Maiden Timber Race: (l-r) Profiteer (Eric Poretz up) finishes third; Cracker Factory (Brett Owings) places second; Ya Boy Ya (McLane Hendriks) is first. / Douglas Lees photo
Piedmont ran seven races over the Salem Race Course in Upperville, Virginia on Saturday, March 26, 2022―four timber races and three on the flat.
McLane Hendriks rode two winners this day, book-ending the day’s races. His first came in the First Race, Maiden Timber, and his second in the Seventh Race, Virginia VHBPA Flat. In the Maiden Timber, Hendriks held Ya Boy Ya off the pace, content leading the middle runners in the six-horse field most of the way around. In the final quarter he asked his horse and won the race in the stretch by a length-plus. The Irish-bred Ya Boy Ya is owned by Bon Nouvel Chasers II and trained by Julie Gomena.
Amateur and Novice Rider Timber Race: Huyana (Eric Poretz up) is first. / Douglas Lees photo
Trainer Gomena saddled Michael Smith’s veteran timber horse Le Chevalier, also with McLane Hendriks aboard, for the second race, Amateur and Novice Rider Timber. Le Chevalier has been winning timber races on the point-to-point circuit for owner Smith and trainer Gomena for at least seven years but ran second this day to Huyana, a seven-year-old grandson of Danzig. The winning Huyana was ridden by Eric Poretz and trained by Casey Pinkard.
Lady Rider Timber Race winner is Be Counted (Elizabeth Scully up). / Douglas Lees photo
With only two horses ready to start in the Lady Rider Timber Race―Be Counted (Elizabeth Scully up) and Cocodimama (Chloe Hannum up)―and just one horse to start in the Open Timber Race, Mystic Strike (Teddy Davies up), the two races were run together, making a field of three. It was, in fact, the most exciting race of the day.
Be Counted showed the way for most of the race, but in the last quarter-mile, Cocodimama took the lead and appeared to be in command. Be Counted, though looking beaten, rallied and passed Cocodimama again to win the Lady’s Race by two lengths. Be Counted is trained by Todd Wyatt and owned by Peter and Sarah Jay.
Open Timber Race run together with the Lady Rider Timber Race: (l-r) Be Counted (Elizabeth Scully up), first in lady’s race; Cocodimama (Chloe Hannum), second in lady’s race; and Mystic Strike (Teddy Davies), the solo entry in the Open Timber Race. / Douglas Lees photo
Mystic Strike, laying third, passed both ladies, beating Be Counted at the wire by a neck. Mystic Strike is trained by Todd McKenna. This combined Lady Rider Timber and Open Timber Race involving only three horses and three jocks was interesting, confusing, and coincidental:
1. Chloe Hannum was the 2021 Champion in the Virginia Lady Rider Timber Series with ten wins, nearly twice that of the runner-up.
2. Cocodimama was second in the 2021 American Leading Timber Horse Series standings, tied with Mystic Strike (and Le Chevalier and Huyanan, both of which ran in the Second Race) and a long list of other second-place finishers last year!
3. Teddy Davies, still in his teens and scarcely out of his pony racing days, was surely the youngest jockey of the day.
4. Two of the winning trainers in the three-horse combined race are two different Todds―Wyatt and McKenna.
The winner of the Sixth Race, Open Flat, was Hard Strike, ridden first to the wire by Elizabeth Scully for her second win of the day. Hard Strike is trained by Todd McKenna who trained Mystic Strike in the previous race. Hard Strike’s maternal grand-sire, Smart Strike, sired Mystic Strike, undoubtedly putting trainer McKenna at the heart of this coincidence and most likely another story entirely.
VHBPA Flat Race is won by Gas Money (McLane Hendriks up) in the stretch run. / Douglas Lees photo
In the Seventh Race, VHBPA Flat, it was Gas Money, ridden by McLane Hendriks for his second winning ride of the day. Gas Money is trained by Neil Morris, American Leading Trainer in 2021.
Click for complete results of all races.
Posted April 6, 2022
With appreciation for the meticulous Central Entry website maintained by Will and Kathleen O’Keefe.