Montpelier & Pennsylvania Hunt Cup recap:
©Tod Marks
Cool Jet crushes field in G3 Noel Laing and becomes season’s only three-time graded stakes winner
Last weekend featured a trio of stakes races in Virginia and Pennsylvania headed by the Grade 3 $75,000 Noel Laing at Montpelier, which cast leading NSA owner Riverdee Stable in the spotlight once again.
The race also enhanced Cool Jet’s credentials as the NSA’s top steeplechaser of 2025 with an emphatic victory over six overmatched rivals in the 2 ½-mile stake over Montpelier’s signature natural brush fences.
With Bernie Dalton aboard, the nine-year-old Irish-bred toyed with his opponents, leading from start to finish, without any serious threat.
It didn’t matter that Cool Jet, trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, conceded 14 to 16 pounds to his rivals. The winner broke on top, running a length or two ahead of Runnymoore Racings’s duo of Tufton Avenue (Conor Tierney) and Clifton Down (Dan Nevin), at one time or another, Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s For the Parish (Jamie Bargary), and lastly Ballybristol Farm’s Noble Anthem (Evan Dwan), who tried mightily and finished a gutsy second, about four lengths behind. For the Parish took the show spot.
The win was the third in five outings this season for Cool Jet, who secured the Grade 1 Commonwealth Cup at Great Meadow in the spring as well as the G3 Mariann De Tejada Memorial at Foxfield in October.
Seven different horses have won the NSA’s seven Grade 1s this year, and Cool Jet is the only three time stakes winner over hurdles. Cool Jet aside, no other G1 winner contested the Laing. With the victory, Cool Jet vaulted past Abaan in earnings, with $190,500 and thus becomes the frontrunner for the Lonesome Glory Award as the season’s richest runner.
Year-end honors could very well be decided on Nov. 23 with the eighth and final Grade 1, the prestigious $150,000 Colonial Cup at Springdale Race Course in Camden, S.C.
In other action at Montpelier…
Maiden Our Finest Hour shocks in $75,000 Marion DuPont Scott Memorial
Rebecca Shepherd’s Our Finest Hour, coming off the flat with only one hurdle start on her resume, pulled off the upset in the filly & mare stake with a four-length score over Ivy Hill Stable’s Love Saga, trained and ridden by Sean McDermott.
Trained by David Bourke and ridden by Conor Tierney, the French-bred four-old, who made her jump racing debut in a maiden starter/optional claimer at Virginia Fall last month (finishing far back), wasn’t in the picture for most of the 2 3/8-mile distance of the race.
Another newcomer, Adam Newman, Tom Rice, and James Stainbrook’s Gossiper (Freddie Procter), exiting a blowout maiden score, set the pace with Paul and Molly Willis’ New Appointment (Evan Dwan) in close pursuit, with that duo playing cat and mouse for much of the going.
In the late stages of the race, the field compacted and everything changed. Riverdee Stable’s Wilma Flintshire (Graham Watters) launched a six wide bid, while Love Saga swooshed from last to first, and Our Finest Hour made her move. Daigneault Thoroughbreds’ Madaket’s Arrow (Bernie Dalton) rallied as well, and the race was on. Heading over the final fence it was Love Saga and Our Finest Hour, with the latter out gaming her foes, drawing off by about four lengths. Madaket’s Arrow narrowly bested Love Saga for the place spot.
Scoop the Pot digs down to score in $30,000 Madison Plate handicap
Joe Fowler’s Scoop the Pot broke on top and withstood multiple challenges throughout his 2 3/8-mile journey to take the second at Montpelier, a handicap for horses rated at 110 or less.
Trained by Kate Dalton and ridden by her husband, Bernie, the four-year-old New York-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid started fast in the field of seven, and was quickly joined by Atsamy Racing Club’s Cainyoudothetwist (Freddie Procter), with Vivian Rall’s Super Chunk (trained and ridden by Sean McDermott) in close pursuit.
The field remained tightly bunched for most of the way, and Scoop the Pot soon faced another challenge from Paul and Molly Willis, Todd McKenna, and Betsy Barr’s Pavoni, who drew alongside the leader. The duo scooted off and as they moved downhill in the race toward the finish, Scoop the Pot regained the lead by daylight, as Super Chunk got his second wind. Racing into the stretch, Super Chunk was breathing down the neck of his foe, but fell short by a long neck. Pavoni was well back in third.
The victory was the second of the season for Scoop the Pot, who joined the NSA in March after coming off the NYRA circuit.
Orders Anthem proves much the best in $20,000 Battleship
Runnymoore Racing’s Orders Anthem, always on or near the lead, drew off impressively in the third, a maiden claiming event.
With Dan Nevin aboard for trainer Mark Beecher, the Irish-bred five-year-old won for the first time in five career starts, all on the NSA circuit. His previous starts came in maiden special weights company.
The race began with Taco Tuesday Amigo’s Ice Bar (Bernie Dalton) taking the lead and Orders Anthem close behind, followed by a bevy of challengers. The two battled back and forth for the lead, as the field continued to get more and more stretched out.
In the latter stages, Orders Anthem began to assert himself, opening up by about six lengths turning for home, widening the gap with each stride, and no one in sight as jockey Nevin looked back to size up the competition. Furlong Friends’ Mystified (Conor Tierney) got up for second; Turks Head Turf’s Hey Padre (Jamie Bargary) was third.
Nevin, Beecher strike again in Constitution maiden claimer
Fresh off their score in the third, trainer Mark Beecher and jockey Dan Nevin didn’t waste time finding the winner’s circle again, taking the fourth, another $20,000 maiden claiming hurdle, with Turks Head Turf’s Rejection Hurts.
Making his fifth NSA start after a career on the flat, the five-year-old Minnesota-bred, was content to sit well back in the large field as Del Rio Racing’s Harrenhal (Conor Tierney) showed the way for almost the entire 2 3/8 miles, with Greg Hawkins’ Camcha (Bernie Dalton) also in the hunt from the get go.
Harrenhal maintained his advantage over the final few jumps, leading by several lengths, but in a decisive move, Rejection Hurts zoomed into contention in mid stretch, and pulled clear by about a length and a half at the wire. Camcha held for third.
Grey Pharoh a bridesmaid no more; takes $40,000 maiden in style
Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Grey Pharoh, coming off of three seconds in three career starts, proved much the best under Jamie Bargary in the Montpelier Cup maiden special weights hurdle.
Trained by Leslie Young, the five-year-old Irish-bred son of multiple G2 winning millionaire Policy Maker, stalked the pace set by the leader, Run and Gun’s Cinco Linko (Harry Beswick), who was on top by as many as five lengths and rolling alone easily, with the rest of the field far back.
With a couple of fences to go, Grey Pharoh edged closer and closer to the leader, and passed him easily, quickly opening up by several lengths and winning geared down by 29 lengths.
Cinco Linko held second, with Devon Smith’s Lewin’s Gully an even more distant third.
Grey Pharoh was a hard luck neck loser to Bonnebosq in his NSA debut (he finished second in his initial outing in Punchestown) at the Iroquois Races in May, then was a good second to Gordon Elliott’s We’re Back Again in the McDynamo Maiden Stakes at Far Hills two weeks ago.
Scarlet Raider takes Foundation Cup with late surge
Atsamy Racing Club’s Scarlet Raider, with Sarah Cundith in the saddle, collared longtime leaders Modern Master and Where’s Charlie with only a couple of strides to go to take the opener, a training flat race at a mile over Montpelier’s unique dirt course.
Trained by Arch Kingsley, the three-year-old Kentucky-bred was making only his fourth career start and the first out of Ireland, where he failed to hit the board in a trio of maiden weight-for-age contests.
Modern Master (Graham Watters) and Where’s Charlie (Bernie Dalton), both owned by Pathfinder Racing and trained by Neil Morris, led from the start, drawing clear of the rest of the field in the latter stages. That’s when Scarlet Raider began moving up in the field of seven, making an outside move nearing the wire, and just getting up over the Pathfinder duo.
And in Pennsylvania…
The curtain came down on the 2025 Mid-Atlantic timber racing season as Master Seville captured the $35,000 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup.
The South Branch Equine runner gave trainer Mark Beecher his first victory in the final race he won as a rider. It also was Beecher’s third win of the weekend, giving him 13 on the season, good enough for third place behind Jack Fisher and Leslie Young.
In addition, it was one of two victories on the four-race card for jockey Graham Watters, who all but nailed down his fourth title in five years. Watters has a 10-win lead over his closest competitors.
The race began when Upland Partners’ Shootist and Luke Carberry seized the lead in the field of eight, and set the pace for the first three miles as Nancy Reed’s Awesome Adrian (Teddy Davies) and Potter Group USA, Gaskells Waste Services, and Ashwell Stable’s Uco Valley (Freddie Procter) gave chase. Master Seville, who bided his time in fourth, engaged Uco Valley on the final bend, took the lead two fences from home, and powered clear by 4 3/4 lengths. Armata Stables’ Goodoldtimes (Dan Nevin) rallied for third.
Prior to the Hunt Cup, the nine-year-old Pennsylvania-bred had compiled a first, second, and third in three 2025 starts, the show finish coming in the Willowdale Steeplechase in April where he was moved up from fourth following a disqualification. The victory was Master Seville’s first in a stakes.
Recoup regroups to break maiden over timber
Irv Naylor’s British-bred Recoup, sporting a full-blown Juddmonte pedigree, finally enjoyed his breakthrough moment on the NSA circuit, taking the opener at Unionville, the $15,000 Lewis C. Ledyard maiden over post and rails.
With Freddie Procter riding for trainer Kathy Neilson, the five-year-old settled in third of five early, was as far back as fifth, and inherited the lead two fences out when there was a spill. The margin of victory was 3 1/4 lengths.
Recoup is a regally-bred son of the great Sea of Stars, a European classic winner of eight of nine career starts including the Prix d l’Arc de Triomphe, Irish Champion, Epsom Derby, and Two Thousand Guineas, and the unraced mare Vote Often. Vote Often was sired by another multiple G1 winner, Beat Hollow (winner of the Manhattan, Turf Classic, and Arlington Million). And all three were bred by Juddmonte.
Prior to coming stateside, Recoup ran a dozen times in Europe with modest success including two wins and eight top-three finishes. This was Recoup’s first top three finish in six NSA tries.
Potus continues Riverdee’s hot hand
Riverdee Stable’s Potus gave another big boost to the year-end title aspirations of the ownership group, trainer Jack Fisher, and jockey Graham Watters with Potus, who got up in the final strides to take the $20,000 Arthur O. Choate for non-winners of two allowance over timber.
The win was the second straight for the seven-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid, who broke his maiden three weeks ago at Virginia Fall.
Hard Game’s Hard Game, ridden by Freddie Procter, led from the start to the final fence, dueling Potus until giving way late.
With the win, Riverdee increased its lead in the standings over Bruton Street-US by nearly $140,000, while Fisher (26 wins) now holds a nine-race lead over Leslie Young. Watters is 10 ahead of a quartet of fellow jockeys.
As previously noted, Riverdee earned a Grade 2 win on Saturday in the Noel Laing at Montpelier.
Grahamzilla, a son American Pharoah, wins on the flat in NSA debut
The only thing more poetic than a horse named Grahamzilla winning on the National Steeplechase Association circuit would be if leading rider Graham Watters — who is about to lock down his fourth riding title in the past five years — was aboard for the victory.
But even if Watters was in the saddle, he couldn’t have given the horse a better ride than the one Elizabeth Scully gave the three-year-old gelding.
With a full field of 11 going to the post in the 1 3/8-training flat event, Scully kept the son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in fourth and out of traffic for most of the going. She saved ground on the inside and unleashed a late move on the outside to overtake Gill Johnston and Sharon Sheppard’s stakes-winning Caramelised (Luke Carberry) and kept busy to repel a late surge by Butler Hall Racing and Tom Rice’s Wonderfull Lady (James Wyatt).
The winner, who was bred by new NSA owner Erdenheim Farm Thoroughbreds. in Pennsylvania, ran twice on the flat at Tampa Bay twice in the spring before switching to jumps for his owner. vin) closed well for third.