Racing fans will be looking toward the West Coast as the Breeders’ Cup showcases the world’s best at Del Mar Saturday. A few thousand miles to the east (and a little north), the steeplechase schedule rolls on with the Montpelier Hunt Races just outside Orange, Va. Sunday, the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup completes a jump double.
Last week at the International Gold Cup, Keys Discount won his fifth consecutive timber stakes for Dolly Fisher, Jack Fisher and Graham Watters to cinch up the 2025 timber championship. The Maryland-bred son of Medal Count piled up 17 1/8 miles of undefeated this year while earning $157,500. The race wasn’t without some drama as the field of seven took the wrong path and missed a fence early, pulled up and circled back, then continued on. Keys Disocunt won by 10 over Uco Valley with Track And Trace third. In other action there, Little Trilby made the last move the best move to pull a mild upset in the $100,000 William Allison for Del Rio Racing, Ricky Hendriks and Conor Tierney. The British-bred neary slipped and fell coming off the final turn, but passed Foxy Walk, Rampoldi Plan and Welshman in the stretch to win by a half-length. Highweight Jimmy P faded to sixth. Other winners were Alpamayo for Irv Naylor, Cyril Murphy and Harry Beswick in the maiden hurdle, Anzio (Gill Johnston, Sandra Webb, Freddie Procter) in the steeplethon cross-country, Two Past Eight (Silverton Hill, Leslie Young, Luke Carberry) in the allowance hurdle, Take Your Seats (Butler Hall, Tom Garner, Evan Dwan) in the 115 handicap hurdle, Starforce (Morningstar Farm, Hendriks, Tierney) in the starter maiden hurdle and King Of Tsavo (Sharon Sheppard, Young, Jamie Bargary) in the optional maiden claiming hurdle.
The TIHR handicappers were a little cold. Joe and Tom tabbed two winners (Alpamayo and Keys Discount). Sean and Miles had one each (Keys Discount). Those results put Joe and Sean (16 wins) in a tie at the top, followed by Tom (nine) and Miles (seven). You can watch the jump meets on the NSA website livestream.
Back in the saddle…
Montpelier Hunt Races. James Madison used to live here, so did Marion du Pont Scott (owner of Battleship, Soothsayer, Proud Delta, Shipboard, Mongo and a few other legends). The races cover all angles, including a flat race on the dirt training track and the featured Noel Laing over natural brush. Post time is 12:30 p.m.
First race (12:30 p.m.). Training flat, 1 mile on the dirt. The circuit’s only dirt race drew a field of seven. Napoleonic War leads the way with three flat wins, all on the turf, with Chad Brown and Jack Sisterson. Modern Master figures for trainer Neil Morris. Scarlet Raider debuts for Arch Kingsley after three starts in Ireland.
- Joe: Modern Master, Where’s Charlie, Napoleonic War.
- Sean: Scarlet Raider, Modern Master, Where’s Charlie.
- Tom: Scarlet Raider, Napoleonic War, Modern Master.
- Miles: Where’s Charlie, Lord Donegal, Scarlet Raider.
Second race (1:20 p.m.). $30,000 handicap hurdle for horses rated 110 or lower, 2 3/8 miles. Just six show up for this. Cainudothetwist ran well enough to win a race like this last year. Super Chunk carries the 158-pound highweight, off four flat starts. Beowulf exits a win.
- Joe: Beowulf, Cainudothetwist, Super Chunk.
- Sean: Pavoni, Super Chunk, Beowulf.
- Tom: Pavoni, Beowulf, Super Chunk.
- Miles: Ruthenian, Pavoni, Beowulf.
Third race (2 p.m.). $20,000 maiden claiming hurdle, 2 3/8 miles. Thatsmyboxer has finished second twice. Ice Bar was second here last year.
- Joe: Thatsmyboxer, Mystified, Ice Bar.
- Sean: Thatsmyboxer, Hey Padre, Orders Anthem.
- Tom: Leaping Louis, Whizbang, Ice Bar.
- Miles: Ice Bar, That’s My Boxer, Orders Anthem.
Fourth race (2:35 p.m.). $20,000 maiden claiming hurdle, 2 3/8 miles. Sire Not This Time succeeds at everything, his 5-year-old son Rejection Hurts looks for a jump win. Harrenhal drops way down in competition level. Maryland Moon was third at Middleburg. Barrolo makes U.S. debut, off a two-year layoff. Camcha comes off a race with two next-out winners.
- Joe: Harrenhal, Camcha, Barrolo.
- Sean: Harrenhal, Maryland Moon, Barrolo.
- Tom: Maryland Moon, Harrenhal, Camcha.
- Miles: Harrenhal, Maryland Moon, Barrolo.
Fifth race (3:10 p.m.). $40,000 maiden hurdle, 2 3/8 miles. Getting late for maidens as just six show up. Grey Pharoh has been second in two salty maiden races. Lewins Gully was third in the last one, at Far Hills. Lucky Prince stepped forward with a second last week. Irish-bred Rebel Ridge is out of a full-sister to major chase winner Ballynagour.
- Joe: Grey Pharoh, Lewins Gully, Middle Ages.
- Sean: Grey Pharoh, Lewins Gully, Lucky Prince.
- Tom: Grey Pharoh, Lewins Gully, Lucky Prince.
- Miles: Grey Pharoh, Lewins Gully, Rebel Ridge.
Sixth race (3:45 p.m.). $75,000 Marion du Pont Scott Memorial hurdle stakes for fillies/mares, 2 3/8 miles. Seven distaffers show up and they’ll be happy to not see Timetoshine, Emily Love and some of the other stars. Gossiper rides one of the world’s most varied winning streaks with an $8,000 claiming score on the synthetic at Gulfstream Park in February, a starter allowance flat on the turf at Fair Hill Aug. 30 and a maiden hurdle score at Foxfield Oct. 5. Wilma Flintshire was second in the Foxfield race. Bold Look was third there. Love Saga beat males at Foxfield. Madaket’s Arrow drops out of the Far Hill stakes.
- Joe: Gossiper, Wilma Flintshire, Bold Look.
- Sean: Gossiper, Wilma Flintshire, Madaket’s Arrow.
- Tom: Madaket’s Arrow, Love Saga, Wilma Flintshire.
- Miles: Gossiper, Wilma Flintshire, Bold Look.
Seventh race (4:20 p.m.). $75,000 Noel Laing Stakes over natural brush fences, 2 1/2 miles. The last race run over natural brush fences on the circuit. Jumps and distance will test seven runners. Off back to back wins, Cool Jet shoulders 158 pounds, 14-16 pounds more than the rest. Sweet Will looks like a player if he runs back to his Lonesome Glory form. For The Parish won at Nashville and exits a solid novice stakes at Far Hills. Active Duty should improve.
- Joe: Cool Jet, Sweet Will, For The Parish.
- Sean: Cool Jet, Noble Anthem, For The Parish.
- Tom: Cool Jet, Sweet Will, Noble Anthem.
- Miles: Cool Jet, Sweet Will, Noble Anthem.
Pennsylvania Hunt Cup.
Load up the traps and head to Unionville for the traditional timber meet Sunday afternoon (don’t forget to change the clocks). They used to run hurdle races too, which were fun around there. Best bet of the day: Seeing someone you went to high school with. Second best bet of the day: Wind. Post time or the four-race card is 1:30 p.m.
First race (1:30 p.m.). $15,000 maiden timber, 3 miles. Sorolla exits a second at Shawan Downs. Karl Cares (Empire Maker-It’s Tea Time) wins the pedigree race. The Red Fox was third at Genesee Valley after falling at Shawan.
- Joe: The Red Fox, Recoup, Sorolla.
- Sean: The Red Fox, Sorolla, Vadavvero.
- Tom: The Red Fox, Recoup, Sorolla.
- Miles: The Red Fox, Sorolla, Vadavvero.
Second race (2:05 p.m.). $20,000 allowance (NW2) timber, 3 miles. Potus and Old Style Humor exit wins. Eternal Story drops out of two stakes starts. Hard Game was third, a nose ahead of Eternal Story, in stakes company last time. Wagner is trying to live up to that debut last year and will be happy to get away from Keys Discount.
- Joe: Potus, Eternal Story, Wagner.
- Sean: Potus, Wagner, Hard Game.
- Tom: Potus, Wagner, Hard Game.
- Miles: Wagner, Druid’s Altar, Eternal Story.
Third race (3 p.m.). $35,000 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup timber stakes, 4 miles. It’s not Maryland, but it’s still a jumping test around a demanding course. Awesome Adrian makes his fifth start at the meet. Goodoldtimes won this in 2021. Rhythmia won the allowance race in 2023. Shootist took the maiden in 2021. The Butler Yates won the stakes at Genesee Oct. 11. Jockey leader Graham Watters takes the mount on Master Seville. Theda’s Boy has been 1-2-3 in all eight timber starts.
- Joe: Goodoldtimes, Master Seville, The Butler Yates.
- Sean: Goodoldtimes, Master Seville, The Butler Yates.
- Tom: The Butler Yates, Goodoldtimes, Uco Valley.
- Miles: Master Seville, Awesome Adrian, Goodoldtimes.
Fourth race (3:45 p.m.). Training flat for apprentice jockeys, 1 3/8 miles. Wonderfull Lady has stakes form in France, and the U.S., and won a Delaware Park starter in August. Grahamzilla figures for Ricky Hendriks. Caramelised has lots of hurdle class. Channel King has been busy at Presque Isle Downs. Rhebus Road shakes off some rust.
- Joe: Caramelised, Wonderfull Lady, Grahamzilla.
- Sean: Saint Templar, Caramelised, Wonderfull Lady.
- Tom: Saint Templar, Wonderfull Lady, On The Couch.
- Miles: Saint Templar, Wonderfull Lady, Caramelised.
