Maiden Hurdle, Div 1: (l-r) Noble Weed (Sean McDermott up), 3rd; All Out Of Aces (Graham Watters up), 1st / Douglas Lees photo
Saturday, September 19, 2020 was a bluebird day indeed for horses, horsemen, and spectators to be racing, riding, and cheering at Blue Ridge Hunt’s postponed spring point-to-point. Except the latter—the spectators— were sadly absent.
The ground was hard, but the ancient thatch of grass on the Woodley racecourse provides a thick natural cushion for horses. Nine races were run: hurdles, flat, then timber. Of the nine races, trainer Neil Morris entries won three—Maiden Hurdle, Open Hurdle, and Novice Rider Flat.
Maiden Hurdle was the first race of the day and the Morris-trained entry, All Out of Aces, ridden by Graham Watters went right to the lead and won handily by five lengths over the remaining four entries in the first division of the Maiden Hurdle. All Out of Aces is owned by Blue Ridge Joint-Master Jeff LeHew and his wife Sondra.
Maiden Hurdle, Div 2: (l-r) Cause For Pardon (Thomas Garner up), 2nd; He’ll Do (Parker Hendriks up), 1st / Douglas Lees photo
In the second division of the Maiden Hurdle, with another five contenders to beat, He’ll Do bettered his previous week’s second place performance at Old Dominion with a strong winning finish. Trainer Sanna Neilson put the same rider, Parker Hendriks, up, who stalked the early leader, Super Bird, and took over the race in the final half mile for an easy win. He’ll Do is owned by Neilson and John Huganir.
Open Hurdle: (l-r) Junonia (Graham Watters up), 1st in close finish with Surprising Soul (McLane Hendriks up), 2nd at the wire. / Douglas Lees photo
Morris’s second win came in the exciting Open Hurdle Race, once again with Graham Watters aboard. Ricky Hendriks-trained Surprising Soul, winner of the Open Hurdle at Old Dominion the previous week, set the pace. Junonia and Watters stayed with the leader, hooked up with three furlongs to go, and drove to the lead in the stretch run to win by a half length. Junonia is owned by Kinross Farm.
Novice Rider Flat: Choo Choo (Bryan Cullinane up), 1st at the finish / Douglas Lees photo
The Novice Rider Flat Race started a field of eleven horses, eight of which finished. The Morris-trained entry of Choo Choo went to the Winners Circle with Bryan Cullinane in the irons for owner Irvin Naylor. Choo Choo raced with the middle of the field, began passing horses over the final half mile, and won going away by four-and-a-half lengths. Second placed Smokin Caraquena emerged smoking down the stretch to challenge, but couldn’t threaten seriously. Smokin Caraquena is trained by Carl Rafter, owned by Jennifer Taylor, and was ridden by Emme Fullilove.
Am/Nov Hurdle: (l-r) To Be Or Not to Be (Brett Owings up), 1st; Zen’s Land (Sophie Henelius up), 3rd / Douglas Lees photo
The Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdle Race provided a hotly-contested affair down the stretch between To Be Or Not to Be and Mighty Mark. To Be Or Not to Be was narrowly best by a head. The winner is trained by Joe Davies and Owned by Skip Crawford, MFH, Potomac Hunt (MD). This owner/trainer team is the one that brought us Senior Senator, that great timber horse that retired the Maryland Hunt Cup last year after a third win!
Woodley Cup, Virginia-Bred, Flat: Morgans Ford Farm’s River Deep (Gerard Galligan up), nearing the finish in the stretch, 1st / Douglas Lees photo
The Woodley Cup for Virginia-Breds was won by a local horse, River Deep, bred and owned by Morgans Ford Farm. Trained by D.M. Smithwick, Jr., River Deep was held off the pace by jockey Gerard Galligan, rallied around the final turn, and won by five and a half lengths.
Amateur/Novice Rider Timber: (l-r) Cheers To Us (McLane Hendriks up), 1st; Angelos Walk (Matthew Bright up) / Douglas Lees photo
Trainer Ricky Hendriks saddled two winners at Blue Ridge, adding to the three wins notched the previous week at Old Dominion. The last race of the day, Amateur and Novice Rider Timber, was a Hendriks Family affair once again. Cheers to Us, ridden by McLane Hendriks and owned by Wendy Hendriks remained the only horse of a three-horse field to cross the wire, after one pull-up and one lost rider.
Click for complete results of all races.
Posted September 25, 2020