Racecourses in ‘great shape’ for the weekend, say managers

By Betsy Burke Parker

Just in time for the National Steeplechase Association fall season double-header kickoff, the rains came to the mid-Atlantic region. 

With thanks to Tropical Storm Ophelia marching up the east coast after making landfall around New Bern, North Carolina on Saturday morning, the collective prayers of hay farmers, gardeners and horse trainers were answered all at once when upwards of two inches of rain pummeled the region. 

Add race directors and course managers to the list. 

“Shawan Downs got 2 ½ inches of rain over the weekend,” said track superintendent Charlie Fenwick of the Cockeysville, Maryland course hosting its 23rd annual Legacy Chase. “That’s in addition to the two inches of water we have put on the course through irrigation over the last three weeks.”  

The Foxfield course in Charlottesville got more of the same – 2.6 inches of weekend rain from Ophelia plus great turf growing conditions through the spring and early summer. Course inspector and race co-chair Dr. Reynolds Cowles said that the course “has been in an area of moderate drought” since the end of July, “but irrigation during September yielded a good (re)growth of turf. Thick turf-type fescue and bluegrass (are) smooth and uniform. 

“The grass height is 7 inches, the turf is consistent and very green after the rain.”

National Steeplechase Association president Al Griffin, who lives in Marshall, Virginia, halfway between Shawan and Foxfield, said his own pastures and garden beds had suffered with weeks without rain in August. “The ground has been hard as a rock,” he said, “but we got 3 inches in Marshall” from Ophelia, which perked everything back up. 

New this year, Griffin said, on NSA reports will be real-time updates from course directors giving late-week conditions on Thursdays before the weekend race meets. (See Thursday's Official Notices for course updates)

Entries for The Legacy Chase on Saturday and The Foxfield Races on Sunday can be found at NationalSteeplechase.com. A live stream of the races can be watched both on the NSA website and on the NSA Facebook page.

Friday fun day at Shawan 

New this year at the Shawan races are turf trials Friday evening before a benefit calcutta auction and race kickoff party. 

Tickets for the Legacy Chase calcutta can be purchased online at thelegacychase.org. 

Entries for the Flat Trials are below.

Heat 1

Heat 2

Heat 3

Last weekend's rain accumulation, thanks to Tropical Storm Ophelia. A few additional showers are forecasted for Friday morning in Cockeysville, Maryland. Charlottesville is forecasted to be sunny and gorgeous for the next several days.