Originally posted on 10/17/2024 on nationalsteeplechase.com
At Glenwood Park in Middleburg…
Mystic Strike prevails in battle of the ages
Two grand old men of timber racing, with a combined 21 stakes victories, battled it out in the $50,000 National Sporting Library & Museum Cup at the Virginia Fall Races, and when the dust cleared it was 15-year-old Mystic Strike who got the best of the current champion Schoodic, age 14.
Schoodic, owned by Dolly Fisher and trained by her son, Jack, had the lead for much of the 3 1/4 miles under Graham Watters as Upland Partners’ Mystic Strike and Gerard Galligan stalked in third just behind the pacesetter. He drew even with Schoodic two fences from home, leading the downhill charge before the uphill run to the final fence and maintained his advantage to the wire, withstanding a vigorous rush by his Todd McKenna-trained stablemate Hard Strike (Harry Beswick). The margin of victory was 2 ¼ lengths. Charlie Fenwick’s Royal Ruse (Parker Hendriks) got up for third as Schoodic tired.
With the win, Mystic Strike went over the $400,000 career earnings mark. The victory was the ninth in a stakes race for the Florida-bred son of turf star Smart Strike and his 36th top-three finish in 52 outings since beginning his career 12 years ago. That’s right, Mystic Strike ran his first race at Calder in Florida in 2012, continuing his flat career for 23 races through 2014. Since switching to jumps, he has amassed a dozen wins, eight seconds, and two thirds.
Praghas Ceart gives trainer-rider Sean McDermott his first of two winners on the day
In a thrilling finish that revealed the great athleticism of both horse and rider, Metahorse Racing’s Praghas Ceart rallied heading downhill to the final fence and outdueled Dynamite Dan and Fouroneohsmokeshow to take the opener, a $40,000 maiden special weights hurdle by 3 1/2 lengths.
It was a remarkable save by jockey Stephen Mulqueen, aboard Devon Smith’s Fouroneohsmokeshow, who stumbled over the jump and recovered to finish with a flourish just behind the winner.
Tom Garner’s Dynamite Dan, with Graham Watters up, broke on top and led until the second to last fence in the 2 1/8 mile event (the distance of all hurdle races on the card). Jacqueline Ohrstrom’s Baseline Beater (Gerard Galligan) stalked in second with Fouroneohsmokeshow in third. The trio of Praghas Ceart, Fouroneohsmokeshow, and Dynamite Dan soared over the final hurdle as one, and it appeared as if Fouroneohsmokeshow might go down. But a quick recovery ensued. Heading downhill toward the stretch, Dynamite Dan faded as Praghas Ceart extended his lead. For the Irish-bred five-year-old, it was his first victory in seven NSA tries.
Lowcountry goes from last to first in $30,000 maiden starter
Rallying from 10th to first, Why Not Racing’s Lowcountry made his first trip to the winner’s circle in more than three years in a career that has swayed back and forth from the flat and over hurdles.
With Mell Boucher riding for her mother, trainer Lilith Boucher, the Godolphin-bred gray son of Frosted was last after 1 1/2 miles as Frank Bonsal’s Maryland Moon (Evan Dwan) and Over Creek Stables’ Little GT (Gerard Galligan) dueled on the front end.
Lowcountry swept to the lead on the backside the final time around the course, amassing a narrow lead at the last, and despite a less than perfect trip over the final fence increased his margin to 6 1/2 lengths at the wire. Sycamore Run Farm’s Department of War (Parker Hendriks) got up for second; Slingshot Racing’s Laker Mamba (Stephen Mulqueen) was a neck behind in third.
The win was Lowcountry’s first on the NSA circuit since joining the tour in 2022. The race was an optional claimer for horses who have previously started for a claiming tag of $20,000 or less.
Carloun makes it two in a row
Paul and Molly Willis’ Carloun, an Irish-bred five-year-old trained by Keri Brion, made his second straight trip to the winner’s circle with an emphatic victory in the third race, a $35,000 handicap for horses rated at 115 or less.
Jockey Stephen Mulqueen, who captured two races on the card to give him 11 for the season — tied with Jamie Bargary for second behind Graham Watters — guided Carloun to the lead at the start, setting a brisk pace, and never looking back. At one point, the duo led by as many as 9 lengths, and coasted home by 3 3/4 lengths.
Daniel Baker’s Decisive Triumph (Dan Nevin), who stalked in second the entire way around, remained second best, 6 3/4 lengths ahead of Bruton Street-US’ Quick Master (Graham Watters). Carloun signaled his readiness for a top effort with a runaway tally in a maiden special weights contest at Colonial Downs on Aug. 1
Riverdee Stable enjoys big winner’s circle celebration with King Tsunami in $30,000 maiden starter
A veteran of 15 starts on the flat, Riverdee Stable’s King Tsunami proved that the third time’s a charm over jumps with a 4 3/4 length score in the fifth race, an optional claimer for maidens who had previously started for a tag of $20,000 or less.
The win was Stephen Mulqueen’s second in a row on the card and the first of a pair for trainer Todd Wyatt.
The race began with Mason Hardaway Lampton’s Vana Bright (Bernie Dalton) grabbing the lead and holding it until the final two fences. Maranto Manor’s Beowulf (Evan Dwan) stalked the leader for the first mile and a half, with King Tsunami, a five-year-old Florida-bred son of Into Mischief, always well placed in third. The winner took the top spot approaching the final fence and faced a challenge from Zane Carruth’s Thatsmyboxer (Graham Watters), who moved into second, 6 ½ lengths clear of the third-place finisher James B. Steele’s King of the Kids (Harry Beswick).
Super Chunk is super special in $50,000 Will O’Keefe Memorial
Making only his third lifetime start, and second over jumps, Vivian Rall’s Maryland homebred Super Chunk got a masterful training and riding job by Sean McDermott to take the inaugural stakes named after the legendary race caller and one-time director of the Virginia Fall Races.
The race, restricted to three-year-olds, began when Matthew T. Groff’s Brie’s Mission (Graham Watters) assumed the lead with Joseph Fowler’s Not Listening (Bernie Dalton) stalking in second, and Over Creek Stables’ Holiday Charm (Gerard Galligan) tracking in third. McDermott asked his mount for run after clearing the second to last fence, snatched the lead approaching the final jump, and drew clear in the stretch by 7 1/2 lengths. Not Listening hung in gamely and was second best, 6 3/4 lengths clear of Brie’s Mission.
Super Chunk, out of Rall’s homebred mare Calliope, began his racing career in June. After finishing sixth in a maiden claimer at Laurel, he joined the NSA last month and was a DNF at Shawan Downs in the soft going. It was obviously a valuable learning lesson, as Super Chunk proved to be the class of the field in the O’Keefe.
Anticipating returns to the races in style
Making his first start in 17 months, Sherry Fenwick’s Anticipating made his first trip to the winner’s circle in four years, when he was trained by his breeder, the late Jonathan Sheppard.
Now trained by Neil Morris, the Pennsylvania-bred son of Sheppard’s stakes-winning homebred mare Confined, Anticipating broke alertly under Evan Dwan, positioning himself behind Silverton Hill’s Kelmscott (Jamie Bargary), the early leader. It didn’t take long for the nine-year-old to assert himself, taking the lead and maintaining an advantage of as much as 4 lengths. Anticipating faced a stiff challenge from his Morris-trained stablemate, Vincent Bonanni’s Bet the Pot (Parker Hendriks), at the final fence, but was able to repel his foe by 2 lengths. Riverdee Stable’s Potus (Graham Watters) was third. For the record, Bet the Pot, too, is a Sheppard homebred.
Wicked West upends Court Ruler in $20,000 Steeplethon
Facing one of this season’s most formidable competitors, Genet Racing’s Wicked West rallied just beyond the last natural brush fence to overtake Leipers Fork Steeplechasers’ Court Ruler in the finale at Glenwood Park, the Steeplethon over mixed obstacles at 2 5/8 miles.
With Dan Nevin aboard for trainer Todd Wyatt, the eight-year-old Irish-bred completed a successful switch from hurdles and earned his first win in two and a half years.
Court Ruler, a four-time winner in 2024, broke on top under Jamie Bargary and led until turning into the stretch. That’s when Wicked West, who was never more than a couple of lengths behind, made a sweeping move to the outside to edge clear by 2 1/2 lengths. Armata Stable’s Fashion Line (Evan Dwan) rallied for third.
