©Douglas Read
As with last year’s Grade 3 Mariann De Tejada Memorial stakes, Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher saddled multiple runners, and of course, as in 2024, it wasn’t Fisher’s big horse – Snap Decision – who took home the top prize in Charlottesville, Virginia, but a supporting player.
With veteran racesman Bernie Dalton, who is having a spectacular season, in the irons, Riverdee Stable’s Cool Jet broke alert to take second behind Michael Smith’s Foxy Walk (Jamie Bargary). The field remained full early with Upland Flats Racing’s Moonshine Time (Stephen Mulqueen) and Bruton Street-US’ Eclipse Award champion (ridden by Graham Watters) riding behind the top pair. There was no significant change to the starting order during the first circuit of the course, with Foxy Walk leading by as much as five lengths at one point.
With one lap to go, Foxy Walk and Cool Jet raced close together, while Snap Decision moved up to third, about four lengths behind, and South Branch Equine’s Who’s Counting (Sean McDermott) also loomed.
On the way to the penultimate gate, Dalton made a quick burst with his mount, racing clear for several lengths. At the penultimate hurdle it was Cool Jet in the lead, while Foxy Walk continued to fight valiantly, and Snap Decision seemingly ready to unleash its run. However, at the final hurdle it was all Cool Jet and a determined Foxy Walk, digging in strongly despite dictating much of the pace, with Who’s Counting ahead of Snap Decision for third as the champion looked to be working a bit. In fact, he was passed late for fourth place by Ballybristol Farm’s Noble Anthem (Evan Dwan).
The winner carried 152 pounds, 10 less than Snap Decision, who posted a whopping 20 pounds in the field under the race’s handicap conditions. The race was Snap Decision’s first since finishing second at the Iroquois in Nashville in May.
At age 11, he was ineligible to compete in any of the four Grade 1s on the New York Racing Association circuit. For Cool Jet, it was the nine-year-old Irish’s first start since winning the Grade 1 Commonwealth Cup at the Virginia Gold Cup Races in May. Snap Decision used the Tejada as a hitch last year, and although defeated, it served as the perfect preparation for the Grade 1 Grand National at Far Hills two weeks later, which gave Snap his championship.
Beowulf triumphs in the first claimant of $20,000
Maranto Manor’s Beowulf avoided the traffic caused by several loose horses and made a late attack to take the opener, which like all obstacle races at Foxfield was held at 2 ⅛ miles.
With Evan Dwan riding alongside trainer Tom Garner, the seven-year-old Irish-bred won for the first time in 15 NSA starts in three and a half years. During that time the gelding also ran several times on the flat without success.
Commonwealth Racing’s Philip My Dear (Freddie Procter) took the lead at the start and was soon joined and passed by Buttonwood Farm’s Top of the Field (Bernie Dalton), extending his lead to around six lengths at one point. On the way home, the leader was caught by Beowulf, who was late early and had to check several times in traffic. The latter took the lead at the final gate and pulled away through the track to win by about five lengths. Paul and Molly Willis’ Love Shaq (Stephen Mulqueen), who was well placed throughout, came in second. Top of the Field came third.
Gossiper romps during show jumping debut
In a powerful performance, Adam Newman, Tom Rice and James Stainbrook’s Gossiper came out on top and never looked back in the second race on the card, a first $30,000 special weight match for fillies and mares.
With Freddie Procter riding for trainer Arch Kingsley, the daughter of English Channel, who made 19 starts on the flat, took the lead in the field of 10 at the break and was stalked by Commonwealth Racing’s Carnane (Dan Nevin) and Wendy Hendriks’ Articuno (Conor Tierney) but was never seriously threatened. She had a significant lead heading to the final fence and extended her lead to 9 ¼ lengths at the wire. Why Not Racing’s Wilma Flintshire (Richard Boucher) finished second; Green Valley Construction and the Bold Look of Paul and Molly Willis (Graham Watters) came third.
The win was the third straight for Gossiper, who left games at Fair Hill in August and Gulfstream Park in February.
Attrayant makes it two in a row for owners Newman and Rice
First-time jumper Attrayant, also a four-year-old from English Channel, made his NSA debut a winning one with a blowout score in the fourth $40,000 special weight race.
Attrayant is co-owned by Adam Newman and Tom Rice – who won the previous first race with the off-the-flat filly Gossiper (also by English Channel) and is jointly owned by Paul and Molly Willis. And like Gossiper, Attrayant ran big, this time for jockey Harry Beswick and trainer Barry Foley.
Following the pace of Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Yes Sir Jack (Jamie Bargary), Del Rio Racing’s Harrenhal (Conor Tierney) and Runnymoore Racing’s Orders Anthem (Dan Nevin), Attrayant waited until late to unfold his rally, and did so with gusto out the final gate. The margin of victory over Harrenhal and Orders Anthem was 11 lengths.
Before embarking on his second career, Attrayant made 19 starts on the flat, with a lone maiden claiming victory at the Meadowlands a year ago.
Love Saga hits Dante’s Fire with a $30,000 handicap
In a thrilling finish, Ivy Hill Stable’s Love Saga rose in the final strides to take another late closer, while Dante’s Fire took the fourth, a handicap for horses rated 110 or less.
With Jamie Bargary riding for trainer Sean McDermott, who was aboard another starter, Icandothat, Love Saga was well off the blistering pace of old runaway leader Paul and Molly Willis, Todd McKenna and Betsy Barr’s Pavoni.
Pavoni held the lead until the penultimate hurdle, when he was held by PathFinder Racing’s James Stainbrook, Vincent Bonanni and Dante’s Fire (Graham Watters). The duo made their way to the final jump, with Love Sage preferring to steam as Brown Road Racing’s Ricky’s Revenge (Stephen Mulqueen) moved up the stretch to take the show spot.
The neck victory was the first for the six-year-old Maryland-bred since he suffered a similar handicap in Montpelier.
Crown Him: King of the Kids wins handicap in daylight
James B. Steele’s King of the Kids recovered from the pace under Bernie Dalton to win by 6 1/4 lengths in the fifth race, a $40,000 handicap for horses rated 120 or less.
The six-year-old Minnesota-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid, trained by Cyril Murphy, won for the third time in his past four NSA starts. He also won at Foxfield this spring.
The race started with R and K Racing’s Hudson River Farms and The Insider flying to an early lead, with Daniel Baker’s Decisive Triumph (Dan Nevin) and Runnymoore Racing’s Tufton Avenue (Conor Tierney) in hot pursuit. Shortly afterwards, Silverton Hill’s Two Past Eight made a big move from behind to join the fray.
With one lap to go, The Insider maintained the lead, but it was anyone’s race. A quarter of a mile from home it was King of the Kids who made a brave move to overtake The Insider at the penultimate hurdle. He opened up by five over the final fence as Dalton looked back halfway with no serious threat in sight. The decisive Triumph, which remained prominent throughout, held on in second place, while Gill Johnston and Sharon Sheppard’s Caramelised (Jamie Bargary) rallied in third.
Newcomers star in training flat events for Del Rio Racing, Ricky Hendriks and Conor Tierney
Del Rio Racing’s Passing Game, making his first NSA start for trainer Ricky Hendriks, went wire-to-wire in the field of 10 under Conor Tierney in the first of two 1 5/8-mile training races. Previously owned and trained by Linda Rice, the four-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding earned his most recent start ($50,000) at Saratoga in August. Bruton Street-US’s The Addison Pour (Stephen Mulqueen) was two lengths back in second; Shannon Hill Farm’s Naturally Nimble (Eric Poretz) came third. Returning Grade 1 winner Rampoldi Plan, who runs for trainer Leslie Young in the colors of Leipers Fork Steeplechase, was eighth in his first start since June 2024.
In the final the same connections rolled out another thoroughbred off the track, Rotterdam, a five-year-old son of Mendelssohn, who came from the middle class to split horses in the final strides to beat Leipers Fork Steeplechase’s Gray Pharoh (Evan Dwan) and Gill Johnston’s Pure Courage (James Wyatt) by a neck. Also in the field – and finishing fifth – was Vae Patron of Leipers Fork, a sparsely raced but highly talented runner who has made just two American starts in two years, both in the G1 Iroquois, where he finished second, nearly upsetting Snap Decision in 2024, and third in this year’s series.
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