In the Junior Field Masters Chase, Brett Jackson, MFH leads (l-r) Erin Swope on Jordan, Kelly Witte on Missy (small pony winner), and Emme Fullilove on Sparta (large pony winner). / Douglas Lees photo
Thornton Hill Fort Valley Hounds opened the Virginia point-to-point season on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at Thornton Hill Farm in Sperryville. The first race, the Field Masters Chase for horses and small and large ponies, was followed by four races over hurdles, two flat races, and three timber races.
Kelly Witte on Missy, last year’s leading small pony, came to the wire six lengths behind the large ponies and won her division. Last year’s large pony champion Jordan ran just behind the Field Master but lost his rider Erin Swope at the last fence, giving Sparta the win with Emme Fullilove aboard. Emme also won the division for horses on GR’s Prize, holding off Erin Swope’s Sweet Talking Guy in the stretch. Bay Cockburn saddled both winners.
Bruce Smart’s Trappe d’Or ridden by Paddy Young won the first division of the Maiden Hurdle Race. It was Young’s and trainer Jimmy Day’s first of two wins on the card. / Douglas Lees photo
Bruce Smart’s Trappe d’Or trained by Jimmy Day and ridden by Paddy Young led all the way and won the first division of the Dorothy Smithwick Memorial Hurdle Race for maiden horses. Eva Smithwick, Virginia’s leading trainer in 2012, won her first of four races for the day in the second division with Getaway, ridden by Roddy Mackenzie and owned by Morgan’s Ford Farm.
In the Amateur/Novice Rider Hurdles, Foolish Surprise refused at the first fence and Fogcutter with Woods Winants aboard went on to school around the course for the win.
The trainer/rider team of Jimmy Day and Paddy Young notched their second win of the day in the Open Hurdle Race with Magalen Bryant’s Sulwaan, who took command in the final turn and won handily.
Skunked in his first start over fences with Abigail Walker aboard for her first ride won the Lady Rider Timber Race. / Douglas Lees photo
Larry Levy trained his own horse Skunked and gave the ride to Abigail Walker in the Lady Rider Timber Race. It was Skunked’s first start over fences and it was Walker’s first race ride, and they won!
The trainer/rider combination of Eva Smithwick and Woods Winants finished the day by sweeping the last two races—Amateur Highweight Timber and Foxhunters Timber with Whodoyoucallit and Rutledge Classic respectively. When it was all over, Smithwick had saddled her fourth win of the day and Winants rode to his third.
A near dead heat in the Amateur Highweight Timber Race with Wood Winants and Whodoyoucallit (rt) holding off a late rush by Teddy Zimmerman on Dr. Alex. / Douglas Lees photo
Click for complete results of the day’s racing at Thornton Hill.
Posted March 6, 2013
Trainers Jimmy Day (left) and Doug Fout catch up with each other in the paddock. / Douglas Lees photo