Timber features top Geneseo, Middleburg
Schoodic leads over last in National Sporting Library & Museum Cup © Tod Marks
A pair of timber stakes featuring veteran jumpers – and a new feature honoring a beloved racecaller – headline this Saturday’s National Steeplechase Association doubleheader in New York and Virginia.
At the Genesee Valley Hunt Races in Geneseo, N.Y., the only steeplechase in the Empire State away from the flat tracks, three races have been carded, all over timber. Topping the day is the $25,000 Genesee Valley Hunt Cup, at 3 ½ miles. The other races are a $15,000 maiden and a $15,000 allowance restricted to amateur or apprentice riders. Both of those events are at 3 miles.
In the feature, Riverdee Stable’s Queens Empire seeks his second straight stakes score following his triumph two weeks ago in the Brown Advisory at Shawan Downs. In that contest, the Jack Fisher-trainee came from far back to score a narrow victory over hard-charging Bogey’s Image. The victory was Queens Empire’s first ever over timber and his first trip to the winner’s circle in nearly three years. Also making the trip north following a win at Shawan is Dolly Fisher’s Keys Discount who broke his maiden for Fisher, advancing from 11th to first and striding home easily by a dozen lengths.
Armata Stable’s Goodoldtimes, the 2021 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup winner trained by Mark Beecher, makes his fourth trip to Geneseo and finished third in two previous tries in the Genesee Hunt Cup. Irv Naylor’s Withoutmoreado hasn’t won since his victory in the historic 2023 Maryland Hunt Cup for trainer Kathy Neilson, but broke his maiden and finished second in an allowance race over this course in New York’s picturesque Finger Lakes region prior to that. Greenlights’ The Butler Yates, trained by Leslie Young, broke his maiden over timber on his seventh try, in the Grand National races in Maryland in the spring, and was second (moved up from third via disqualification) in the Willowdale Steeplechase stakes. Upland Partners’ Shootist finished a distant second to champion Andi’Amu in the 2022 Genesee Hunt Cup and seeks his first score in 2 ½ years. But he has finished in the money in his last three stakes outings, notably a heroic neck loss to Blackhall in this year’s Maryland Hunt Cup.
The races are only part of festivities at Genesee. There are terrier and weiner dog races, a jumping contest, agility courses, sled dog demos, and the Parade of the Genesee Valley Hunt foxhounds. Leashed dogs are welcome to attend. There are also events for younger spectators, including stick horse races and pony rides. For adults, there’s food and drink vendors, wine and craft beer tasting, shopping, music, and more. Gates open at 9 a.m., and festivities begin at 10 a.m.
First race post time is 1 p.m. For full entries, click here: https://nationalsteeplechase.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Genesee-Final-Overnight.pdf
And at Middleburg…
Nearly 400 miles south of Genesee, the Virginia Fall Races at Glenwood Park in Middleburg will be run for the 70th time. Eight races worth $275,000 are on the line in a mix of timber and hurdle races, anchored by $50,000 National Sporting Library & Museum Cup timber stakes at 3 ¼ miles and newly minted $50,000 Will O’Keefe Memorial three-year-old hurdle stakes at 2 ⅛ miles (the distance of all hurdle contests at Glenwood). O’Keefe, a racecaller for 42 years who passed away late last year, was also the race director for the Virginia Fall Races, secretary and president of the Virginia Steeplechase Association, and the secretary of the Virginia Point-to-Point Association.
The timber stake has drawn a field of seven led by Dolly Fisher’s champion Schoodic, who is coming off an uncharacteristic fifth in the Brown Advisory stakes at Shawan Downs.
Schoodic, trained by the owner’s son, Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, was riding a four-stake win streak heading to Shawan Downs. A model of consistency, Schoodic has been sensational since making the switch from hurdle racing, where he was also a stakes winner, with 11 wins, five seconds, and one third in 20 outings.
Taking on the 2023 timber champion are a bevy of challengers with solid credentials:
The National Sporting Library & Museum Cup marks the return of Upland Partners’ Mystic Strike, now 15, trained by Todd McKenna. Mystic Strike returned (to finish second) after a yearlong layoff in the Radnor Hunt Cup in May, and in a battle for the ages engaged in a memorable duel with Leipers Fork Steeplechasers’ powerhouse Court Ruler, finishing less than a length behind following a spirited and lengthy battle.
Keystone Thoroughbreds’ Hard Strike is having a banner year for McKenna, a perfect three for three over timber in maiden and allowance competition. Sheila Fisher and Northwoods Stable’s Notjudginjustsayin, also trained by Jack Fisher, makes his first start since capturing an allowance contest at the 2022 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup Races. Nancy Reed’s Awesome Adrian (Kathy Neilson) has been money-in-the-bank over timber, never worse than third in 11 straight contests. Over that span, Awesome Adrian has won three times, highlighted by a score in the Grand National stakes in April and a determined second (beaten just two lengths) by Schoodic in the Virginia Gold Cup a few weeks later. Charlie Fenwick’s Royal Ruse (Sanna Neilson) seeks his first trip to the winner’s circle since the 2023 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup; he hasn’t been a serious threat in three stakes starts since then. Hyggelig Haven’s maiden winner Druid’s Altar (Willie Dowling), closed strongly to finish a close third in the Brown Advisory. Before that, he suffered a tough-luck DQ for stepping on a beacon in his stakes debut in the Willowdale Steeplechase in the spring, where he finished second, beaten a head, by Armata Stable’s Our Friend.
Seven sophomores have been entered in the Will O’Keefe hurdle stakes. Five of those are exiting the same maiden special weights contest restricted to three-year-olds at Shawan Downs last month. And all were making their NSA debut in that race. Matthew T. Groff’s Brie’s Mission was most impressive at Shawan, when the Jack Fisher trainee led only to be overtaken in deep stretch by Blue Creek and beaten by 1 ¾ lengths. Joe Fowler’s Not Listening (Kate Dalton) raced on or near the pace throughout, was in the hunt over the final two fences, and was nosed out for the place spot on the wire. Kinross Corp.’s Exemption (Richard Valentine) was prominent from the flag drop to the final hurdle, but was unable to keep up through the stretch and finished fourth. Neither Vivian Rall’s Super Chunk (Sean McDermott) nor Michael A. Smith’s Moonshine Runner (Leslie Young) was a factor. The other two runners in the O’Keefe are making their NSA debut: The first, Over Creek Stable’s Holiday Charm (Julie Gomena), previously made two uneventful starts on the flat in the spring at Turfway Park and Keeneland. The other is Serio Racing Stables, USA Steeplechase, R and K Racing, and Paul and Molly Willis’ St. James The Great. Trained by Keri Brion, St. James The Great made nine starts at Colonial Downs, Laurel, Delaware Park, and Aqueduct, with a win and a pair of seconds.
The remainder of the program includes a $40,000 maiden special weights hurdle; two $30,000 maiden/optional claiming events for horses who have started for a $25,000 tag; $35,000 handicap for horses rated at 115 or less; $20,000 maiden over timber; and $20,000 steeplethon over mixed obstacles.
Gates open at 10 a.m., and first race post time is 12:30 p.m. For full entries, click here: https://nationalsteeplechase.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Virginia-Fall-Overnight-Final-1-1.pdf
You can watch Saturday’s races via live stream from the link on the NSA homepage, www.nationalsteeplechase.com.