The races are back. If you’re in or near Cecil County, Maryland, this weekend, Thoroughbreds race at Fair Hill once again Saturday with The Races at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory, a six-race card of races on the rebuilt turf course. Post time is 1 p.m.
If you’ve been before – the event hasn’t happened since 2019 – things will look the same but different. The course was rebuilt, meaning the turf is pristine and uniform and the turns aren’t nearly as sharp. The place lost some tailgate spaces and some old (really old) grandstands. But the paddock is still the paddock, the finish line is basically in the same place and you can bet with tellers or self-serve machines. All flat races (for now). Fields of eight (since the course hasn’t been used for more than workouts). No starting gate. Steeplechase weights and jockeys, and mostly trainers, etc.
There is a former Preakness Stakes runner in the entries. Hello Fenwick (race three). Hurdle stakes winners China Beach, Carloun, Welshman and Evie’s Prince are in action.
Admission is free, but you can’t bring in your own alcohol (sorry, it’s available for sale on site). You can bring a chair, a picnic, and a winning attitude to experience the return of a cool tradition. Longterm, hopefully this open house leads to a full event next spring – Memorial Day Weekend – and even more usage for steeplechase racing, flat racing and anything else that can be dreamed up.
Just know that a TON of work went into getting this event to this stage. There will no doubt be kinks to work out, but hopefully they’re minor and you enjoy yourself and want to get involved. For more, see the event website. Like the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill three-day event, the races are being managed and organized by the Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland. You can get past performances via Equibase or Daily Racing Form if you have an account. There’s no simulcasting (next year) so you have to be here to wager, but you can watch via the National Steeplechase Association website. Dawn Moore, wife of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore welcomed people to the event on the state-owned property this week. Check it out here.
Oh, and we’ve got picks below. Hope you’re cashing, not trashing.
1st race (1:00). $30,000 Maiden flat, 1 5/8 miles.
5-1-6. HOMESTEAD actually won at Laurel in April, but got disqualified for interference. Home game for him as he’s based across the street. Jockey has won more than 200 races on the flat. DE LA CRUZ just missed when second at Presque Isle Downs July 30. Changes barns in advance of potential hurdle career. But he’s still a maiden after 11 starts. He can win today. Champion jump jockey Watters takes call. Feel free to yell, “Come on, Elly” as he sprints for home. BENJIS BENEFIT exits decent try over jumps at Colonial Downs.
2nd race (1:40). $30,000 Filly/Mare maiden flat, 1 5/8 miles.
7-6-1. Lorraine (fifth) and Awesome McKinzie (sixth) come out of the same race at Colonial Downs in August. They were three-quarters of a length apart that day and are the horses to beat today. LORRAINE has been second six times so she’s excellent at getting close. Breezed three times on this course this summer so she knows the place. Love that she’s done her best work at extended distances. AWESOME MCKINZIE might be rounding into form and tries extended distance. CAMCHA has some OK flat form back there. She’s better than her last two.
3rd race (2:20). $20,000 Starter allowance flat, 1 5/8 miles.
1-9-6. GETTIN’DOWNONIT made up a ton of ground to be third last time at Colonial Downs. Gets more ground to work with here and could be sitting on big effort. FIGHTNOMOREFOREVER should draw in off the AE list with the expected scratch of Big Big Star. He’s been second twice this year. MORTAL SIN won an off-the-turf race at Delaware Park 10 days ago and gets right back to work for Fair Hill trainer. Fenwick ran in the Preakness in 2022, but needed to drop to the $8,000 claiming level to win in April. Favorite Big Big Star is expected to scratch, which makes this way more competitive.
4th race (3:00). $20,000 Filly/starter allowance flat, 1 5/8 miles.
2-5-3. Look for value. Well-bred GOSSIPER ought to appreciate the trip and brings three wins to her first start for trainer Arch Kingsley. TARTAN GREEN is 10-1 on the morning line and has put together a few good races this year including a win at Delaware Park in June and a second last time at Presque Isle. BALI KUTA finished third at Colonial in July.
5th race (3:20). $30,000 Brown Advisory jumper flat, 1 5/8 miles.
8-2-4. Runners must have started over fences, so you have to dig a little for flat form. Also, look for some of these in the Grade 1 hurdle race at Aqueduct next month. GASTON was pretty good in Canada for Kevin Attard in 2022-23. Can he settle and make a run? WELSHMAN’s flat form goes back to 2021, but it’s there. He needs to rebuild his season after two dull spring hurdle tries. MOONSHINE TIME is sneaky at hopefully a price. Never actually run on the flat, but he’s got a jump race or two back there that would win this. Evie’s Prince might be favored in a jump race. Can he quicken late going shorter?
6th race (4:00). $30,000 Valentine Family jumper flat, 1 5/8 miles.
9-4-6. Like the previous race, this is restricted to horses who have started over jumps. Who’s Counting ran at Saratoga Wednesday, so he’s a scratch. He would have been a major player. QUICK CAT should draw in off the also-eligible list and could pull an upset at what is hopefully a big price. Sticking with the feline theme, KITTEN MISCHIEF won twice on the flat and wasn’t disgraced in stakes company. He won his only jump start in April 2024, then went to the sidelines. Is he ready? MODERN SCIENCE also has stakes form on the flat, in 2021, and won in Minnesota in 2023. Pedigree says distance won’t be a problem.
