A standard and a hybrid. My Lady’s Manor and Blue Ridge provide Saturday’s steeplechase menu. The former, a four-race card, serves yet again as the long-standing traditional opener to the Maryland timber circuit. The latter, a longtime point-to-point, has transformed into a hybrid meet with four NSA races and five unsanctioned races. Thank you to all the volunteers who have make it happen.
As for last week, the three NSA races at Old Dominion went three different ways.
Winning Spirit dominated four rivals in the first division of the maiden hurdle. The son of Soldier Hollow finished fourth in the German Derby in 2023 before a three-race flat campaign on these shores resulted in three double-digit losses. Moved to Bonnie Rye Stable and trainer Julie Gomena, the 5-year-old drew off to win by 6 lengths for jockey Gerard Galligan. Polished debut. Potential star.
Mission North settled near the back of the second division of the maiden before rallying to a 4-length score for trainer Jack Fisher and jockey Graham Watters. The Northwoods Stable homebred scored twice on Maryland turf last year and stamped himself as a promising novice this year.
Hard Strike picked up his fourth timber victory in his eighth start for Upland Partners, trainer Todd McKenna. Galligan settled the son of Hard Spun in fifth before reeling in pacesetter Corky Lemon after the last fence. Hard Strike is one of seven horses nominated to the Middleburg Hunt Cup April 19.
The double by Galligan catapulted him to the top of the jockey standings with four wins, one ahead of Stephen Mulqueen. With three wins, Keri Brion leads Kathy Neilson, Arch Kingsley and Leslie Young in the trainer’s race.
As for last week’s handicapping, it was twos all around. Miles continued his pace-setting tactics, tabbing two winners (Winning Spirit, Mission North). Sean kept pace with two (Mission North, Hard Strike), Joe countered with two (Winning Spirit, Hard Strike) and Tom crawled off the bench with two (Mission North, Hard Strike). For the season, Miles leads with nine wins. Sean stalks with eight. Joe settles into the peloton with six. Tom sees them all with two. And, no, Tom did not have Houston over Duke in the Final Four.
The My Lady’s Manor. Monkton, Md. Post time 1:30. Watch the live stream on the NSA website.
First race. The 114th My Lady’s Manor Steeplechase. Timber stakes. 3 miles. $50,000. 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by Maury, Donnelly and Parr and the Butler Cabin.
Competitive group of eight converge in the opener. The seasoned group has combined for 111 starts over fences. Uco Valley won his last two starts of 2024. Ten-time winner Storm Team switches from Jack Fisher and Graham Watters to Willie Dowling and Justin Batoff. Maryland Hunt Cup runner-up Shootist hails from the timber wheelhouse of Todd McKenna. Theda’s Boy hasn’t missed a check in six timber starts for the Bonifaces. Withoutmoreado upset the Maryland Hunt Cup in 2023. Bogey’s Image owns two wins and two stakes placings. Wrestlingwithrae has won two in a row. Include It just missed by a neck in this last year.
- Miles: Bogey’s Image, Include It, Theda’s Boy.
- Sean: Bogey’s Image, Include It, Wrestlingwithrae.
- Joe: Bogey’s Image, Include It, Wrestlingwithrae.
- Tom: Include It, Wrestlingwithrae, Storm Team.
Second race. The John Rush Streett Memorial. Maiden timber. $20,000. 3 miles. 2:15 p.m.
Seven maidens clash in the first maiden timber. British import Contre Ordre makes his 30th start over jumps and his U.S. debut for Mark Beecher and Dan Nevin. Lightning Ridge, Left Blank and Hey Teacher return from 2025 debuts at Cheshire.
- Miles: Project Two, Lightning Ridge, Left Blank.
- Sean: Contre Ordre, Project Two, Lightning Ridge.
- Joe: Hey Teacher, Contre Ordre, Left Blank.
- Tom: Project Two, Lightning Ridge, Hey Teacher.
Third race. The Thomas H. Voss Memorial. Maiden timber. $20,000. 3 miles. 3 p.m.
Take Profit opened up a big lead at Green Spring and made it stick. Deeper water here (go ahead, Willie, tell us why he’ll win). Potus and Hard Game have been knocking on the door for a while. Eternal Story has always looked like an ideal timber candidate and won at Piedmont earlier this year.
- Miles: Hard Game, Potus, Eternal Story.
- Sean: Eternal Story, Potus, Take Profit.
- Joe: Eternal Story, Anzio, Potus.
- Tom: Potus, Hard Game, Anzio.
Fourth race. The John D. Schapiro Memorial. Apprentice rider timber. $15,000. 3 miles. 3:45 p.m.
Vintage Vinnie won four in a row in 2021-22 and has now lost four in a row from 2023-24. Monbeg Stream won four of his first seven starts over timber before a heavy fall at Pennsylvania Hunt Cup in 2023. Crealion, Road To Oz and Mr. Fine Threads add plenty of broth to the bowl. Deep race to close the card.
- Miles: Monbeg Stream, Mr. Fine Threads, Road to Oz.
- Sean: Road To Oz, Mr. Fine Threads, Crealion.
- Joe: Road To Oz, Vintage Vinnie, Monbeg Stream.
- Tom: Vintage Vinnie, Crealion, Monbeg Stream.
Blue Ridge Point-to-Point. Berryville, Va. Post time 2 p.m. Watch the live stream on the NSA website.
Third race. Maiden timber. $15,000. 3 miles. 2 p.m.
The opener enticed seven to the timber sphere. Everyone’s favorite maiden claimer Greylover makes the switch for Mark Beecher and the hard-hitting Icandothat makes the switch for Sean McDermott. Bet The Pot and Presence Of Mind put an experience edge to the test.
- Miles: Icandothat, Penicillin Success, Bet the Pot.
- Sean: Bet The Pot, Greylover, Icandothat.
- Joe: Presence Of Mind, Penicillin Success, Icandothat.
- Tom: Kelmscott, Penicillin Success, Icandothat.
Fourth race. The Virginia Equine Alliance. Maiden hurdle. $30,000. 2 miles. 2:30 p.m.
Another compact but competitive maiden hurdle offers young horses a natural way to get started in their second careers. Off Pieste Rules, a £42,000 purchase in 2024, makes his NSA debut after a fourth and a third in Irish point-to-points. Scoop The Pot looked promising in his hurdle debut at Camden. Stakes winner Sa’ad returns off a layoff. The aptly named Middleburg makes his hurdle debut.
- Miles: Sa’ad, Scoop the Pot, Off Pieste Rules.
- Sean: Sa’ad, Scoop The Pot, Off Pieste Rules.
- Joe: Off Pieste Rules, Sa’ad, Middleburg.
- Tom: Middleburg, Sa’ad, Scoop The Pot.
Fifth race. Maiden Starter Hurdle. $20,000. 2 miles. 3 p.m.
Nine take aim at a maiden for horses who have started for $16,000 or less on the flat or over jumps. What a great addition to the steeplechase condition book. Sliabh Aughty finished third at Camden and tries to win one for the locals. Hard-trying Ice Bar nearly got the job done at Montpelier in the fall.
- Miles: Roja Redemption, Sliabh Aughty, Selassie.
- Sean: Roja Redemption, Love Foreverafter, Sliabh Aughty.
- Joe: Selassie, Sliabh Aughty, Roja Redemption.
- Tom: Roja Redemption, Love Forever, Rugby Road.
Sixth race. Apprentice rider hurdle. Handicap hurdle. $15,000. 2 miles. 3:30 p.m.
Two-time novice stakes winner Cool Jet drops in class and carries the house in the five-horse closer. The 9-year-old spots 14 to 21 pounds to his four rivals which include the venerable Decisive Triumph, winner of the same race last year. Lowcountry, The Insider and Foxy Walk provide more depth to a sharp race.
- Miles: Cool Jet, Foxy Walk, Lowcountry.
- Sean: Decisive Triumph, Cool Jet, Foxy Walk.
- Joe: Cool Jet, Decisive Triumph, Foxy Walk.
- Tom: Foxy Walk, Cool Jet, Decisive Triumph.
