Predominate dominates in Fair Hill feature
© Tod Marks
An iffy forecast may have hurt attendance, but full fields and competitive contests made for an exciting nine-race Memorial Day card.
The National Steeplechase Association closed out its spring season on a high note, as jump racing returned to Fair Hill in Elkton, Md., after a seven-year hiatus.
The race meet was supposed to be part of a two-day Turf Festival, under the auspices of the Maryland Jockey Club in partnership with the NSA, Cecil County Breeders’ Fair, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Fair Hill Foundation, and the Maryland Racing Commission. But Sunday’s all flat-race card was canceled out of an abundance of caution following several days of persistent rain. By Monday, however, the course was back in top shape.
Here’s how the day played out:
Predominate powers home a winner in featured $50,000 Valentine Memorial
Patience paid off for Gail Clark and Turks Head Turf’s Predominate, who waited and waited until unleashing a late burst under Graham Watters to take the Valentine Memorial at 2 1/4 miles for runners who hadn’t previously captured an open hurdle stakes.
The victory was the second in three 2026 outings for the seven-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Arrogate. In his previous start, he ran a strong third in the prestigious Marcellus Frost novice stakes at the Iroquois Races two weeks ago.
In the Valentine, the Todd McKenna-trainee sat off the pace in the field of 10 as Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Take Your Seats (Evan Dwan) and Nancy Reed and Jack Griswold’s Bright Eyed Eagle (Danny Mullins) showed the way. Later, as Bruton Street-US’ Neotropic (Jamie Bargary) looked to have the upper hand in the stretch, Predominate still had a good deal of ground to make up. Watters eventually found some running room, took advantage of an opening on the inside and burst through to win by a length and a quarter. Neotropic was second; Take Your Seats third.
Fleetfoot is just that in $25,000 flat race for jumpers
Paul and Molly Willis’ Fleetfoot, who competed successfully in Europe then transferred his form to the U.S. where he captured the $150,000 John Forbes turf stakes at Far Hills in October, was victorious again on the flat in the opener at Fair Hill.
But victory didn’t come easy for the even-money favorite. With visiting Irishman Danny Mullins in the saddle for trainer Barry Foley, the six-year-old set the pace for the first circuit of the 2-mile contest, lost the lead entering the backside the second time around, then got boxed in and blocked on the far turn nearing the quarter pole. But the eagle-eyed reinsman was finally able to make a three-wide move to surge past Bruton Street-US’ The Jackal (Freddie Procter) to score by three lengths. Sharon Sheppard’s Investment Mandate (Graham Watters) was third.
Verbal breaks through in front-running style
After knocking on the door in four of his last five starts, Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Verbal broke his maiden over jumps with a wire-to-wire score in the second, a $40,000 contest.
With Freddie Procter riding for trainer Leslie Young, the seven-year-old Kentucky-bred, a Grade 3 winner on the flat at Del Mar in 2021, broke on top and was never headed during the entire 2-mile journey. The margin of victory for Verbal, who was sent off at 5-1, was 5 1/4 lengths.
Paul and Molly Willis and BJF Racing’s Bourbonator, the even-money favorite as a result of a pair of second place finishes in stakes in his two NSA starts, rallied for second after giving jockey Danny Mullins all he could handle. Sheila Fisher and Northwoods Stable’s Crystal Hill (Jamie Bargary) was third.
Red Tone earns first career score with 9-1 upset in $35,000 filly & mare maiden
Prior to Monday’s race, Hill Parker’s five-year-old daughter of Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist had made seven career starts, all on the NSA circuit, with her best finish being a second at Colonial Downs last summer.
But there was no stopping the Ohio-bred this time as jockey Virginia Korrell patiently sat in second (of eight) as the runaway leader, Gill Johnston’s Belle’s Wish (Graham Watters) set a torrid pace, scooting off by more than 15 lengths. Red Tone advanced steadily the second time around the course, and closed well on the inside to draw clear of the leader in the final furlong by 2 3/4 lengths. Sheila Fisher and Northwoods Stable’s Camanoe (Jamie Bargary) was third in her NSA debut.
The victory was a family affair, setting off a spirited celebration among Parker, his wife, Regan, trainer Lilith Boucher and her husband, Richard, and the Korrell family. Parker’s late mother, Frances Snowden “Snowie” Hill Myers, bred and raced Red Tone’s dam, Get Ready Set Goes, who was trained by her son. In 2016, Get Ready Set Goes captured two filly and mare hurdle stakes, the Mrs. Ogden Phipps at Saratoga and Peapack at Far Hills.
Aspenite romps in $40,000 maiden hurdle
In the second open maiden contest on the Fair Hill card, Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Aspenite found the winner’s circle for the first time since January 2024, with a 7 3/4-length score, the widest margin of any winner of the day.
With Graham Watters riding for trainer Neil Morris, the five-year-old son of Constitution was second (of eight) after the first half mile, then snatched the lead and was never again headed. Matthew T. Groff’s Onrush (Jamie Bargary) was second; Paul and Molly Willis, Rising Sun Racing Stables, and Atlantic Friends Racing’s Roundtop (Stephen Mulqueen) was third.
Sent off at nearly 11-1, Aspenite won for the third time in his career, and first in three tries over hurdles. His first victory came in his third start at age two, when he captured the listed Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile stakes. Back then he was owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
Rising star Gettleman shines in $50,000 allowance
Bruton Street-US’ Gettleman, a Godolphin-bred six-year-old son of Hard Spun, made it two straight wins in 2026 following a layoff of nearly two years, with a determined effort in the fifth, an allowance event for non-winners of two races.
With Jamie Bargary riding for trainer Jack Fisher, Gettleman was always in striking range, settling in fifth (of 10) for the first half mile, advancing to fourth at the mile mark, then taking aim at Paul and Molly Willis and Devon Smith’s Doctor Love (Evan Dwan) and Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Grey Pharoh (Luke Carberry).
With two fences to go, Gettleman seized a narrow lead, dug in, and fought tenaciously through the lane to win by a length and a quarter over a pair of hard charging Gill Johnston stablemates, Scorpius (Freddie Procter) and 29-1 Awesome Man (Virginia Korrell).
This was Gettleman’s fourth NSA start following five tries on the flat where he remained a maiden. Since joining the NSA, Gettleman has collected a pair of wins, a second, and third.
Tuddenham Green comes up big in return
Riverdee Stable’s Tuddenham Green, who recently returned from a two-year layoff, earned his first victory in more than three-and-years with a 4 3/4-length tally in the seventh race, a $30,000 handicap for horses rated at 110 or less.
The win was the second of the day for both jockey Jamie Bargary and trainer Jack Fisher, who previously won with Bruton Street-US’ Gettleman.
The seven-year-old British-bred took a ground-saving trip, settling in fifth (of 10) early as Richard Colton’s Benji’s Benefit (Virginia Korrell) and MBH Stable, Soda Rock Farm and Kate Dalton’s Hard Par (Dan Nevin) dueled on the front end. He moved into third with a couple of fences remaining and accelerated approaching the second last. It was still a horse race heading over the final jump, but Tuddenham Green was moving fastest of all and drew clear easily in the last 50 yards.
Hard Par, who was first or second for the entire 2-mile journey, ran gamely to hold second. Devon Smith’s Fouroneohsmokeshow (Stephen Mulqueen) was third.
Tuddenham Green raced 13 times in the UK prior to joining the NSA in 2024. He made just one start after his arrival, finishing eighth in an allowance event at Iroquois, then went to the sidelines for two years. He re-emerged at Willowdale earlier this month, where he finished sixth prior to Monday’s victory.
Former flat runner Whiskeyinthejaro takes to hurdles with score in $25,000 maiden claimer
Talk about a positive change of scenery. After 22 starts on the flat at Laurel, Port Lairge Stables claimed the then-five-year-old Maryland-bred son of Irish War Cry for $7,500 and turned him over to trainer Mark Beecher.
Beecher entered Whiskeyinthejaro in a maiden claiming hurdle at Willowdale earlier this month where he ran extremely well, finishing second, a length and a half behind Lewins Gully, and nine lengths ahead of the third-place runner.
Whiskeyinthejaro, who had three wins, a second, and three thirds in his flat career, returned to action at Fair Hill, where he proved much the best under jockey Dan Nevin.
Racing in seventh (of 10) for the first three-quarters of the 2-mile contest, Whiskeyinthejaro made a four-wide move on the far turn, ranged up alongside front runners Path to Victory (Mell Boucher) and Boffo Kid (Jamie Bargary), and blew by them to win by 4 1/4 lengths as the 2-1 favorite.
Auction Kingdom wins by a whisker in timber finale
Making his first start in a year and a half — and first try over timber – multiple Grade 1 winner Noah and the Ark gave it his all but came up a nostril short to Auction Kingdom in yesterday’s finale, a $20,000 maiden event at 3 miles.
With regular rider Harry Beswick aboard, Keystone Thoroughbreds’ now 12-year-old winner of both the Lonesome Glory and American Grand National, was his feisty self leading up to the start, and was well back in 10th in the large field of 12 after the first mile and a half. Meanwhile, Maranto Manor’s Auction Kingdom, sent off at 9-1, was even farther back under Evan Dwan. The duo battled nose to nose through the stretch, and a third contender, Atlantic Friends Racing and Paul and Molly Willis’ Moonshine Time (Stephen Mulqueen) was equally game, and ended up a length and a quarter behind Noah and the Ark for third.
The winner was one of two on the card for trainer Neil Morris.