It's OFFICIALLY steeplechase season! Saturday marked the first day of racing in 2022, with point to points in Ocala, Florida and in Boston, Virginia. |
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Rappahannock Hunt Point-to-Point Recap |
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Saturday's kick-off to the spring steeplechase season in Virginia boasted three pony races, two timber and two flat races. The races, held at The Hill in Boston, ran with a full crowd of spectators on a beautiful sunny day. |
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Entries for the horses on Saturday were light, but US Pony Racing stepped in at the last minute to organize three divisions of pony racing at Rappahannock, all of which had nice big fields. Thanks to Betty McCue for bringing every pony in the barn to fill the races! In the small pony division owner-rider Will's Slater's pony Chewy went to the lead from the start and won by three. In the medium division Yomar Ortiz, Jr. piloted EHM Stables' Charleston to the easy wire-to-wire victory. In the large division Carly Kern rode her dad's Goose to the win in a field of six.
PHOTO: Carly Kern on Goose in the large pony division ©Douglas Lees
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Two horses ran in the Open Timber. PathFinder Racing's Bet the Pot led most of the way around, until Black and Blue Stable's Fletched joined him at the third to last. The pair raced together to the wire, with Fletched getting the narrow victory. It was win number one of the day for jockey Elizabeth Scully.
PHOTO: Fletched just beats out Bet the Pot in the Open Timber ©Douglas Lees
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Two horses raced in the Foxhunter Timber. Will Driskill's Boyfriend Brian, who raced over hurdles last year for Bourke Racing before an owner and career change, went to the early lead by a huge margin. What a Charmer, with Sam Cockburn up, closed quickly in the stretch but wasn't able to catch Boyfriend Brian.
PHOTO: Boyfriend Brian and Will Driskill early in the Foxhunter Timber race ©Douglas Lees
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Five horses raced in the Open Flat, including William Russell's successful hurdler Animal Kingston. The Neil Morris trainee took the lead at the start and never looked back, winning by four lengths under 2021 NSA leading jockey Graham Watters.
PHOTO: Watters and Morris in the paddock before the race ©Douglas Lees
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The day wrapped up with the Maiden flat race, with three entries. The field was tightly bunched for the entire mile and a quarter race, with jockey Elizabeth Scully getting her second win of the day by half a length with Brookfield Stables' Diva of Seville. Casey Pinkard trained the winner.
PHOTO: Elizabeth Scully and Diva of Seville ©Douglas Lees
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THANKS, pony riders, for providing three great races on Saturday!
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The Florida Steeplechase Recap |
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Ocala, Florida played host to its first ever steeplechase races when The Florida Steeplechase ran its inaugural meet on Saturday at the Florida Horse Park. Florida weather was sunny and 85 degrees, and a nice supportive crowd cheered the horses down the stretch. TGSF was on site for most of the day - all photos here from TGSF (you can also find a few more on our Facebook page). |
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The kids kicked off the day with an incredible display of cuteness in the leadline pony trot race. Six future jockeys, with a combined age of 17 years, trotted down the stretch. Lisa Thomas, who assists at the Cheshire Races, helped organize the leadline races. She reports that it was her first experience with western style leadline racing, and it was GREAT. All the participants had a wonderful time and promise to come back next year, and to bring their friends. |
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The Collins Engineers Maiden Hurdle was the first race for horses. Kate Dalton trained two of the entries, who raced as a team for the entire race. Dr. Joseph Fowler and Del Rio Chasers' Declareatruce grabbed the victory by a head (red silks, yellow cap in the photo) over stablemate Seb's Welcome. Richard Boucher rode the winner. |
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Three horses raced in the Brown Advisory Open Hurdle, with Allison B. Fulmer's The Happy Giant, Mell Boucher up, leading most of the way (on the right in the photo). The winners fought off challengers Kenya Road and Bernie Dalton at the wire to win by two. |
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Three horses ran in the Temple Gwathmey Flat, with Pennsylvania shipper Cause for Pardon closing strong late to get the win for Ballybristol Farm LLC and trainer Leslie Young. Virginia Korrell rode the winner. |
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Two horses ran in the Eddie Woods Stables Flat, which ran at a quarter mile shorter than the previous flat race. The Pennsylvania shipper again took the win, with Thomas Rice and Van Cushny's Bee Major making a big move in the stretch to win by a head. Gerard Galligan rode the winner for Leslie Young.
Racing finished with the Ocala Breeders Feed & Supply Maiden Flat. The three runners stayed bunched for most of the race, with Patty Roth's previously unraced three year old, Truth and Honesty, closing well to get the win over Cast No Stones by a neck. Gerard Galligan rode the winner for flat trainer Joseph Hennessy
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The official photographer was Sam English, but we're not positive where to find photos to purchase - keep an eye on our social media for more info. Sam's website is here: samenglish.com
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We want to take a moment to congratulate The Florida Steeplechase co-founders, Archie Macauley and Jessica Berry, for taking on running a race meet for the very first time. We look forward to watching your meet grow in years to come! THANK YOU to all the sponsors who pulled together to make this meet happen, and to the horsemen who shipped in to provide the spectators with a really lovely day of racing. |
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REMINDER - there's no racing this weekend, but ENTRIES OPEN ONLINE on Wednesday for both the Warrenton Hunt Point to Point and The Foxhall Farm Cup Team Chase. Please, we beg you, don't leave your entries til the last minute. Enter early, online, at Central Entry Office: www.centralentryoffice.com/entriesOvernights.aspx
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