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Sean Clancy 
How good is the Far Hills race committee? It puts up an extra just in case the 3-year-old stakes doesn’t go. Well, the 3-year-old race goes and they use the extra – a cool $50,000 purse offered to seven allowance horses. Leading trainer Jack Fisher entered four of the seven, he should write Far Hills’ Guy Torsilieri a thank you note.
Nine hurdlers square off in the Foxbrook, the richest novice stakes of the year. Eclectic? A New Zealand-bred 8-year-old, a Chester Cup winner, a Florida-bred son of Holy Bull and three homebreds. Favoritism lies squarely on three-time winner Address Unknown for Irv Naylor, Cyril Murphy and Ross Geraghty.
The Peapack opens the star-studded Far Hills card. Ten fillies and mares of varying experience and ability meet the starter’s flag for the 1 p.m. opener. Clarke Ohrstrom’s Kisser N Run seeks her third consecutive victory in the $75,000 stakes.
Veteran Eighttofasttocatch seeks his third victory in the Maryland Million Classic Saturday. Trained by Tim Keefe, the 8-year-old owns 15 wins since making his debut in a 6-furlong maiden at Laurel Park in October 2008. With a victory, the son of leading Maryland Million sire Not For Love would surpass the $1 million mark. Owned by Sylvia and her late husband Arnold Heft, Eighttofasttocatch finished eighth in the Sept. 6 Japan Racing Association in his lone prep for the Maryland Million.
“If there wasn’t a horse race, I’m not sure I would have ever ridden a horse.”
I say it nonchalantly, offhandedly, at a hunt ball in a dairy barn Saturday night. Well, a converted dairy barn, yes, a hunt ball in a dairy barn…that’s another story for another day.
I’ve said it before, same style, a throw-away line to answer why I don’t go fox hunting five days a week like many of my contemporaries, here in Middleburg, Va. Having a job is part of it as well, but I like to think of it as the lack of desire rather than the burden of necessity.
Start in Hong Kong, finish in Texas. Here’s your Saturday Special from around the world. Don’t miss the Cesarewitch at Newmarket or the Queen Elizabeth at Keeneland. Bet, cheer, repeat…bet, cheer, repeat…
Listening to Miles play the piano – I think I recognize Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star – while perusing the Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale catalogue. In a basement of a church in Upperville, Va., oh the places where you’ll steal a minute’s worth of work. I’m sure I wouldn’t have listened when I had time on my hands but, wow, I wish I knew how paramount time was going to become. That’s all you really ask for in life. Just time. Time to be a dad, time to be a husband, time to be a son, time to be a provider, time to be a friend. Just time.
Weekend Report.
All Together won the W. Gary Baker Memorial, a restricted stakes at Virginia Fall. The veteran son of Danzig (I love writing that) deserved a win after clashing with the best in the game for 32 prior starts over jumps. The $40,000 stakes is restricted to horses who had never won an open hurdle stakes. I questioned it for a minute…All Together hasn’t won an open stakes…? Gallant horse who always shows up for work. Good for Sam Jones to win a stakes after a tough Saratoga.
Watching Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown with Miles, our Saturday morning routine. Waiting for European racing to start, we’ll flip pancakes and watch Newmarket, Gowran Park, Redcar and Ascot, before heading up the road to Glenwood Park for the annual Virginia Fall Races. The only race meet Miles likes, “Is it the one with the rocks? Then I’ll go.”
Wow, what a day of racing. Sizing Europe in Ireland. Wise Dan at Keeneland. Stakes stacked cards at Gulfstream, Belmont, Keeneland, Indiana Downs…think they’ll simulcast to the big screen at Virginia Fall? Is there a big screen at Virginia Fall?
