Virginia Fall & Genesee recaps
©Tod Marks
Noah and the Ark upends Keys Discount; Dead heat in the Will O’Keefe
For a year and a half Dolly Fisher’s Keys Discount was invincible, winning eight consecutive stakes by substantial margins. The seven-year-old Maryland-bred son of Medal Count faced a newcomer to the timber scene at Saturday’s Virginia Fall Races in Middleburg, but Keystone Thoroughbreds’ Noah and the Ark was hardly a new face on the jump-racing scene.
The Todd McKenna-trained 12-year-old was a multiple Grade 1 winner over hurdles, upsetting the great Snap Decision twice, at 41-1 and 18-1 in major stakes. So when McKenna switched his veteran star from hurdles to timber, it changed the competitive landscape, giving Keys Discount a classy new challenger with both speed and stamina.
In the $50,000 National Sporting Library and Museum Cup stakes at 3 ¼ miles over the Glenwood Park course, both runners put on a spectacular show, battling each other with everything in their arsenal, never giving an inch, and leaving the rest of the field far behind.
The race began with the talented Uco Valley setting the pace under Freddie Procter, with old pro Storm Team (Dan Nevin) and Noah and the Ark (Harry Beswick) running easily just behind. During the second time around the course, Beswick nudged Noah and the Ark to the front, where he remained as the race progressed. As the pace quickened in the latter stages, Keys Discount and Jamie Bargary maneuvered closer, and both were all out heading downhill to the final fence. Noah and the Ark and Keys Discount separated themselves from the pack, though Uco Valley was determined to keep in touch with the top two. The leaders flew over the last fence as one, and Keys Discount actually poked his head in front, with the pair battling head-to-head toward the straightaway. Angling into the stretch, Noah and the Ark, on the inside, began to pull away, and drew clear under a vigorous hand ride by three lengths. It was another dozen lengths back to Uco Valley.
The victory put Noah’s career earnings over the $500,000 mark, and added another chapter to his already storied career.
In other action:
Private Larry, Lost Kitty share victory in $50,000 Will O’Keefe 3YO stakes
Can you recall the last time there was a dead heat in a National Steeplechase Association stakes race? At Glenwood Park, a pair of newcomers, Silverton Hill’s Private Larry (Leslie Young, Freddie Procter) and Joseph Fowler’s Lost Kitty (Bernie and Kate Dalton), locked horns in the stretch with neither giving an inch, and at the wire even the photo finish camera couldn’t separate the duo.
The O’Keefe, one of just two hurdle stakes for freshman jumpers on the NSA calendar, provided a second thrilling finish two races after the spirited duel between Noah and the Ark and Keys Discount in the timber stakes.
In the O’Keefe, Atlanta Hall’s Mantis (Elizabeth Voss, Niall Prendergast) and VinLaur Racing Stables’ Norris (Keri Brion, Stephen Mulqueen) vied for the early lead, but by the third fence Silverton Hill’s Private Larry asserted himself and sprinted off to a substantial lead of as much as 15 lengths in the field of seven. Private Larry maintained his advantage while running easily, with Lost Kitty content to sit at the back of the pack. The field began to bunch up approaching fence 10, as Norris got into gear, moving into second, while Lost Kitty advanced to third.
Racing to the final jump, the trio separated themselves from the remaining runners with Private Larry holding a slight edge over Norris and Lost Kitty still a few lengths behind. Sprinting downhill toward the dog-leg left entering the stretch, Private Larry dug in gamely and refused to yield as Lost Kitty edged closer. From there, the pair ding-donged their way to the finish. Norris finished a gritty third.
It was a great sporting celebration with connections of both horses sharing the spotlight in the winner’s circle.
Deflected takes $40,000 maiden hurdle
Making his second career start and coming off his third-place debut at Colonial Downs, Commonwealth Racing’s Deflected (Kathy Neilson, Freddie Procter) was moved up to first after a series of bumping incidents in the upper stretch.
The four-year-old son of Blame ran a big race and was leading to the wire but was passed late by Ron Potts’ City Leader (Todd McKenna, Conor Tierney) however, City Leader was declared off course, following an incident that saw him bump Irv Naylor’s I’m a Believer after he himself was bumped by Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Academy and forced to the wrong side of the beacon.
Genet Racing’s Really Good (Matthew Sims, Gus Dahl) was second, Riverdee Stable’s De La Cruz (Julie Gomena, Jamie Bargary) was third.
Homebred Highwayman gives Bentleys, Hendriks win in $30,000 maiden/optional claimer
Runnymoore Racing’s Highwayman, a Pennsylvania-bred son of Cross Traffic, earned his first win in his first start over jumps, coming from off the pace to blow by the field in the stretch by 7 1/4 lengths.
With Conor Tierney riding for trainer Ricky Hendriks, the five-year-old gray — bred by owners Gregory and Caroline Bentley — and coming off of a five-race career on the flat, was relaxed in seventh for the first mile and a half as Daniel Baker’s Hard Traveler (Dan Nevin) showed the way, advanced heading downhill toward the last, and outdueled three other rivals over the final fence and through the long slog to the wire. Andrew Russo’s Day and Age (Freddie Procter) rallied for second, Bill Wofford’s Run Forrest Run (Harry Beswick) was third.
Renfro’s Reception steps up and wins in handicap ranks
Riverdee Stable and Genet Racing’s Renfro’s Reception, who began his second career in the spring after three starts on the flat, recorded his second NSA victory with a hard fought half-length tally in the third race, a $35,000 handicap for horses rated 115 or less.
Trained by leading conditioner Jack Fisher and ridden by Jamie Bargary, the four-year-old son of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Kentucky Derby and Travers winner Street Sense, raced in second (of five) for the first 1 3/4 miles behind the pacesetter, Runnymoore Racing’s The Wizards Well (Conor Tierney). He made his move with two fences to go, brought a one-length lead into the stretch, and held off Hard Game’s late-closing L’Avvocato (Freddie Procter), and Ballybristol Farm’s Missionaire, who also closed nicely under Niall Prendergast.
Renfro’s Reception won a maiden/optional claimer at Colonial Downs over the summer before stepping up and finishing third in another 115 handicap at the New Kent, Va., course in September. Prior to competing over jumps, Renfro’s Reception ran three times at Laurel, taking a maiden claimer last November.
Navid closes with flourish to score in $30,000 maiden/optional claiming hurdle
The fifth at Glenwood Park turned out to be a real nail biter. Jacqueline Ohrstrom and (her daughter) Angela Carroll’s Navid, was fourth heading over the final fence, and still had about five lengths to make up entering the short stretch, but when jockey Harry Beswick got his mount into gear, the four-year-old British-bred son of Sir Percy closed strongly to get up in the final strides to edge Bruton Street-US’ Hard Spun to Run (Freddie Procter) as Paul and Molly Willis’ Showpiece (Evan Dwan) rallied to snatch second by a neck.
The win was the first in Navid’s five NSA starts since coming stateside in June following a 12-race career in England. Barry Foley trained the winner.
Moonshine Time gives trainer Brion novel timber win
Atlantic Friends Racing and Paul and Molly Willis’ Moonshine Time broke well, seized the lead from Holiday Charm at the fifth fence, and withstood a stiff late challenge from Shannon Hill Farm’s Evie’s Prince to take the seventh, a $20,000 maiden race over timber. Furlong Friends’ Karl Cares (Harry Beswick) closed well for third. The margin of victory was six lengths.
With Stephen Mulqueen in the saddle for trainer Keri Brion, the seven-year-old Irish-bred won for the first time since breaking his maiden over hurdles at the Carolina Cup in the spring of 2025. In three tries over timber this season, Moonshine Time finished third, then second prior to Saturday’s score.
For trainer Brion, who has expanded her flat racing operation, the victory was a rare one over timber as her jump-racing stable competes mainly over hurdles.
Foxy Walk graduates in first Steeplethon try
Michael A. Smith’s Foxy Walk, a stakes winner over hurdles, made his first start over timber and mixed obstacles a winning one in the $20,000 steeplethon, the finale on Saturday’s card.
With leading rider Freddie Procter aboard for trainer Leslie Young, the seven-year-old Irish-bred dueled for the lead with Daniel Baker’s Decisive Triumph (Dan Nevin), then settled in third behind the latter. By fence 15 Foxy Walk moved up alongside the leader and the duo dug in barreling toward the final fences. At the last, Decisive Triumph was still in the hunt but Gill Johnston’s Anzio (Stephen Mulqueen) was moving quicker and challenged for the lead with another late charger, Bruton Street-US’ Quick Master (Jamie Bargary). It was a three-way sprint to the wire with Foxy Walk prevailing by three-quarters of a length, a half length clear of Anzio.
And at the Genesee Valley Hunt Cup races…
Upstate New York hosted a trio of NSA sanctioned timber races on Saturday highlighted by the $25,000 Genesee Valley Hunt Cup at 3 1/2 miles.
In the feature, it was Bruton Street-US’ Track and Trace, trained by Mark Beecher and ridden by Harry O’Dwyer, who reeled off his second straight victory, going wire to wire to score by five lengths over Irv Naylor’s Withoutmoreado (Eric Poretz). The win comes two weeks after Track and Trace captured the apprentice rider timber race at Shawan Downs. Molly and Paul Willis’ Pavoni (Virginia Korrell) was third.
Jockey Eric Poretz found the winners circle in the opener, a $15,000 maiden contest, with Stewart Strawbridge’s Lightning Ridge, trained by Kathy Neilson. The Pennsylvania-bred six-year-old stalked the leader, Joy Slater’s Vadavvero (Shane Fitzgerald), took the lead in the stretch and proved much the best by four lengths. Adlestrop Hill’s Idoneo (Virginia Korrell) was third.
In the $15,000 allowance restricted to amateur and apprentice riders, Noble Stables’ Total Joy, a recent third to Keys Discount in the Brown Advisory timber stakes at Shawan Downs, was a 2 ½-length winner over Runnymoore Racing’s Old Style Humor (Harry O’Dwyer) Happenstance’s Hero’s Return (Brett Owings) was third.
With Caoimhe O’Brien riding for trainer Leslie Young, the seven-year-old Irish-bred settled in second (of eight) and was never farther back than fourth, then passed pacesetters Hero’s Return and Old Style Humor for the victory. It was Total Joy’s second win this season to go along with a trio of third-place finishes. It was also O’Brien’s first U.S. win.