial Cup meet, will be held in Camden on November 23.

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