Road to Oz gets up in final strides to win 128th Maryland Hunt Cup
©Tod Marks
Trainer Mark Beecher earns his first Hunt Cup score as a conditioner, while jockey Conor Tierney edges the horse he rode to victory in the historic contest in 2023.
In a thrilling renewal of $100,000 Maryland Hunt Cup, American timber racing’s most celebrated and demanding event, Daniel Baker’s gutsy Road to Oz took aim at Irv Naylor’s Withoutmoreado at the 22nd and final fence in the four-mile endurance contest, gaining ground with every stride, and collaring his foe just jumps from the wire to score going away by three-quarters of a length.
With Conor Tierney aboard for Mark Beecher, who twice captured the Hunt Cup as a jockey with Professor Maxwell (2013) and Raven’s Choice (2015), the 10-year-old Maryland-bred son of Quality Road bided his time in the nine-horse field as Tuscany Racing’s Monbeg Stream (Jordan Canavan) scooted off to an unchallenged lead of 15 or more lengths that held up for 20 of the 22 fences in the 4-mile marathon.
With Monbeg Stream still in control heading toward fence 19, Withoutmoreado and Kinross Corp.’s Blackhall (Charlie Marshall), winner of the 2024 Hunt Cup, raced side by side in second and third, with Road to Oz about three lengths behind them in fourth.
Withoutmoreado began advancing strongly to Monbeg Stream’s inside heading toward fence 21 with Road to Oz still having a lot of real estate to make up. As the trio approached the final fence, Monbeg Stream’s lead had evaporated as Withoutmoreado edged ahead by a couple of lengths and Road to Oz drawing even with the fading longtime leader.
Heading over that last jump, Withoutmoreado was traveling briskly. But Road to Oz was moving just as quickly and soared majestically over the post and rail like a rocket and began devouring more ground with each stride. With the wire fast approaching, the gallant gray continued to gain in small increments, appearing for a moment as if he might have to settle for second. However, with about 15 strides to go, Road to Oz had a bit more momentum and pulled past his unrelenting rival.
The victory was Road to Oz’s first since the 2022 Grand National. It was also his first start in the Hunt Cup. Armata Stables’ Goodoldtimes (Dan Nevin), also trained by Beecher, was third.
And at Foxfield…
Rising star Smart Uncle powers to victory in $75,000 Van Clief Memorial
Gill Johnston’s Smart Uncle earned his third straight NSA victory and first stakes score with a determined effort in the Daniel Van Clief Memorial Sport of Kings novice stakes at the Charlottesville, Va., course.
Irv Naylor’s Travesuras, with Bernie Dalton aboard, had rallied to snatch the lead from the long-time pacesetter, Shannon Hill Farm’s Evie’s Prince (James O’Sullivan) with several furlongs to go, and that’s when Sharon Sheppard’s Chosen Judge (Jamie Bargary) got into gear, and the duo took off. Smart Uncle, ridden by Stephen Mulqueen for trainer Jack Fisher, was the first to draw alongside Evie’s Prince, but was headed by Travesuras and Chosen Judge going over the second to last fence.
At that point, Mulqueen steered Smart Uncle to the outside, and he began to gobble up ground, drawing even with Travesuras heading to the final jump, and striding out through the stretch to score by about two lengths. Runnymoore Racing’s Clifton Down (Harry Beswick) was well back in third.
The win was the third straight for the five-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Uncle Mo, who broke his maiden at Callaway Gardens in November, and followed it up with an allowance win at Aiken in March to begin the new year.
Foxy Walk repels challengers in $50,000 Good Night Shirt stakes
Michael A. Smith’s Foxy Walk, broke fast and fought off challenges by Cool Jet and Proven Innocent to take the second running of the Good Night Shirt stakes, a handicap for horses rated at 130 or less.
Named in honor of the Hall of Fame jumper owned by Virginia horseman Sonny Via and trained by Jack Fisher, the race was dedicated to Via, who recently passed away at age 94.
Foxy Walk, an Irish-bred six-year-old, started fast in the field of six and pretty much never looked back under NSA newcomer Luke Carberry. Riverdee Stable’s Cool Jet (James O’Sullivan) raced in second with Atlantic Friends Racing’s Theocrat (Stephen Mulqueen) in third. There was little change in running order for much of the way, and only about five or so lengths separated the entire field.
In the latter stages of the race, Bruton Street-US’ Proven Innocent (Dylan McDonough), the 2022 Novice Champion who is on the comeback trail after an injury, rallied into contention, and the three leaders battled to the last.
Into the stretch it was Foxy Walk and Cool Jet as Proven Innocent gave way, with Foxy Walk prevailing by about three-quarters of a length. Proven Innocent held on for the show spot.
The win was the second overall and first stakes for jockey Carberry, and the fourth in nine outings for Foxy Walk. Leslie Young was the winning trainer.
King of the Kids scores in opener
James B. Steele’s King of the Kids rallied from behind with a couple of fences to go and edged clear of pacesetter Lightning Rod to win by about three-quarters of a length in the opener, a $30,000 optional claiming starter allowance.
With Harry Beswick riding for trainer Cyril Murphy, the six-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid was content to sit at the back of the field of seven for most of the going as Clarke Ohrstrom’s Lightning Rod (Sean McDermott) dictated the pace from the flag drop, leading by as much as eight or so lengths from time to time.
Matthew T. Groff’s Brie’s Mission, one of the top three-year-olds of last season, made a bold move two fences out, but flattened out. Lightning Rod dug in gamely to hold second with Nancy Reed and Jack Griswold’s Bright Eyed Eagle (Jamie Bargary), third.
The win was the second straight for King of the Kids, who captured a maiden special weights contest to kick off the season at Aiken in March.
Vintage Year breaks maiden in third NSA try
Riverdee Stable’s Vintage Year, a flat race convert by Phipps turf star Point of Entry, earned his first win with a late surge to score by a length for jockey James O’Sullivan and trainer Jack Fisher.
The six-year-old Kentucky-bred broke on top and was anxious to run, but soon relaxed into second as Jacqueline Ohrstrom’s Baseline Beater (Mell Boucher) rocketed to the front and opened up by as much as 13 lengths. Vintage Year, who made his NSA debut at Foxfield in October 2023 following a 13-race career on the flat, was well-placed in second, with the rest of the field a bit farther back.
With one lap to go, Baseline Beater maintained his advantage by daylight but was collared at the second to last fence by Stonelea Stable’s Point Me By (Harry Beswick). That’s when Vintage Year, who was never hurried, mounted his rally and it was a two horse race from the last jump to the wire. It was far back to Northwoods Stable’s Dynamite Dan (Evan Dwan) for third.
The victory was the first ever for Vintage Year, who after making his debut at Foxfield in 2023 didn’t race again for a year and a half, when he finished second at the Old Dominion Hounds meet earlier this month.
Two Past Eight makes it two straight for Young, Carberry
Silverton Hill’s Two Past Eight went wire to wire in impressive fashion, actually running away from the field late to take the $35,000 handicap for horses rated at 115 or less.
With Luke Carberry riding for trainer Leslie Young — who partnered in the previous race to annex the co-featured $50,000 Good Night Shirt stakes with Foxy Walk — the five-year-old British-bred burst clear quickly, extended his margin to over 20 lengths at one point, and sprinted clear of his closest rival, The Insider, to score by about six lengths.
The win was the first on the NSA circuit for Two Past Eight, who had made 18 starts in England prior to coming stateside last summer.
Hudson River Farms and R and K Racing’s The Insider (Stephen Mulqueen) was making just his fourth start since a spill at the Alston Cup at Charleston in November 2022. Vivian Rall’s Idandothat, trained and ridden by Sean McDermott, was third.
Front running Selassie romps in $20,000 maiden claimer
Hard Game’s Selassie, a recent flat-race convert to jump racing, displayed eye-popping improvement off of his third-place finish in his NSA debut at Morven Park one week ago, going wire to wire to defeat seven rivals in runaway style.
With Evan Dwan in the saddle for trainer Kathy Neilson, the five-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Blame took charge soon after the start and never looked back, extending his modest lead to eight lengths in the stretch and drawing off by 18 at the finish.
Zane Carruth’s Thatsmyboxer (James O’Sullivan) rallied from eighth to finish second, five lengths ahead of William Wofford’s Made the Cut (Harry Beswick).
Prior to joining the NSA Selassie made 10 trips to the post, almost all in the claiming ranks, on the flat at Laurel, Presque Isle, and Gulfstream Park.