Last weekend, the National Steeplechase Association season eased into gear with the Aiken Steeplechase in South Carolina. One meet, six races, green light, let’s go. Seven days later, somebody hit the nitrous as three stops – Saturday’s headlining Carolina Cup in South Carolina and Blue Ridge in Virginia, plus Cheshire in Pennsylvania – rev up the action.
All this after announcements this week of a new Grade 1 steeplechase, the Beverly Steinman, at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in June and the inclusion of jump races on Colonial Downs’ regular pari-mutuel schedule this summer.
Get tied on, it’s going to be fun.
At Aiken, West Newton won the featured Imperial Cup – giving up the lead with some left-leaning jumps and then running down Caramelised late. Upland Flats Racing’s English-bred has won three of his last four (with a second) at traditional steeplechase meets, where Lasix is allowed in stakes races, while losing ugly in two New York tries (no Lasix in stakes). Harry Beswick rode the winner, an 8-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy, for trainer Ricky Hendriks. Since joining his new connections via a $15,000 claim at Radnor in 2021, West Newton has won six races (five over jumps and one on the turf at Pimlico).
Also at Aiken:
- Upland Flats, Hendriks and Beswick opened the card with a training flat win from Hidden Path, a 4-year-old Hard Spun gelding with two flat wins and $175,875 in earnings on his record. He makes his hurdle debut Saturday.
- Trainer Leslie Young and jockey Jamie Bargary won the starter maiden hurdle, with Tom Rice’s Secret Soulmate, who placed in two of four hurdle starts last year. The son of Perfect Soul outran seven others in the first jump race of the year.
- First-timer Chef d’Etat won the maiden hurdle for Hurricana Farm, trainer Arch Kingsley and jockey Parker Hendriks. The 5-year-old Irish-bred won two bumpers in Ireland (one at 33-1 with Kingsley’s daughter Taylor aboard) for trainer Shark Hanlon.
- Clara Belle won the 110 handicap hurdle for trainer Keri Brion and owners Jordan Wycoff and Frank Mullins. Bernie Dalton rode the 5-year-old Broken Vow mare, who thumped four male rivals on the strength of three flat starts at Turfway Park this year.
- Dalton and his wife Kate teamed up to take the filly/mare maiden with first-timer Haint Blue. Bred in France by owner Layton Register, the 4-year-old daughter of The Grey Gatsby had won on the flat at Laurel in October.
In the TIHR handicapping challenge, everybody had West Newton while Joe added Hidden Path and Sean tabbed Chef d’Etat. That’s 2-2-1 on the leaderboard. This weekend will change that. As usual, you can watch live on the NSA website, get entries there and see past performances wherever you get yours.
Carolina Cup. Post time at Springdale Race Course in Camden, S.C. is 1:30 p.m. and the card goes six races deep. Full credit to the team there, headed by Toby Edwards and Jeff Teter, and the state of South Carolina for course improvements like a new irrigation system and a commitment to bring back the Colonial Cup in November.
First race. $25,000 National Steeplechase Museum maiden claiming hurdle going 2 1/8 miles. Eight face the starter. King Of Tsavo placed twice over hurdles in 2022, but missed last year. Bless Bless finished third three times last year. I Am Fortunata was second at Callaway Gardens in November. Ice Bar and Mr Jefferson get right back to work after trying Aiken. Juulstone won three on the flat for Mike Maker.
- Joe: Sherkali, I Am Fortunata, Juulstone.
- Sean: Sherkali, King Of Tsavo, Juulstone.
- Tom: Sherkali, I Am Fortunata, Juulstone.
Second race. $30,000 Dale Thiel maiden hurdle going 2 1/8 miles. If you’re there, check out the trophy – it’s literally crafted from one of Thiel’s hats. He ran the races there for years and was an NSA owner. Royne brings some solid flat form, and actually tried jumps last spring. He’s better than that. Hidden Path tuned up at Aiken. Kelmscott and Parish Delight get off the bench after placing twice in 2022. Likewise, Lightning Rod ends a long layoff.
- Joe: Hidden Path, Royne, Memento.
- Sean: Lightning Rod, Memento, Southpaw Mike.
- Tom: Hidden Path, Kelmscott, Lightning Rod.
Third race. $30,000 C.P. and Edith Wills DuBose Cup maiden hurdle going 2 1/8 miles. Six go in this one. St. John’s finished second to future graded stakes winner First Mission on the flat last March. Snow Geese was third twice last year. Feeling Festive, Cuppateaman and Irelands Call have Irish point-to-point form. Irelands Call cost $124,000 and parted company with his rider midway through his NSA debut last fall.
- Joe: Irelands Call, St. John’s, Snow Geese.
- Sean: St. John’s, Snow Geese, Feeling Festive.
- Tom: Snow Geese, St. John’s, Giantsbane.
Fourth race. $30,000 Kirkover-Woodward Cup handicap hurdle (115 and below) going 2 1/8 miles. Ten tackle the fourth and come from a variety of angles. Lightning Ridge won twice as a 3-year-old last year, yet somehow didn’t win the NSA title. Oscar Winner and Bee Major bring considerably more experience. Agitare righted his ship a bit last fall. Tease And Seize is putting together a nice resume.
- Joe: Lightning Ridge, Tease And Seize, Oscar Winner.
- Sean: Oscar Winner, Lightning Ridge, Cainudothetwist.
- Tom: Cainudothetwist, Oscar Winner, Lightning Ridge.
Fifth race. $75,000 Carolina Cup novice hurdle stakes going 2 1/8 miles. The Cup dates back to 1930 and has been run over timber, natural brush and hurdles. The novice condition drew four runners this year and they pack a punch. Abaan is 2-for-3 since bringing his standout flat form to jumping last summer. The win at Far Hills last fall was a big deal for an inexperienced horse. He gets another test. The Hero Next Door won over the course last year, added an allowance the next time and was all but a winner when he fell while leading at Nashville. Seconds to Abaan and Cool Jet late in 2023 capped a standout rookie season. L’Imperator couldn’t handle those two at Far Hills, but won at Saratoga and nearly won the Lonesome Glory at Aqueduct. Neotropic enters his third season over jumps, an advantage against three second-year horses, but gets a class test. Watch the 2023 Foxbrook matchup between Abaan and The Hero Next Door here.
- Joe: Abaan, The Hero Next Door, Neotropic.
- Sean: Abaan, The Hero Next Door, L’Imperator.
- Tom: The Hero Next Door, Abaan, L’Imperator.
Sixth race. Camden Plate training flat race going 1 1/2 miles. Four to watch for later. Hall of Famer Janet Elliot sends out 4-year-old filly Camcha. She faces Irish hurdle winner Our Boy Wes and newcomers China Beach and Blue Nile.
- Joe: Camcha, Our Boy Wes, China Beach.
- Sean: Our Boy Wes, Blue Nile, Camcha.
- Tom: Camcha, Our Boy Wes, Blue Nile.
Blue Ridge. Saturday’s full card at the Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point goes six races deep and includes a maiden hurdle, a novice timber, a novice rieder flat and a Virginia-bred/sired/certified flat. In a continued expansion (see Cheshire and Old Dominion), the NSA sanctions some races at the traditionally unsanctioned meets. The first race at Blue Ridge is 1 p.m. The NSA races are the second and fourth.
Second race. $15,000 apprentice or amateur jockey handicap hurdle (non-winners of a timber or hurdle stakes in 2023-24) going 2 miles. Freddie Procter leads the jockeys in experience and rides the favorite, Fast Vision, for trainer Leslie Young. The 6-year-old was third behind Cool Jet and The Hero Next Door in a novice hurdle stakes last fall, and second in the 130 handicap at Far Hills. He carries 158 pounds, 12-16 more than his rivals. Decisive Triumph placed in four novice stakes in 2022 but raced just once last year. Imperial Assassin won a nice maiden hurdle last fall. Eye Of Gunfighter won twice over jumps last year, a 21-start (flat and jump) campaign.
- Joe: Fast Vision, Decisive Triumph, Imperial Assassin.
- Sean: Fast Vision, Imperial Assassin, Eye Of Gunfighter.
- Tom: Fast Vision, Imperial Assassin, Decisive Triumph.
Fourth race. $15,000 apprentice or amateur jockey allowance timber (non-winners of a timber or hurdle stakes in 2023-24) going 3 miles. Procter and Young team up with Salamanca School, twice a winner last year in a field of eight.
- Joe: Salamanca School, Bob’s Bar, Hard Game.
- Sean: Salamanca School, Pleasecallmeback, Bob’s Bar.
- Tom: Rocket Star Red, Bob’s Bar, Salamanca School.
Cheshire. Happy Easter. The steeplechase crowd will celebrate at the Cheshire Foxhounds Point-to-Point just outside Unionville, Pa. Post time for the opener, a small pony race, is 10:30 a.m. The first of three NSA races goes at noon.
First race. $20,000 Joseph Walker III Cheshire Bowl open timber going 3 miles. Maryland Hunt Cup winner Withoutmoreado heads a field of four including Pennsylvania Hunt Cup winner Royal Ruse plus last year’s Cheshire Bowl winner Court Ruler and multiple timber winner Fashion Line.
- Joe: Court Ruler, Royal Ruse, Withoutmoreado.
- Sean: Court Ruler, Royal Ruse, Fashion Line.
- Tom: Royal Ruse, Withoutmoreado, Court Ruler.
Second race. $15,000 Paddy Neilson apprentice jockey allowance timber (non-winners of a timber or hurdle stakes in 2023-24) going 3 miles. Include It, undefeated in three NSA timber starts, returns after missing last year and takes on Chosen Mate (who won three last year), Rhythmia (two), Master Seville (one) and Awesome Adrian (one).
- Joe: Include It, Chosen Mate, Rhythmia.
- Sean: Awesome Adrian, Include It, Master Seville.
- Tom: Include It, Rhythmia, Awesome Adrian.
Third race. $15,000 Ashwell Stable maiden timber going 3 miles. The professionals get to ride in a race that overfilled with 10 entries. Eight can run. Uco Valley won over hurdles in 2022. Animal Kingston won twice over hurdles last year. Mekong was second over timber at the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup last year. Junonia is worth a look if he draws in.
- Joe: Mekong, Animal Kingston, Uco Valley.
- Sean: Uco Valley, Mekong, Animal Kingston.
- Tom: Animal Kingston, Mekong, Glencorrib Sky.
If all that’s not enough, Maryland’s Green Spring Valley Hounds also host a point-to-point Sunday, where training flat races attracted the likes of Snap Decision, High Definition, Proven Innocent, Rocket One, Foxy Walk, Zabeel Champion, Who’s Counting, Vintage Vinnie, Jimmy P, Cool Jet and so on.
