*Originally Posted on November 8th on nationalsteeplechase.com, photos courtesy of Douglas Lees*
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.
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.
