©Tod Marks
The National Steeplechase Association started its autumn calendar on Saturday with a six-race $ 160,000 card in Hunt Valley, MD., And the star of the show was a horse that rose out of the darkness at Shawan Downs exactly a year ago to become the most exciting Houtloper in the sport.
When Dolly Fisher’s timber champion 2023 retired Schoodic at the end of 2024, she and her Hall of Fame trainer and son, Jack, probably never thought they would have a runner to fill those powerful shoes. And although Keys discount still has a long way to get close to Schoodic’s 12 Stakes scores about wood and obstacles while achieving more than $ 600,000 in income for 13 seasons, the six-year-old Maryland bred has not been much sensational.
On Saturday, the son of Medal Count added the $ 25,000 Brown Advisory Timber Stakes to his CV 2025 with an easy 4 1/4 length of romping over nine enemies.
Met toonaangevende rijder Graham Watters aan boord, zat Keys Discount het grootste deel van de 3 1/8 mijl in midpack, zelfs met langdurige leider, Armenta Stables ‘Crerealion (Virginia Korrell) in het stuk, versnellend langs de uiteindelijke hek, en de winnaar van de winnaar van het jaar, Rivere, Rivere, Rivere Stabile, Rivere Stable Stable Stabile (Stephen. Mulqueen).
The win increased the seasonal result from Keys Discount to $ 93,000, making it more than $ 30,000 for the next highest woody earner, Road to OZ. The timber championship is based on income. More impressive, the victory was the third of Keys Discount in three starts this year. In April he noted the Middleburg Hunt Cup and a month later, the prestigious $ 100,000 Virginia Gold Cup. He started his remarkable run in Shawan last September with a 12-length Maidenscore about post and rails.
The story of Keys discount is interesting. Key discount was originally owned by deceased rider Gordy Keys and trained on the flat by Madison Meyers. He then became part of a riverdee stable partnership for Hurdle Racing, where he was trained by Sam Cockburn, who also owned the horse. Cockburn, Gordy’s grandson, actually bought the horse from his grandfather for $ 1 and rode Keys discount as a fox hunter.
His striking version in a blowout victory in an open wood match in Old Dominion last year caught the attention of spectators, including top coach Fisher, who called Cockburn the next day and offered to buy the horse for his mother. And the rest is history.
In other action …
Ethics launches his obstacle career with a bang
After a short and inconspicuous term of office on the flat, the three -year -old son of Hard Spun, bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm & Adele Dilschneider, as an old professional in the Opener, a $ 20,000 MAIDEN SPECIAL WIGHTS HURDLE for first -year students.
With Freddie Procter who rides Jack Fisher, the Riverdee Stable Up-and-Comer was for a large part of the two miles to the back of the field of ten, and went on the back the second time and challenging for the lead with a few fences. But ethics was not alone. Parkland Thoroughbreds’ PaceSetter MoreperfectUnion (Stephen Mulqueen) still had a lot of run, just like Joe Fowler and NBS Stable’s ten dollars a glass (Bernie Dalton) and Gill Johnston’s Scorpius (Graham Watters). The quartet took the last jump at the same time and it took strong urgent on the POLT side to be clear in a deep rack to deducted late by 3 1/4 lengths. Scorpius became second; Ten dollars per glass, third. Both runners also made their NSA debut of the flat.
Max’d Out Breaks Maiden for Naylor, Dwan and Garner
Irv Naylor’s four -year -old Irish bred second behind the drained pacesetter of Morningstar Farm Marcilly (Conor Tierney) For the most of the go, collecting steam around the last turn and then fights a renewed effort of the early leader to travel through the piece with 5 1/4 lengths in the second on Shawan.
The winner, trained by Tom Garner and driven by Evan Dwan, came from a point-to-point victory in his home country. Marcilly, a four -year -old son of Galileo, started once in France before he ran in a first claimant in Delaware Park, where he finished from the money. He finished fourth in his NSA debut on the turf at Fair Hill Last Out. In third place, Gill Johnston’s Big George, a five-year-old Californian bred to the West on the flat before he made his NSA debut in Shawan.
Rucker Road is in $ 30,000 handicap
Sharon Sheppard’s Rucker Road only made his seventh career start at the age of six, and stalked the early separated pace of Garrison Forest, threw a challenge from Brie’s mission and rejecting the lead when a revoeping of Garrison Forest fell to the last fence to win the third race.
The victory margin was 3 1/2 lengths and was one of the two winners on the map for trainer Leslie Young. Mell Boucher had the mountain.
The victory was the second for Rucker Road, who broke his girl in Montpelier last fall. Leipers Fork Steeplechase Artistic Choice (Jamie Bargary) came from sixth place to get the place; Nancy Reed’s Bright Eyed Eagle (Freddie Procter) became third.
Cyber Ninja Outtuels St. James the Great to conquer $ 40,000 permission
Riverdee Stable earned his second winner on the map when Cyber Ninja, a veteran in the use of 19 Starts on the flat, where he earned almost $ 300,000, finished Recent Grade 1-starter St. James the Great in a non-winners of two reimbursements.
With leading NSA rider Graham Waters on board
Jack Fisher, the five-year-old son of Arrogate Stalked leader chosen judge (Jamie Bargary) in third place for a large part of going, assured a narrow lead on the inside to turn at home and fought challengers Boldog (Bernie Dalton), Dynamite Dan (Evan Dwan) and St. James the Great). The race was still someone on the way to the last fence, but while the quartet raced to the wire, St. James the Great was the only challenger who still had a lot of run, and Cyber Ninja had to work hard to score with a length. Dynamite Dan, who was up close, took the show spot. Cyber Ninja first broke his NSA girl and early in July at Colonial Downs.
The hero next door scores in wood debut
Michael Smith’s The Hero Next Door, a slightly raced Hurdler who finished second in a trio of Stakes events, made a smooth and seamless transition to the wooden circuit with a 21-length romp in the $ 25,000 first final on Saturday.
With Jamie Bargary on trainer Leslie Young, seven -year -old Irish broke it on the way to the piece, extended his advantage above the last fence and turned an easy winner about James B. Foulks’ Sorolla (Virginia Krerell) and Del Racing’s Andy Dusfresne). The victory was one of the two on the map for Young.
A look at the leaderboard
With three victories, the top coach of this season Jack Fisher continued his dominance and led his victory to 19, seven more than Leslie Young, who doubled on the day. Fisher is also the leading trainer of income, with almost $ 890,000, about a quarter of a million dollars more than Keri Brion, who had a huge summer, including three degrees 1’s on the NYRA circuit. Leading rider Graham Watters fell his bravery at the top of the jockey classification with a few victories, which brought his total to 16, four more than Stephen Mulqueen. Watters also runs for Mulqueen with around $ 70,000 in income. Riverdee Stable, who leads the NSA in victories, achieved two victories in Shawan to limit the gap with Bruton Street-US in the struggle for prominent owner, a title determined by wallet income. Only $ 17,000 separates the two stables with many meetings with large money that stay on the schedule.
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