Westerland, Noah and the Ark star in busy weekend Three stakes on tap in weekend doubleheader
Westerland winning at Callaway © Tod Marks
Plenty of major moments after last Saturday’s 14-race doubleheader, including Graham Watters’ 100th NSA victory, and three-win days for both Jamie Bargary and Gerard Galligan. Trainer Leslie Young, too, was prolific, and her combined four wins at both venues put her in a tie at 27 with Jack Fisher for year-end honors. Here’s the recap:
At Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.
NSA veteran Westerland earns first stakes score in Aflac Supreme
Irv Naylor’s nine-year-old son of Frankel unleashed a late charge to score in the $75,000 novice stake by 2 1/2 lengths over Leipers Fork Steeplechasers’ Walk the Warrior.
The victory came in Westerland’s 23rd NSA start dating back to 2020. With Parker Hendriks riding for Kathy Neilson, the duo settled early as Merriebelle Stables’ Beat Le Bon (Graham Watters) set the pace, leading by as much as eight lengths at one point. Westerland took the lead heading uphill into the stretch as Beat Le Bon gave way and Walk the Warrior (Jamie Bargary) gave chase.
The win was Westerland’s second in his last three outings, having broken his maiden at Colonial Downs only recently. He then finished third at 10-1 in the Michael G. Walsh novice stakes at Saratoga.
Uco Valley makes it two straight scores in $25,000 steeplethon
Three weeks after breaking his maiden over timber at the Genesee Valley Hunt Races Potter Group USA, Ashwell Stable, and Gaskells Waste Services’ Uco Valley indicated he could become a force to be reckoned with in the division and over mixed obstacles with a handy score against formidable foes Court Ruler and Storm Team.
With Jamie Bargary riding for trainer Leslie Young, the six-year-old Irish-bred was allowed to settle behind the pacesetter, Leipers Fork Steeplechasers’ Court Ruler (Freddie Procter) and later, Sheila Williams and Northwoods Stable’s Storm Team (Graham Watters), waiting patiently to make his move. With about a mile to go, Uco Valley got into gear, took aim at Storm Team and edged clear by 3 lengths.
Lightly raced Wrestlingwithrae breaks through in maiden steeplethon
Making just his third career start at age six, Michael A. Smith’s Wrestlingwithrae gave jockey Jamie Bargary and trainer Leslie Young their second straight winner on the card and owner Smith his first of two in a row.
The Irish-bred son of unraced Snow Sky, who was bred in Great Britain, came into the $20,000 steeplethon for maidens at 3 1/2 miles off of a single 2024 start, in which he finished a non-threatening fifth of 10 in a maiden race over timber at the Virginia Fall Races last month. He had only a single start before that, more than two years earlier at Colonial Downs, where he was unplaced.
Showing neither rust nor a lack of experience on Saturday, Wrestlingwithrae raced in midpack early behind Dolly Fisher’s Corky Lemon (Evan Dwan) and Runnymoore Racing’s De Grey Guy (Conor Tierney), also trained by Young. Wrestlingwithrae snatched the lead by a head in the stretch and in a spirited battle to the wire, nipped De Grey Guy by a head. Riverdee Stable’s Potus (Graham Watters) was two lengths back in third.
Foxy Walk is third straight winner for Bargary, Young
Returning to the scene of his maiden victory a year ago, Michael A. Smith’s Foxy Walk outdueled Maranto Manor’s Lydford to capture the $35,000 handicap for horses rated at 120 or less.
The Irish-bred five-year-old, ridden by Jamie Bargary, battled for the lead with Lydford (Evan Dwan) for most of the 2 3/8 miles, heading his rival in the stretch and extending his margin to two lengths at the wire. John Huganir and Sanna Neilson’s He’ll Do (Parker Hendriks) was another two lengths back in third.
Foxy Walk’s victory was his second in six career starts. He also has a pair of seconds and a third since his debut in October 2023.
The win was also trainer Leslie Young’s third on the card. She added another at Montpelier on Saturday, giving her 27 total on the year to tie Jack Fisher, who had two at Callaway. Those four wins catapulted Young past the million-dollar mark in 2024 purse earnings, making her only the third NSA conditioner to reach that milestone, joining Fisher and Keri Brion.
Smart Uncle, a $30,000 maiden winner, gives Watters his 100th NSA score
Gill Johnston’s Smart Uncle, who has split his time between flat and jump racing, earned his first victory in four NSA starts, and in the process gave leading rider Graham Watters his 100th victory on the circuit.
The four-year-old son of Uncle Mo, coming off of a third-place finish in the Harry E. Harris stakes at Far Hills for trainer Jack Fisher, started well then actually dropped back to last in the field of five, far behind the runaway leader, Tom Garner’s Dynamite Dan (Evan Dwan). He re-rallied, moved into second at the two-mile mark, and surged late to score by 1 1/2 lengths.
Watters, who joined the NSA in 2017, has been the champion rider for two of the past three seasons, and he’s on the precipice of his third title this year. He already has broken Gus Brown’s long standing single-season earnings record. He currently has 24 victories and $1,176,150 in purse winnings with two more meets to go.
Pavoni takes $20,000 maiden claiming finale in style
Graham Watters and Jack Fisher teamed up again in the sixth and final race on the Callaway card with Matthew T. Groff’s Pavoni, who romped by 7 lengths in front-running style.
The four-year-old Kentucky-bred son of 2002 Travers winner Medaglia d’Oro earned his first trip to the winner’s circle in five NSA outings by assuming the top spot early on, opening up a clear lead, and extending his lead without being seriously challenged. KSN Racing’s Mischief Afoot (Jamie Bargary) rallied to be second best, eight lengths clear of Mason Hardaway Lampton’s Vana Bright (Mell Boucher).
And at Montpelier…
Noah and the Ark is back; Galligan bags three
The fourth and final fall steeplechase meet in the Commonwealth of Virginia took place on the lawn of President James Madison’s estate in Montpelier Station, northeast of Charlottesville, featuring an eight-race card worth $245,000.
Headlining the event was the Grade 3 $75,000 Noel Laing stakes at 2 1/2 miles over Montpelier’s signature natural brush fences, which drew a five-horse field, and at the wire it was Keystone Thoroughbreds’ Noah and the Ark — a dual Grade 1 winner and the only G1 winner in the field — who proved best after a late charge.
Ridden by Gerard Galligan, the Todd McKenna-trainee was an unhurried fifth on the first circuit, moved up to fourth at the 1 1/2-mile mark, and put a head in front of the leader, Straylight Racing’s Frontline Citizen (Dan Nevin), at the final hurdle. From there, the 2023 American Grand National Winner took command before the final bend into the stretch, and drew clear under strong urging. The margin of victory was 4 3/4 lengths for the starting high weight at 158 pounds, who carried 16 more pounds than the runner up, Frontline Citizen. Noble Stables’ Total Joy (Paddy O’Hanlon) was a dozen lengths back in third.
For Galligan it was the one of three winners on the card, and came a week after the veteran NSA reinsman tripled at the International Gold Cup Races at Glenwood Park in Middleburg, Va. His six wins over the past two weekends gave Galligan 13 on the season, good enough for fourth in the standings.
Galligan was aboard Bonnie Rye Stables’ Afraid Not In the co-feature, the $60,000 Marion DuPont Scott Memorial for fillies and mares at 2 3/8 miles. Only three horses went postward in the DuPont, and Galligan sent his mount to the lead early and extended her lead to 6 1/2 lengths at the wire. Beswick Brothers and Aidan Coleman’s Clara Belle (Stephen Mulqueen) was second; Atsamy Racing Club’s Cainudothetwist (Dan Nevin) was far back in third.
Galligan’s other winner was Winflower’s Tartan Green in the fifth race, the $20,000 Constitution Maiden Claiming hurdle. Trained by Ricky Hendriks, Tartan Green was making his steeplechase debut coming off of five starts on the flat, and he took to jumps like a fish to water. Reserved early, the Irish-bred took aim at the leader, Taco Tuesday Amigos’ Ice Bar (owned, trained and ridden by Sarah Cundith) two hurdles from home, and the duo dueled to the wire with the winner prevailing by a half length. Turks Head Turf’s Tiger Paw (Dan Nevin) was third.
In other action…
• Lucy Howard’s five-year-old Maryland-bred Love Saga, trained and ridden by Sean McDermott, went from sixth to first in a long sustained drive in the $30,000 Madison Plate 110 ratings handicap, catching Larry Smith’s pacesetter Eye of Gunfighter (Gerard Galligan) near the wire. The winning margin was three-quarters of a length. Sawbuck Racing’s Bellarmine Hall (Paddy O’Hanlon) was third.
• The Hundred Acre Field’s Samui Sunset, ridden by Dan Nevin for trainer Mark Beecher, was the runaway, 12-length winner of the $20,000 Battleship maiden claimer. The seven-year-old Maryland-bred, a veteran flat runner who has split his time of late over jumps, sat in second for much of the going, narrowed the gap with Del Rio Racing’s Get Khozy (Sarah Cundith), who had spurted off to a large lead, on the second circuit, then pulled away easily after taking over two fences from home. Paul and Molly Willis and L5 Racing’s Mint Game (Stephen Mulqueen) bobbled over the final fence but recovered to finish second best.
• After finishing fourth in his career debut in the McDynamo Maiden Stakes at Far Hills last month, Sharon Sheppard’s Rucker Road, an Irish-bred five-year-old, found the winner’s circle in the $40,000 Montpelier Cup maiden. With Paddy O’Hanlon in the saddle for trainer Leslie Young, Rucker Road stalked in fourth, then moved up to second at the final fence, and dug down to catch Ballybristol Farm and Vincent Bonanni’s Avakate (Brian Barry) in the final strides. Devon Smith’s Fouroneohsmokeshow (Stephen Mulqueen) was 11 lengths back in third.
• In the two training flat contests on the dirt, Carrington Holdings’ Kilkerran (Sarah Cundith) defeated Winflower’s Private Credit (Stephen Mulqueen) by 4 1/4 lengths for trainer Arch Kingsley, while John Carrington’s Lord Donegal (Brian Barry) edged out S. Rebecca Shepherd’s Clint Maroon (Gerard Galligan) by a length for trainer Neil Morris.