Carolina Cup tops weekend double header
©Tod Marks
Six races worth $195,000 are on tap for South Carolina’s premier spring social event, while timber specialists head to Pennsylvania for four additional contests worth $65,000.
Racing returns to historic Springdale Race Course in Camden, S.C., on Saturday for the 90th running of the Carolina Cup Races. Anchored by the $75,000 Carolina Cup, which this year will be run as a stake for novice jumpers ages four and up at 2 ⅛ miles, the card includes four other hurdle races, all of which will be contested at the same distance. Gates open at 9 a.m.; first race post time is 1:30 p.m.
Aside from the feature, the lineup includes a $25,000 maiden claiming race; a pair of $30,000 maiden special weights contests; a $35,000 handicap for horses rated at 115 or less; and a training flat prep race on the turf at 1 ½ miles.
On Sunday, racing resumes in Unionville, Pa., in Chester County for the 78th Cheshire Races at Plantation Field on Route 82. The day’s activities include pony races, a parade of Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds, flat races, sidesaddle races, and timber races – including four NSA sanctioned events at 3 miles: a $20,000 allowance, a $15,000 allowance restricted to apprentice riders; and two $15,000 maidens. Gates open at 10 a.m. The pony races kickstart the day at 10:30 a.m. The NSA races are scheduled to go off at 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2 p.m.
In the Carolina Cup, the season’s first stakes race, a highly competitive field of eight are expected to face starter Barry Watson. Heading the field is 2024 novice champion Carloun, who has captured three straight races including the Grade 1 $150,000 William Allison stakes, for owners Paul and Molly Willis, trainer Keri Brion, and jockey Stephen Mulqueen.
Carloun will be stiffly tested by other recent winners. Del Rio Racing’s Little Trilby scored by 21 lengths in the Holiday Cup handicap stakes for trainer Ricky Hendriks and jockey Gerard Galligan to end the 2023 season in Aiken last November. Shannon Hill Farm’s Evie’s Prince captured the $100,000 Michael G. Walsh novice stakes at Saratoga in August. Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Walk the Warrior, trained by leading conditioner Leslie Young, has a maiden victory and four seconds in five NSA outings, all last year. Irv Naylor’s French bred and raced import Sultan Pierji, trained by Tom Garner, made two NSA stakes starts last season, and finished second in the Holiday Cup. Metahorse Racing’s Praghas Ceart, trained and ridden by Sean McDermott closed out 2024 with back-to-back tallies, breaking his maiden and taking a non-winners of two allowance, both at Glenwood Park in Middleburg, Va. His allowance win came over Upland Flats Racing’s Blue Creek, who won the featured Imperial Cup 120 handicap at Aiken last weekend. St. Rita Racing’s recent jump-racing convert China Beach steps up in class after breaking his maiden at Aiken last fall. Bruton Street-US’ Quick Master was an impressive 115 handicap winner for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher at Middleburg in October. He followed it up with a gutsy performance in the Grade 1 Colonial Cup at Springdale Race Course, leading by as much as 12 lengths for the first 2 ¼ miles before stumbling upon landing at the final fence, and subsequently fading.
If you can’t make it to the races in person, you can watch the live stream via the NSA website.