There are 246 days between March 22 and Nov. 23. If the horses on the National Steeplechase Association circuit were counting all this time, they haven’t let on but they’ll be happy to learn that the season ends in South Carolina this weekend with Aiken Saturday and Colonial Cup Sunday.
Somebody tell them this is the last van ride for a while.
Aiken, which hosted the first meet of the year all those days ago, launches the weekend with six races over hurdles Saturday. The next day, the Colonial Cup meet wraps up the season at Springdale Race Course – also home to the second meet of the season in the Carolina Cup March 29 – with six more races. Post time at each meet is 1 p.m. and you can watch the live stream on the NSA website.
If you’re looking at championship races, most have been decided.
- Graham Watters (26 wins and $986,300) leads the jockeys’ standings and he’ll stay on those numbers as he was injured in a fall at Camden this week. The crown will be his third consecutive and fourth in the last five years. His purse earnings total is the second-most in history behind his $1,256,150 of 2024. He’s also leaped to 127 lifetime wins, just behind Danielle Hodsdon and ahead of Gus Brown. Bernie Dalton (133 heading into Saturday) is the active leader. Stephen Mulqueen (14 wins) leads a crowded field behind Watters as Dalton and Evan Dwan each have 13 wins and Freddie Procter and Dan Nevin have 12.
- Jack Fisher’s 26 wins and $1,180,000 lead all trainers. It’s Fisher’s 16th title by races-won and 11th by earnings. Three-time champion Leslie Young (17 wins) is second, followed by Mark Beecher (14), Kathy Neilson and Keri Brion (13 apiece).
- Riverdee Stable (13 wins, $506,700) leads the owners and will claim its first championship over five-time leader Bruton Street-US, Irv Naylor and Leipers Fork Steeplechase.
- The only major category still in play on the final weekend involves the horses. The NSA’s Lonesome Glory Award for leading earner can go to Cool Jet ($190,500), Little Trilby ($126,000) or Jimmy P ($115,000). All three run in the Grade 1 Colonial Cup, worth $90,000 to the winner. China Beach ($133,500) also runs this weekend, in the $56,000 Hobkirk Hill, but can’t catch Cool Jet with a win. In case you missed it, the great Snap Decision is retired.
- Swore ends up the champion novice based on three wins and $181,800 in his first season over hurdles for Stone Farm, Upland Flats Racing and trainer Keri Brion. Keys Discount takes the timber crown in a romp for Dolly Fisher and Jack Fisher. The Maryland-bred went 5-for-5 and earned $153,000. The 3-year-old hurdlers are still battling it out and Sunday’s $50,000 Raymond Woolfe should settle it. Avakate gets the filly/mare crown for owners Ballybristol Farm, Vincen Bonanni, Two Virginia Gents and trainer Neil Morris. The Irish-bred won both starts over hurdles and earned $96,000.
The TIHR handicapping autumn championship is still up for grabs with a dozen races to go. Last week at Callaway Gardens, Sean gained valuable ground with a three spot – Animal Kingston, Lydford and Fouroneohsmokeshow. Joe and Tom had Animal Kingston. Miles had Lydford. After the disqualification of Ethics at Shawan Downs back in September for a medication violation, the standings read: Sean 25, Joe 23, Tom 14, Miles 13 (from 60 races). Last chance, boys.
Aiken Fall Races
A cool South Carolina town that used to be a hotbed of Thoroughbred action – Kelso trained there, so did the stars of Rokeby Stable, Darley and lots of others. Still a cool town, with horses everywhere. Aiken steeplechasing dates to 1930 and includes participation by some of the sport’s pioneers including Ambrose Clark, Thomas Hitchcock, Temple Gwathmey and Harry Worcester Smith among others. A new course, leadership and direction brought momentum several years ago. Learn more at the meet website.
First race (1:00). $20,000 maiden claiming hurdle, 2 1/8 miles. Full field of 10 leads off the day and the big weekend. Nine of the 10 in the body of the race have experience, while Drakon makes jumps debut for Keri Brion and Zilla Racing Stable. Coal Boss makes second start over hurdles after distant second that might be better than it looks two weeks ago in Charleston.
- Joe: Nobel Speaker, Coal Boss, Mystified.
- Tom: Nobel Speaker, Love Shaq, Drakon.
- Miles: Love Shaq, Drakon, Mystified.
- Sean: Nobel Speaker, Mystified, Love Shaq.
Second race (1:40). $25,000 optional starter allowance hurdle, 2 3/8 miles. Dante’s Fire looks to end this year’s run of seconds – three straight and six in nine starts this season – against five others. Bee Well makes return and drops in class after fifth in the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory in September at Aqueduct. Peapack runner-up Anoint takes on males for the first time in search of second hurdle win in four starts this season.
- Joe: Bee Well, Orders Anthem, Dante’s Fire.
- Tom: Bee Well, Dante’s Fire, Starforce.
- Miles: Anoint, Attrayant, Bee Well.
- Sean: Bee Well, Dante’s Fire, Anoint.
Third race (2:20). $30,000 maiden hurdle, 2 1/8 miles. Leipers Fork Steeplechase sends out the duo of Verbal, second and fourth in his last two starts; and Salted Caramel, who makes his hurdle debut, in full field of 10. The cast also includes Pudding Lane, who led and narrowly missed win at Charleston a little less than two weeks ago.
- Joe: Pudding Lane, Verbal, In Effect.
- Tom: Pudding Lane, Salted Carmel, Verbal.
- Miles: Doctor Love, Pudding Lane, In Effect.
- Sean: In Effect, Pudding Lane, Verbal.
Fourth race (3:00). $30,000 maiden hurdle, fillies and mares, 2 1/8 miles. Fiery Dart looks like the one to beat of those that have made hurdle starts here in the U.S., while Encosta could factor in her American debut with solid form in Ireland. Wonderfull Lady makes her first start over jumps for trainer Tom Garner with good form on the flat in the Mid-Atlantic region.
- Joe: Fiery Dart, Camcha, Encosta.
- Tom: Camcha, Encosta, Wonderfull Lady.
- Miles: Wonderfull Lady, Fiery Dart, Encosta.
- Sean: Fiery Dart, Encosta, Wonderfull Lady.
Fifth race (3:40). $35,000 Thomas Hitchcock handicap hurdle (120 or lower), 2 1/8 miles. Plenty of stakes competitors among the field of five that line up here, including two from the Lonesome Glory in Caramelised and Travesuras. Sweet Will, fourth in the Grade 3 Noel Laing at Montpelier; and Decisive Triumph, fourth in the Grade 2 William H. Allison at the International Gold Cup, fared better in those stakes appearances. Rucker Road is lone member of the field coming off a victory, that coming in late September at Shawan Downs.
- Joe: Sweet Will, Travesuras, Decisive Triumph.
- Tom: Sweet Will, Decisive Triumph, Rucker Road.
- Miles: Travesuras, Rucker Road, Decisive Triumph.
- Sean: Decisive Triumph, Travesuras, Sweet Will.
Sixth race (4:20). $50,000 Holiday Cup hurdle stakes, 4-year-olds, 2 1/8 miles. Seven line up for the feature, including the first three from the Harry E. Harris at Far Hills in Chortal, Naturally Nimble and Starlifter. We’re Back Again, part of Gordon Elliott’s domination at Far Hills along with Chortal, won the McDynamo maiden hurdle and makes second start against winners and first for trainer Barry Foley here. Take Your Seats, the winner of two straight, and last-out winner Our Finest Hour also figure to be in the mix.
- Joe: Chortal, Naturally Nimble, Take Your Seats.
- Tom: Starlifter, We’re Back Again, Chortal.
- Miles: Take Your Seats, Naturally Nimble, Starlifter.
- Sean: Starlifter, Chortal, Naturally Nimble.
Colonial Cup
Founded in 1970 as an answer to diminishing jump opportunities at the New York racetracks, the Colonial Cup helped decide championships for the better part of five decades and showcased some of the best performances in U.S. jump racing history. Top Bid won the first over a field that included some of the best the world has ever seen – L’Escargot, Crisp, Tingle Creek and Herring Gull. Inkslinger, Soothsayer, Café. Prince, Grand Canyon, Zaccio, Flatterer, Lonesome Glory, McDynamo, Good Night Shirt and other stars made the race a fixture since.
The Colonial Cup returned to the November calendar last year after a seven-year hiatus. It’s not quite what it was – a 2 3/4-mile test where no fence was jumped twice – but it still matters. The day gets started at 1 p.m. and includes four other hurdle races and a training flat. Learn more at the race meet website.
First race (1:00.). $30,000 maiden hurdle, 2 1/8 miles. Last chance to break your maiden in 2025. The field goes eight deep. Serifos, Awesome Man and McLovin exit the Far Hills maiden. Three-year-old Scarlet Raider debuts off a flat win at Montpelier. Iconic Walk was fourth in the 4-year-old race at Far Hills. Thomas Aquinas was third at Charleston. Sea The Ocean was eighth at Great Meadow. Who improves?
- Joe: Serifos, Thomas Aquinas, Scarlet Raider.
- Tom: Sea The Ocean, Scarlet Raider, Iconic Walk.
- Miles: Iconic Walk, Scarlet Raider, Serifos.
- Sean: Iconic Walk, Serifos, Scarlet Raider.
Second race (1:35). $50,000 Raymond Woolfe Memorial 3-year-old hurdle stakes, 2 1/8 miles. Ten tackle the freshmen finale. Ethics, Scorpius and Cooper represent the Fisher barn and went 1-2-3 at Middleburg. Ethics and Scorpius were 1-2 at Shawan, but a medication positive handed the win to Scorpius. Safe At Home was fourth at Middleburg. Ten Bucks A Glass was third at Shawan and represents the home team of Bernie and Kate Dalton. Middle Ages tried older at Montpelier.
- Joe: Ethics, Scorpius, Ten Bucks A Glass.
- Tom: Ethics, Scorpius, Ten Bucks A Glass.
- Miles: Ethics, Cooper, Scorpius.
- Sean: Ethics, Scorpius, Cooper.
Third race (2:10). $30,000 Handicap hurdle (115), 2 3/8 miles. Seven jump into this including 2025 winners Love Saga, Scoop The Pot, Forever Hopeful and Laker Mamba. L’Avvocato makes his ninth jump start of the year.
- Joe: Scoop The Pot, Love Saga, Laker Mamba.
- Tom: Scoop The Pot, Love Saga, Laker Mamba.
- Miles: Love Saga, Scoop the Pot, L’Avvocato.
- Sean: Scoop The Pot, L’Avvocato, Barbados.
Fourth race (2:45). $150,000 Colonial Cup hurdle stakes (Grade 1), 2 5/8 miles. Nine line up in the big one. Cool Jet has won his last three, all stakes, all mainly on the front end. Noble Anthem finished second in two of those. Foxy Walk was second in the other. The weights swing in Cool Jet’s favor off the Noel Laing at Montpelier Nov. 1. Grade 1 winner Jimmy P – great at Saratoga, not so great elsewhere – gets back to work. If someone convinces him the 803 is like the 518, look out. Belfast Banter missed 2024 after a decent 2023. His two starts this year weren’t good, but could be excused. Little Trilby has won two in a row, both with late moves. He nearly fell on the turn at Great Meadow and rallied from fourth in deep stretch to win. If they go fast early and start backing up, his run works. Fil Dor was the forgotten Gordon Elliott runner at Far Hills (when fifth in the Grand National). He moves to the Ricky Hendriks barn and has won six races. Vae Patron will be happy to be in a race without Snap Decision. If he can find the Iroquois form, he’s a player. Zarak The Brave was second to Jimmy P at Saratoga, but faltered against Swore at Aqueduct.
- Joe: Jimmy P, Cool Jet, Little Trilby.
- Tom: Cool Jet, Foxy Walk, Little Trilby.
- Miles: Little Trilby, Cool Jet, Jimmy P.
- Sean: Cool Jet, Little Trilby, Vae Patron.
Fifth race (3:20). $56,000 Hobkirk Hill hurdle, 2 1/2 miles. Fun restricted stakes for horses who have never won an open hurdle stakes. Just six but a solid group including novice stakes winner China Beach, a winner over the course in March, plus Far Hills novice winner Coutach now on the Del Rio Racing/Hendriks team. Can he handle flat and fast as well as he handles hills and soft? Also must give away weight this time after getting a break at Far Hills. Third in the Noel Laing and fifth to Coutach at Far Hills, For The Parish is capable. Fourth at Far Hills, Pure Courage might move forward the most off his first jump race in more than a year. Active Duty looked like a player this spring. Can he find that form? Ditto for Memento.
- Joe: Pure Courage, Coutach, For The Parish.
- Tom: Coutach, For The Parish, Pure Courage.
- Miles: Pure Courage, Active Duty, China Beach.
- Sean: Coutach, Pure Courage, China Beach.
Sixth race (3:55). Training flat for apprentice jockeys, 1 1/2 miles. Beauys brings four wins and $250,311 to the party. Rotterdam looked good at Foxfield. Charlestonsphinest will have the locals cheering. Hard Par finished second in a $7,500 claimer at the Meadowlands in October. His dam Maid On A Mission won 10 races. Headline News has some back class. Jhirsch was named for a legend.
- Joe: Beauys, Rotterdam, Jhirsch.
- Tom: Jhirsch, Headline News, Hard Par.
- Miles: Headline News, Jhirsch, Rotterdam.
- Sean: Rotterdam, Jhirsch, Hard Par.
