Snap Decision finally gets his ‘Grand’ moment
Snap Decision © Tod Marks
After six seasons of scintillating performances that included 15 victories (13 stakes) facing top-flight competition, Bruton Street-US’ Snap Decision finally landed the biggest prize that had eluded him, the $250,000 American Grand National at Far Hills.
With the hard-fought victory on Saturday — his first in four tries in the big race — the 10-year-old Hard Spun gelding put himself at the front of the line for his first Eclipse Award. In addition, he became steeplechasing’s second leading all-time money earner, vaulting past Lonesome Glory and Good Night Shirt, and trailing only McDynamo.
The $150,000 first prize raised his NSA earnings to $1,116,900. It also catapulted trainer Jack Fisher over the million-dollar mark in 2024 earnings. It was the seventh time Fisher cracked that milestone. Only one other trainer, Keri Brion, has done it even once.
The win was another record-setter for jockey Graham Watters, who became the first jockey to go over the million-dollar mark in annual purses.
The race itself was as dramatic as it gets. Straylight Racing’s 16-1 Frontline Citizen and Evan Dwan set the early pace, remaining on top for about 2 1/4 miles of the 2 5/8-mile contest. Gordon Elliott’s European shipper R.A. Bartlett’s Galvin (the slight $2.30-1 favorite under Jack Kennedy), sat close behind, with Snap Decision, gradually moving up from fifth to second.
Snap Decision assumed the lead on the final turn, leading over the last fence as Leipers Fork Steeplechasers’ 17-1 High Definition (Jamie Bargary) rallied on the outside and Galvin looming ominously on the inside behind Snap Decision. After being headed by both of those foes in the stretch, Snap Decision gamely battled back late to secure victory by a neck in a three-horse photo.
The performance by runnerup Galvin was nothing short of remarkable. Unraced since finishing a close fourth – of 32 – in the 4-mile English Grand National at Aintree, the world’s most famous jump race, the Irish-bred 10-year-old put on a spectacular show over firm footing. Likewise, High Definition, a question mark coming into the Grand National. An accomplished G1 placed European flat runner, formerly trained by Aiden and later Joseph O’Brien, High Definition made the transition to NSA jump racing at the allowance level with a victory at Middleburg Spring, In his next outing, High Definition was second to the talented Abaan in the Green Pastures novice stakes at the Iroquois Races in Nashville in May. In the Grand National, High Definition remained in midpack for two miles, then rallied steadily to gain the show spot, a neck behind Galvin.
In other action…
Clifton Down kickstarts championship day with facile score in $50,000 Harry E. Harris stakes
Runnymoore Racing and trainer Leslie Young broke out of the gate quickly at Far Hills as their Irish-bred Clifton Down came from off the pace under Jamie Bargary to take the opener, a stakes restricted to four-year-old hurdlers.
Sent off as the $3.60-1 second choice, Clifton Down settled in fourth (of eight) behind Green Valley Construction and John Moylan’s Biggerthanbigtime, an Irish-bred making his first start outside of his homeland for jockey-turned-trainer Barry Foley. He moved up to second midway through the contest and edged in front of the longtime leader over the final fence, extending his advantage to 7 1/4 lengths at the wire.
Upland Flats Racing’s Hidden Path (Harry Beswick) was last for most of the going and started passing one horse after another through the final turn. His momentum continued the rest of the way and he was clearly second best.
Gill Johnston’s 2-1 favorite Smart Uncle (Graham Watters) also passed rivals late to finish third.
For Clifton Down, who raced in France prior joining the NSA a year ago, it was his second stakes win of the season. In May, he captured the Speedy Smithwick Memorial, also for four-year-olds,
Minella Juke takes $70,000 maiden stakes named for course legend McDynamo
It’s only fitting that steeplechasing should honor one of its greatest competitors at the scene of his greatest triumphs.
The McDynamo stakes for maiden hurdlers four-years-old and up at 2 ⅛ miles was the richest contest for non-winners on the National Steeplechase Association circuit. Named for the six-time winner over the Moorland Farm course — five of which came in consecutive runnings of the Grand National — the event drew a field of nine up-and-comers. And when the dust cleared it was Gill Johnston’s Minella Juke who was awarded the trophy by the daughter (Emily) of Mighty Mac’s owner Michael Moran.
Making only his second career start following a sharp second in his debut at Shawan Downs last month, the gray Irish-bred five-year-old, trained by Jack Fisher, settled in third and remained there most of the way. Though five of the starters didn’t finish the race, Minella Juke was able to avoid traffic, and pounced on Upland Flats Racing’s Moonshine Time (Stephen Mulqueen) and Mark Buyck’s Memento (Gerard Galligan) in the stretch, crossing the wire a half length ahead of Moonshine Time. Memento, the slight favorite, was another half length back in third.
Gold Charm notches second straight stakes with score in $100,000 Peapack
Irv Naylor’s Gold Charm avenged her third-place finish in the 2023 Peapack with a come-from-behind win over a tough field in this year’s edition.
With Gerard Galligan riding for trainer Cyril Murphy, the daughter of multiple Group 1 classic winner Golden Horn was last in the field of eight through the first mile, slightly improved her position to sixth after 1 3/4 miles but still trailed Atsamy Racing Club’s longtime leader Exculpate (Graham Watters) nearing the final fence. But when Exculpate was a faller (she got up and walked off), the five-year-old Irish-bred took control and powered home a winner by 2 1/2 lengths.
Gill Johnston’s Belle Wish (Paddy O’Hanlon), making only her second career start following a second in a maiden event at Foxfield two weeks earlier, tracked the pacesetter and actually seized the lead in midstretch but couldn’t hold off the winner. Potter Group USA and Ashwell Stable’s Right Tempo, a multiple stakes winner, was unhurried early and gained ground steadily to get up for third under Jamie Bargary. Leslie Young trained both runner ups.
Gold Charm’s win was her second straight following a tally in the Life’s Illusion, also for fillies and mares, at Colonial Downs in September.
Going Country breaks through in $100,000 Foxbrook Champion novice stakes
Talk about a win a long time coming. Following a pair of victories early in his career in the spring of 2022 for trainer Keri Brion, Madaket Stables, R and K Racing, and The International Venture’s Going Country seemed to be on the precipice of stardom. And he enjoyed plenty of success, finishing second or third in seven stakes including a Grade 1. But he never found the winner’s circle again. Until Saturday.
Facing a field that included two-time 2024 novice stakes hero and post time favorite Abaan and recent novice winner Evie’s Prince, the eight-year-old was sent off at 8-1 in the field of 10. Fifth after the first mile, jockey Stephen Mulqueen advanced his mount steadily, moving up to second after two miles, taking charge before the final fence and coasting home by 7 1/4 lengths. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Daigneault Thoroughbreds’ Abaan (Bernie Dalton) was even farther behind early, last after a mile and eighth after 1 1/2 miles. From there, Dalton steered his mount past his rivals one by one, to be second best, 7 1/4 lengths clear of the show horse, Greg Hawkins’ 37-1 Kiyomori (Evan Dwan).
The Grey Wizard streaks to victory in $150,000 John Forbes Memorial
In a rich contest at 2 miles on the turf that drew contenders from well-known flat-track connections, it was Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ The Grey Wizard, trained by Graham Motion, who got the job done.
With NSA rider Parker Hendriks in the saddle, the six-year-old Irish-bred son of Caravaggio was made the odds-on favorite on the strength of his victory in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup, also at 2 miles, at Saratoga in June.
Unhurried early, Hendriks was content to let The Grey Wizard lope along at the back of the field of 12 for a mile and a half. Heading to the final turn, the gelding made a sweeping five-wide turn, took aim at the leaders in midstretch, and got up in time for a half-length score. Patricia Moseley’s Curbstone, with Bernie Dalton riding for Tom Morley, was second at 60-1; Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Lord Flintshire (22-1 with Stephen Mulqueen) was third.
The victory raised The Grey Wizard’s career earnings to $832,531, half of which he amassed in 2024.