At the finish of the Open Timber Race it’s Dakota Slew (Robbie Walsh up) 1st, Dr. Alex (Teddy Zimmerman up) 2nd. / Douglas Lees photo
Dakota Slew and Dr. Alex battled for the lead throughout most of the Open Timber race, even jumping the last fence abreast, but at the wire it was Dakota Slew by a length. It was Dakota Slew’s third win in this race under rider Robbie Walsh, thus retiring the Rokeby Bowl for owner Maggie Bryant. Trained by Richard Valentine, Dakota Slew is one of six horses that tied for Leading Timber Horse in Virginia in 2014.
The Valentine-Walsh team scored their second win of the day in the Open Flat Race with Clark Ohrstrom’s Kisser N Run taking the lead from Preachers Pulpit with less than a half-mile to run and winning easily. Kisser N Run was the 2013 Life’s Illusion Filly and Mare champion, and last season’s winner of the Atlanta Steeplechase’s Georgia Cup.
(r-l) Touchdowntony (Forrest Kelly up) 1st in Amateur and Novice Timber Race, beating Out Playing (Annie Yeager up) 2nd by a head. / Douglas lees photo,
In the Amateur and Novice Rider Timber Race, it was Skip Crawford’s Touchdowntony by just a head in front of Out Playing. The one-two finishers stayed in touch with pacesetter J. Alfred Prufrock, and when the frontrunner tired, Forrest Kelly sent Touchdowny to the lead and barely held off Out Playing with Annie Yeager aboard who was closing with a rush.
In another close finish, Bethany Baumgardner won the Lady Timber Race on Irvin Naylor’s Irish-bred Flaming Arrow by a half length.
Bethany Baumgardner wins Lady Rider Timber Race on Flaming Arrow catching Diana Gillam and Embarrassed in the stretch. / Douglas Lees photo
Trainer Neil Morris and jockey James Slater teamed up to post two wins on the day, the first coming in the Maiden Flat Race with Skunk prevailing in the five-horse field and the second in the VHBPA Flat Race with Virginia-bred Vladykov. Slater’s patience payed off as he brought Vladykov from the back of the four-horse field in the final quarter and won going away.
Click for complete race results.
Poated March 27, 2015
VHBPA Flat Race: Vladykov (James Slater up) 1st in stretch drive, followed by Wahoo (3rd) and Researcher (4th) / Douglas Lees photo