Steeplechase action heads to Virginia this week for a three-race card at Old Dominion.
Kate and Bernie Dalton aren’t going anywhere. And why would they? The Camden-based trainer/jockey duo won their second consecutive Carolina Cup Saturday. The home team won the novice stakes with Abaan last year. This year, China Beach upset the $75,000 stakes with a facile score over Little Trilby and Evie’s Prince. Favorite Carloun led early before being pulled up.
China Beach improved his hurdle career to two wins from four starts since joining Ted and Rita Thompson’s St Rita Racing. The 7-year-old won three races on the flat for Donald Brown before Ted Thompson bought him and gave him to Rita as a Valentine’s Day present. Hey, better than a box of chocolates.
China Beach won a training flat race for Thompson on the undercard of Abaan’s Carolina Cup victory in 2024 before joining the Daltons for a hurdle campaign. Fourth in his debut at Shawan Downs, third at Callaway Gardens and a winner at Aiken Fall, China Beach convinced connections to aim high in the 2025 stakes opener
“I thought the horse was going to run well but even I was excited there,” Kate Dalton said. “It’s always nice to win at home. You feel like everybody is little bit more a part of it. The maintenance crew guys dropped off a bag of carrots for China Beach this week. Everyone feels like they have a hand in it which is nice.”
After the win at Aiken, Thompson discussed plans with the Daltons. Approaches were bandied about, anything from a handicap at Aiken to an allowance race somewhere to the big one in the backyard.
“The day after Aiken, he was going home to Ted’s and we made the plan. Bernie said just tick him over, keep him fit and keep the Carolina Cup in mind,” Kate Dalton said. “Ted took him home, gave him a couple of weeks off, started jogging him again and texted me, ‘This horse is like a bear. I’m sending him back to you.’ We were delighted to get him back and he was indeed a bear. When the Cup was getting closer, he was training really, really well and I was like, ‘let’s take a shot and see what happens.’ ”
A local score for the little guys is what happened.
“I told Rita, ‘This is the best day in racing I’ve ever had,’ ” Ted Thompson said. “They had him tuned to the minute and he loves it there. They basically did the same thing they did with Abaan last year, went to a hunter pace and they had those practice races in Camden which was brilliant for him. I thought he was going to be a cool horse, a 110, 115 kind of horse and then run over timber. So much of it comes down to Bernie and Kate. They’re specialists at that.”
As for future Valentine’s Day gifts…
“It’s only downhill after this one,” Thompson said.
Mark Beecher unveiled impressive first-time starter Awesome Strike for Happenstance Stable in the maiden claimer at Camden. The Maryland-based trainer waived the claiming price and apprentice Dan Nevin and the son of Awesome Again did the rest. “Always nice to get the first one out of the way,” Beecher texted after the race. Amen.
Arch Kingsley continued his local prowess winning the maiden with front-running Memento for owner Mark Buyck and jockey Gerard Galligan. Putting his experience edge to good use, the Irish-bred drew off to win by 8 lengths after first-timer The Addison Pour made a mistake at the last hurdle and lost jockey Stephen Mulqueen.
Mulqueen bounced back to win the next, guiding Moonshine Time to an authoritative win over Ready For The Lady and Harrenhal. The Irish-bred, another one with an experience edge over his opponents, has now earned a check in eight starts over hurdles for Upland Flats Racing.
Tom Garner unleashed Irish-bred Noble Anthem to win the 115-handicap hurdle. Evan Dwan settled the 6-year-old off a torrid pace before rallying late to win by 2 ½ lengths. Purchased for $24,809 in December, the son of Starspangledbanner looked right at home over the flat, fast course in Camden.
Ever-young Richard Boucher guided the ever-young Pickford to win the training flat for Kevin Conto and Lilith Boucher. The 10-year-old owns nine wins in a 53-race flat career.
One-horse juggernaut St Rita Racing tops all owners with $45,000. Upland Flats leapt out with two wins from two starts. Leipers Fork Steeplechase has also won twice. Keri Brion leads all trainers with three wins. Kathy Neilson, Arch Kingsley and Leslie Young are tied with two wins apiece. Stephen Mulqueen stands at the top of the jockey board with three wins. Gerard Galligan stalks in second with two victories.
As for last week’s handicapping, Miles led the way with five wins (Awesome Strike, Memento, Moonshine Time, Wrestlingwithrae, Imperial Assassin). Sean countered with four wins (Awesome Strike, Memento, Moonshine Time, Court Ruler). Joe clocked in with one win (Moonshine Time). Tom was blanked for the second week in a row, but who’s counting?
On the year, Upstart Miles leads with seven wins. Proud Dad Sean sits in second with six. Key West Joe (a belated Happy Birthday) tracks his relatives with four. March Madness Tom hasn’t been called off the bench. Still plenty of time.
Action heads to Virginia this weekend with the Old Dominion Hounds providing a deep card for all levels of horses and horsemen. Three NSA races attracted 17 entries while a full docket of unsanctioned races enticed 68 entries, including stakes winner Noah And The Ark, Going Country, Proven Innocent, Welshman and Zarak The Brave in the open hurdle.
The Old Dominion Point-to-Point. Washington, Va. Post time (unsanctioned) Noon. Watch the live stream on the NSA website.
Fourth race. Maiden Hurdle. $30,000. 2 1/4 miles. 2:30 p.m.
Front-running Dynamite Dan returns for new owners Northwood Stable and Devon Smith and looks poised to improve from solid efforts behind next-out winners Praghas Ceart and Smart Uncle in the fall. Evan Dwan rides for Tom Garner. Barrel Aged makes his American debut for A J Suited Racing Stable and Keri Brion. Winning Spirit finished third at Warrenton for Julie Gomena.
- Miles: Winning Spirit, Dynamite Dan, Barrel Aged.
- Sean: Dynamite Dan, Barrel Aged, Split In Two.
- Joe: Winning Spirit, Dynamite Dan, Barrel Aged.
- Tom: Dynamite Dan, Vintage Year, Barrel Aged.
Fifth race. Maiden Hurdle. $30,000. 2 1/4 miles. 3 p.m.
The second division of the maiden recruits six horses including Reassured and The Wizards Well, who have both hit the board over hurdles, and first-time starters Decanted, Point Me By and Mission North. The latter won twice on the Maryland turf last year.
- Miles: Mission North, Decanted, Maryland Moon.
- Sean: Mission North, Decanted, Reassured.
- Joe: The Wizards Well, Mission North, Point Me By.
- Tom: Mission North, The Wizards Well, Decanted.
Seventh race. The Leeds Don. Allowance Timber. $20,000. 3 miles. 4 p.m.
Named after the first three-time winner of the Virginia Gold Cup, the allowance timber collects a competitive six-horse field including stakes-placed timber veterans Hard Strike and Family Tree.
- Miles: Fast Vision, Family Tree, Animal Kingston.
- Sean: Hard Strike, Family Tree, Master Seville.
- Joe: Hard Strike, Family Tree, Master Seville.
- Tom: Hard Strike, Family Tree, Corky Lemon.
