Shawan Recap
©Tod Marks
Keys Discount continues his dominance as Fall NSA season gets underway
Legacy Chase kickstarts 12-meet, $3 million fall National Steeplechase Association season
After a full summer campaign at the major tracks, jump racing returned to the hunt circuit for the 25th anniversary edition of the Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs in Hunt Valley, Md., on Saturday.
Despite rainy overcast conditions, which curtailed attendance, the seven-race, $175,000 card marked the return of reigning National Steeplechase Association timber champion Keys Discount, who put on another tour de force performance to capture his second straight $25,000 Brown Advisory stakes.
Here’s how the day played out
Keys Discount runs win streak to eight with dominant showing
Dolly Fisher’s seven-year-old star was content to sit in fifth (of six) for most of the 3 1/8 miles, rallied up the backside nearing the final turn, was in complete control heading to the 17th fence, and powered home easily by 9 1/4 lengths under jockey Jamie Bargary. Will Russell’s Animal Kingston (Graham Watters) was second; Noble Stables’ Total Joy (Freddie Procter), who led most of the way, was third.
The Maryland-bred son of Medal Count is rapidly running out of superlatives to chronicle his heroics. Keys Discount, trained by Dolly’s Hall of Fame conditioner-son, Jack, is riding a winning streak dating back to the Middleburg Hunt Cup in April 2025. He has also captured nine of his last 10 starts going back two years, and the streak would have reached nine in a row had he not balked at a jump and lost his rider while racing on the lead in the 2024 Genesee Valley Hunt Cup. With the victory, Keys Discount ran his lifetime earnings to $264,000, improving his 2026 record to a perfect three for three.
Evade scores in first try over jumps
A five-year-old French-bred stakes winner overseas who was Grade 3 placed while under the care of Mike Maker, Commonwealth Racing’s Evade made his NSA debut a winning one in the opener, a $30,000 maiden special weights contest, which like all of the hurdle races on the card was contested at 2 miles.
Breaking slowly in the field of 10 under Jack Power, the Kathy Neilson-trainee was ninth after the first mile, but quickly moved up to take charge with a half mile to go, passing frontrunners Blueflagflyinghigh (Bernie Dalton) and Day And Age (Freddie Procter), then ridden to a clear lead at the mile-and-a-half mark. He had a comfortable lead over the final fence, and drew off easily to score by 6 ¾ lengths. Southwind Stable’s Lost in the Dream (Dan Nevin) rallied for second, nearly seven lengths clear of the show horse, Keystone Thoroughbreds’ I Found My Jet (Virginia Korrell).
A winner of more than $227,000 on the flat, Evade also boasts a close fourth-place finish (at 19-1 in a field of 12) in a Grade 1 stake at Kentucky Downs in 2024.
Max Attack scores in first career start
It was a two-win day for owner-trainer Todd McKenna, who sent out Grade 1 hurdle star Noah and the Ark to his maiden win over timber. But before that, he saddled another winner in Max Attack, a four-year-old Irish-bred making his first career start in the second race, also a $30,000 maiden special weights hurdle event.
With leading NSA rider Freddie Procter aboard, the son of multiple Grade 1 winner Maxios sat in mid pack (of nine) for the first mile or so, took the lead heading into the far turn the last time around and held off a brisk charge by Michael Smith’s Iconic Walk (Conor Tierney) to prevail by a nose. Bruton Street-US’ Hard Spun to Run (Jack Power) put in a late run to finish third, just a length behind the top pair.
The “Doctor” is in the house
Paul and Molly Willis and Devon Smith’s Doctor Love assumed the lead after the first half mile, widened his advantage by as much as eight lengths, then repelled a late challenge by Riverdee Stable’s Tuddenham Green to take the third, a $25,000 handicap for horses rated at 115 or less.
With Stephen Mulqueen riding for trainer Tom Garner, the six-year-old French-bred set a pressured pace, and maintained a substantial lead coming out of the final turn. He was still well in front heading over the final fence as Tuddenham Green (Jamie Bargary) cut into his advantage with each stride, narrowing the gap but falling short by half a length at the wire.
The win was the second for the son of Doctor Dino, a three-time G1 winner of nearly $4 in Europe and the U.S., this season. Doctor Love broke his maiden at the Old Dominion Hounds meet in the spring. Most recently, he finished a distant fourth to budding star Mr. Percy in the Jonathan Kiser novice stakes at Saratoga over the summer.
Time Song outlasts rivals in $35,000 non-winners of two allowance hurdle
A well-traveled flat runner in California, Florida, Kentucky, and on the NYRA circuit, Bruton Street-US’ Time Song won for the second time in three National Steeplechase Association career starts, outfinishing Gill Johnston’s Awesome Man (Virginia Korrell) and Sharon Sheppard’s Investment Mandate (Freddie Procter), drawing clear by 4 1/2 lengths.
The win was one of two on the day for owner Bruton Street and trainer Jack Fisher, the latter dominating the standings once again.
With Dan Nevin in the saddle, the five-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Not This Time was content to sit back in midpack (of 10) in the early going, moved up into third on the final turn, and took a slight lead over Investment Mandate and Awesome Man at the last fence. Investment Mandate stumbled heading over that final jump, but jockey Freddie Procter did a masterful job keeping his mount upright and the duo was able to finish third. Awesome Man, who had dueled Investment Mandate for the lead, wasn’t able to keep up with the winner, finishing second.
Hurdle star Noah and the Ark earns first victory over timber
Keystone Thoroughbreds’ Noah and the Ark, a two-time Grade 1 winner of the American Grand National and Lonesome Glory stakes, looked like a champ over post and rails with a front-running victory in the sixth race, a $15,000 maiden contest over timber.
Now age 12, Noah and the Ark ran his last race over hurdles in the G1 Colonial Cup in 2024, finishing a close second to Irv Naylor’s Too Friendly. The year before, he was an 18-1 winner of the Grand National (G1) at Far Hills, and in 2022, he upset Snap Decision in the Lonesome Glory at Aqueduct at 41-1. His biggest victories came with Harry Beswick in the saddle, and the pair was reunited once again at Shawan.
After his second in the Colonial Cup, Noah and the Ark went to the sidelines for a year and a half. He re-emeged at Fair Hill in May, where he made his timber debut, losing a photo finish to Auction Kingdom. This was his first start since then.
The margin of victory was 4 3/4 lengths. Paul and Molly Willis’ Moonshine Time (Stephen Mulqueen) was second. Pelham Road’s Awesome Strike (Dan Nevin) was third.
Trace and Trace gives Niall Prendergast first NSA win
Bruton Street-US’ was back in the winner’s circle in the finale as Track and Trace led virtually every step of the way in the seventh, a $15,000 timber allowance at 3 1/8 miles for amateur and apprentice riders.
With NSA newcomer Niall Prendergast aboard for trainer Mark Beecher, the nine-year-old won for the first time since he registered back-to-back tallies in his first two U.S. starts in the spring of 2025. Since then, he’s been traveling — and running well — in top company, finishing second twice and third once behind champion Keys Discount in stakes.
It was Prendergast’s first victory on the circuit.