Race Recap

By Tod Marks The two-month National Steeplechase Association spring season came to an end on Saturday with a pair of tight finishes in the featured events at the 93rd Radnor Hunt Races in Malvern, Pa. In the $35,000 National Hunt Cup, contested at 2 1/8 miles as an allowance hurdle this year, Straylight Racing’s Frontline…

By Tod Marks Snap Decision, Abaan, and Right Tempo turn heads in Nashville, while Our Friend scores at Willowdale. Saturday’s steeplechasing doubleheader at the Iroquois in Nashville, and Willowdale Races some 800 miles away in Kennett Square, Pa., was nothing short of sensational, with three of the sports brightest stars putting on a show for…

By Tod Marks Bad weather played a role in the weekend’s action, which was punctuated by rain, clouds and cool temperatures. Yet, the dreary conditions didn’t stop fans from turning out in large numbers at both the Virginia Gold Cup Races on Saturday in The Plains and Winterthur Point-to-Point outside of Wilmington, Del. Nine races…

By Tod Marks Blackhall, a maiden, takes Hunt Cup with the first Briton to capture America’s premiere timber race, while Total Joy, Who’s Counting earn first stakes wins at Foxfield.  This year’s Maryland Hunt Cup was filled with enough storylines to fill a book. The finish was one of the closest in memory with four…

By Tod Marks This weekend promises to be a bonanza for jump racing fans with a pair of showcase National Steeplechase Association meets. In Glyndon, nine horses are expected to face the starter in the 127th Maryland Hunt Cup, America’s oldest, longest, and most challenging timber race. Meanwhile hurdlers will take center stage at Foxfield…

By Tod Marks Saturday proved to be a banner day for two of the sport’s premier athletes, while the human side of the equation produced equally stellar heroics. At the Middleburg Spring Races in Virginia, a full house of approximately 8,000 fans witnessed Bruton Street-US’ perennial powerhouse Snap Decision begin his 10-year-old campaign with an…

By Tod Marks Our Friend notches first stakes victory at The Manor, while Go Poke the Bear scores in Tryon feature. Not only was it a big day for Armata Stable with Our Friend taking the featured $50,000 My Lady’s Manor timber stake, but there were plenty of cheers for Hyggelig Haven’s Druid’s Altar, trainer…

By Tod Marks Three races, three different winning combinations score at Virginia Point to Point With substantial purse money on the line, Saturday’s Old Dominion Hounds Point to Point in Washington, Va., attracted some budding maiden and veteran timber talent. And by day’s end trainers Doug Fout, Sean McDermott, and Parker Hendriks had their first…