Posts Tagged ‘steeplechase’
Edward Swyer and Hudson River Farms to be Honored at the Graypoint and The University at Albany Foundation Siro’s Cup
©Tod Marks Edward Swyer and Hudson River Farms to be Honored at the Graypoint and The University at Albany Foundation Siro’s Cup to benefit the Center for Disability Services Foundation, Inc. Swyer, the owner of Hudson River Farms is being honored for his contributions to the horse racing industry, especially Steeplechasing and for his longstanding…
Read MoreSteeplechasing returns to Laurel
©Tod Marks For the first time since 2000, Laurel Park in Maryland will host National Steeplechase Association hurdle races, on Father’s Day, Sunday June 15. The races, to be run over the turf course at 2 ⅛ miles, include a $40,000 maiden special weights contest and $45,000 allowance for non-winners of two races. The races…
Read MoreSultan Pierji, Project Two sparkle at Radnor
©Tod Marks The two-month National Steeplechase Association spring season came to an end on Saturday with a pair of easy wins in the featured events at the 94th Radnor Hunt Races in Malvern, Pa. In the $35,000 National Hunt Cup, contested at 2 1/8 miles as an allowance hurdle, Irv Naylor’s Sultan Pierji earned his…
Read MoreCharles Wayne (Skip) Achuff Jr. Annual Memorial Stalwart of Steeplechase Award
©Tod Marks Following his passing in 2022, Skip Achuff’s family created the Stalwart of Steeplechase Award to recognize those who epitomize the qualities Skip brought to the sport. Nominees for the award represent the sport of steeplechase with professionalism, integrity, and dedication; uphold the rules of the sport; and prioritize the safety of horses and…
Read MoreIroquois & Willowdale recap
©Tod Marks Abaan, China Beach, and Gold Charm sparkle in Nashville, while Mr. Fine Threads triumphs in Willowdale’s timber feature. With 13 races and $690,000 in purses, Saturday’s meets drew more than 90 hurdle and timber entries from maidens, claimers, and ratings handicappers, to novice, allowance, and stakes stars, looking to increase their bankrolls as…
Read MoreIroquois & Willowdale preview
©Tod Marks History is on the line as Snap Decision headlines the biggest meet of the spring at Percy Warner Park in Nashville. An unprecedented fourth win in the Grade 1 Iroquois would make the Eclipse Award winner the richest American steeplechaser of all time. Meanwhile, six racing opportunities abound for timber specialists, mid-level hurdlers,…
Read MoreCool Jet, Keys Discount shine on busy weekend
©Tod Marks Despite some ominous weather in Virginia and Delaware, fan turnout was undeterred as the Virginia Gold Cup celebrated its 100th anniversary and Winterthur enjoyed its 47th renewal with a combined 10 races worth $465,000. Six races were on tap at Great Meadow Race Course – a seventh was cancelled when storms blew in…
Read MoreVirginia, Delaware to host 11 races on Kentucky Derby weekend
©Tod Marks Saturday’s Virginia Gold Cup meet at Great Meadow Race Course features the first of nine Grade 1 National Steeplechase Association hurdle stakes, which has drawn a prospective lineup of nine. The Winterthur Point-to-Point on Sunday, outside of Wilmington, Del., will feature its traditional four-race card, three over timber. Though the 2025 Maryland Hunt…
Read MoreRoad 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…
Read MoreHunt Cup, Foxfield make for a super Saturday
©Tod Marks Maryland and Virginia take center stage for this weekend’s National Steeplechase Association stops. In Glyndon, nine horses are expected to face the starter for the 128th Maryland Hunt Cup, America’s oldest, longest, and most challenging timber race. Meanwhile hurdlers will be spotlighted at Foxfield in Charlottesville, where $240,000 in purses are on the…
Read More