Dylan McDonagh displays evidence of Last Farewell’s stretch battle with Plated in the Novice Rider Flat Race — muddied but victorious. / Douglas Lees photoHeavy flakes of snow mixed with rain saturated the Airlie Racecourse throughout most of the day at the Warrenton Point-to-Point, Saturday, March 19, 2016.
Doug Fout-trained horses won three of the nine races on the card: Open Hurdle and Maiden Hurdle, with Kieran Norris in the irons for both, and the Novice Rider Flat Race with Dylan McDonagh aboard. In last year’s final standings in Virginia, Fout was Leading Trainer and Norris was Leading Rider.
Erin Swope finished clean and bright by winning wire to wire on Slaney Rock in the Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdle. / Douglas Lees photoIn the Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdle, Erin Swope crossed the wire first, just as she did at Blue Ridge the week before, but this time she went to the winner’s circle. Swope—owner, rider, and trainer of Irish-bred Slaney Rock—had lost a weight from her pad during her race at Blue Ridge and had to be disqualified.
This year over hurdles and last year on the flat, her racing strategy has been consistent: explode to the front at the drop of the flag, gain a commanding lead, and win—wire to wire. It was also a good strategy for staying clean this sloppy day!
Dreamin Fool (Kieran Norris) held on in the stretch for a half length win over Prima Facie (Jeff Murphy), / Douglas Lees photo
In the Open Hurdle Race, Dreamin Fool ridden by Kieran Norris set the pace, followed closely by Prima Facie and Jeff Murphy. Prima Facie won last week’s Maiden Hurdle at Blue Ridge and fought hard in the stretch run to the wire, but Dreamin Fool prevailed by a length.
Canyon Road with Mark Beecher won the Open Timber. / Douglas Lees photo
Mark Beecher rode two winners in the timber races: Canyon Road trained by Chris Kolb in the Open and Le Chevalier trained by Julie Gomena in the Novice. This was Canyon Road’s second consecutive point-to-point win this season, having won the Novice Rider Flat Race under Teresa Croce at Blue Ridge.
Novice Rider Teresa Croce is on a roll with two consecutive wins on the flat this season: Novice Rider Flat at Blue Ridge on Canyon Road and Virginia Bred/Sired Flat on Gumper at Warrenton for trainer Susan Cooney. / Douglas Lees photo
In the third and final contest over timber—Amateur and Novice Rider—Beecher, seeking a sweep, set the pace on Sky Count with Two’s Company stalking, raced head-to-head with Two’s Company with a half-mile to run, but settled for second by six lengths to the challenger.
Click for complete results of the day.
Posted March 23, 2016
Two’s Company and Connor Hankin won the Amateur and Novice Timber. / Douglas Lees photo