Maryland Hunt Cup, Foxfield recap
Third times’ a charm for Mr. Fine Threads
Under rainy skies, Armata Stables’ Mr. Fine Threads began inching his way up at the 16th of 22 fences, moved into second at the next jump, and after a scintillating duel with Upland Partner’s late-charging Shootist, managed to pull clear late by six lengths to capture America’s greatest timber race, the $100,000 Maryland Hunt Cup.
Charlie Marshall, the first Englishman to win the Grand National, aboard Blackhall in 2024, rode the winner for trainer Joe Davies. For Davies it was his remarkable eighth Hunt Cup trophy as a conditioner; He also won three as a rider.
Mr. Fine Threads, a lightly raced 13-year-old Maryland-bred, prepped for the Hunt Cup with a win last weekend in the Grand National, the second leg of the Maryland Timber Triple series. In two previous starts in the Hunt Cup, Mr. Fine Threads was a DNF. The victory was his third straight and fourth in his past five efforts. Mr. Fine Threads took the Willowdale Steeplechase in his previous start, in May 2025. Before that, he was an allowance and maiden winner.
Elizabeth Scully was gallant in defeat as the pilot of Upland Partners’ Shootist, who appeared as if he’d blow by the winner prior to the final jump.
It was 20 lengths back to the show horse, Charlie and Danielle Fenwick’s Royal Ruse, who was ridden by young James Wyatt in his first Hunt Cup mount.
Of the nine starters, only two did not finish the challenging 4-mile endurance test over 22 fences. The fallers, ironically, were the two previous Hunt Cup winners in the field: Daniel Baker’s Road to Oz, the 2025 winner, fell at the 13th, while Irv Naylor’s Withoutmoreado, the 2023 winner, fell at the sixth.
The race began with Tuscany Racing’s speedy Monbeg Stream (Paddy Barlow up) characteristically going for the lead, and he remained on top for the first nine fences as the rest of the field patiently followed. There were periodic challenges early on from Royal Ruse and Greenlights’ The Butler Yates (Virginia Korrell), but Monbeg Stream was insistent and he remained in contention, sitting in second, for 18 of the 22 fences before tiring. Shootist, who had been as far back as sixth, made a bold move at the 20th fence to move into second, dueled and jumped enthusiastically alongside Mr. Fine Threads, and simply was outfinished to the wire.
At Foxfield
Hurdlers were in the spotlight at Foxfield in Charlottesville on Saturday, where $240,000 in purses were up for grabs in a six-race card highlighted by a pair of stakes.
Cyber Ninja gets up late to take $75,000 Van Clief Memorial novice stakes
The featured Daniel Van Clief Memorial gave Riverdee Stable its second winner of the day and trainer Jack Fisher his third. But most of all it stamped Cyber Ninja as the real deal in the stakes division.
The six-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Arrogate, making just his fourth start over jumps, has turned heads since breaking his NSA maiden at Colonial Downs last summer, defeating eventual Grade 1 winner — and 2025 NSA novice champ — Swore by five lengths.
In his next start, a non-winners of two allowance at Shawan Downs in September, he beat a fine field filled with runners who have gone on to victory after that. His final start in 2025 came at Far Hills, where he was a solid second best to Gordon Elliott’s Coutach in the $150,000 Foxbrook Champion novice stakes.
In the Van Clief, Cyber Ninja bided his time while Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Take Your Seats (Cian Quirke) spurted to a sizable lead, tracked by Stonelea Stable and Bonnie Rye Stables’ Risk Taking (Kevin Sexton), who was another 10 to 15 lengths ahead of the field for much of the going.
It wasn’t until the leaders approached the final fence that Take Your Seats gave way. Then the battle was on between Risk Taking (who fell at the last), Shannon Hill Farm’s Mr. Percy (Graham Watters), Riverdee and Ten Strike Racing’s Rocket One, and a hard-charging Cyber Ninja, who edged Rocket One by a half length at the wire following a spirited stretch duel. Mr. Percy was third.
Lydford slips past Coutach to take Good Night Shirt stakes
Maranto Manor’s Lydford, coming off a 115 handicap win at Callaway Gardens in November, began his 2026 campaign with a bang, edging Del Rio Racing’s stakes-winning Coutach by less than a length in the $50,000 Good Night Shirt, a stakes for horses rated at 130 or less.
The victory gave veteran Irish jockey Cian Quirke his first U.S. victory. Tom Garner, who owns Lydford with his wife, Devon Smith, trained the winner.
The race began with Irv Naylor’s Givemefive (Harry Beswick) and South Branch Equine Who’s Counting (Sean McDermott) blazing to the front far ahead of the field. Givemefive continued to set a hot pace with Who’s Counting in close pursuit for much of the way.
Heading to the clubhouse turn the final time, the duo was still running one-two, and it was nearing the final fence that Del Rio’s Coutach took over, but was quickly joined by Lydford, who was able to poke a half-length or so in front at the wire. Riverdee Stable’s Welshman (Jamie Bargary) was third.
Gettleman breaks maiden for Bruton Street, Fisher
Coming off a long layoff, Bruton Street-US’ Gettleman came from off the pace to post a convincing win in the opener, a $40,000 maiden hurdle.
With Jamie Bargary riding for trainer Jack Fisher, the son of Hard Spun sat well-placed and running easily in midpack in the field of seven, as Kari Provost’s Gray’s Fable (Stephen Mulqueen) set the pace from the flag drop, with Michael Smith’s Iconic Walk (Sean McDermott) in closest pursuit.
Turning for home Bonnie Rye Stable’s Fulmineo, who stalked for most of the race in third with Kevin Sexton in the saddle, hooked Gray’s Fable and took the lead, but Gettleman came roaring past to win going away. Fulmineo was second with Charlie and Danielle Fenwick’s Massif (Freddie Procter) third.
Gettleman, who was bred by Godolphin, made four starts on the flat before his debut over jumps at the 2024 Iroquois Races, where he finished third in a maiden event. He returned to maiden company on the flat at Laurel shortly thereafter before switching back to jumps, at Colonial Downs in the summer where he finished second. He had been unraced since that Colonial start on Aug. 1, 2024.
Roja Redemption romps in $35,000 handicap
Talk about taking flight. Riverdee Stable’s Roja Redemption made his 2026 debut a winning one with a double-digit score over seven overmatched rivals in the second, a handicap for horses rated at 115 or less.
Coming off a third to stakes star Little Trilby in the Michael G. Walsh novice stakes at Saratoga last summer, the six-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Flintshire was relaxed early under jockey Graham Watters as Morningstar Farm’s Starforce (Jake Coen) took an early lead with William Wofford’s Forever Hopeful (Gus Dahl) and Paul and Molly Willis’ Moonshine Time (Harry Beswick) the closest followers.
Roja Redemption, trained by Jack Fisher, made a swift move near the end of the first lap around the course, bursting to the front and opening up by as many as 15 or so lengths. Watters took a peak back after the last fence and with no one even remotely close, geared down his mount and won in a canter. His Riverdee stablemate Vintage Year (Jamie Bargary) was second. Nancy Reed and Jack Griswold’s Bright Eyed Eagle (Freddie Procter) was third.
The victory was the third in five NSA starts for Roja Redemption, who captured a 110 handicap at Colonial Downs last summer prior to his third at Saratoga.
Kiyomori bests Evie’s Prince in thrilling end to timber maiden
Ann Jackson’s Kiyomori, with Freddie Procter riding for trainer Todd Wyatt, put in a spectacular late rush to overtake late-rallying Evie’s Prince in the day’s only timber race, a $20,000 maiden event at 3 miles.
The race unfolded with Stewart Strawbridge’s Lightning Ridge (Stephen Mulqueen) grabbing the lead and showing the way, by as much as six lengths or so, for about three quarters of the race.
During that time, Shannon Hill Farm’s Evie’s Prince, a novice stakes winner over hurdles at Saratoga in 2024, was well placed in second, with Maranto Manor’s Auction Kingdom (Evan Dwan) in third in the field of seven.
It appeared as if Lightning Ridge would be caught in the latter stages, but he hung in gamely, repelling his late challengers until the final couple of fences when Evie’s Prince asserted himself. But running fastest of all was Kiyomori, who was able to get up in the final strides to win by a neck. Auction Kingdom took the show spot.
It was Kiyomori’s first win since the Holiday Cup hurdle stakes at Aiken in the fall of 2023.
British Royalty takes finale in front-running style
Commonwealth Racing’s British Royalty earned his first victory since 2021 with an easy five-length score in the $20,000 maiden claiming finale on the six-race card.
With Freddie Procter riding for trainer Kathy Neilson, the eight-year-old Ontario-bred took the lead quickly in the field of eight which was immediately reduced to six when two of the entries refused to start.
British Royalty was soon joined at the front by John Carrington’s Lord Donegal (Jake Coen) and the two seesawed for the lead for much of the race.
During the last loop of the course, British Royalty, Lord Donegal, and Rich and Judy Speisman’s Baby Boss (Jamie Bargary) separated themselves from the rest of the field by a wide margin, and when it looked like British Royalty might be weakening in the final stages, he got a second wind, dug in and actually drew clear by about five lengths through the lane. Lord Donegal was second, Baby Boss third.
The win was British Royalty’s first ever over jumps and first since a black type stakes score at Woodbine in the fall of 2021. However, he’s been a classy runner who competed in Graded stakes company on the flat, with his best finishes being a second in a G2 and G3 and third in a G3. He has amassed career earnings of $450,000.