MD Novice Timber Horse Champ Wins VA Steeplethon

Posted by Editor

July 1, 2010

by Katherine O. Rizzo with photos by Isabel J. Kurek

IJK7818
The Whacker, with Paddy Young up, wins the $25,000 Infinitive Steeplethon at the Virginia Gold Cup on May 1.

Maryland trainers, owners, jockeys and horses crossed the finish line first in many of the races at the May 1 Virginia Gold Cup Races at Great Meadown in The Plains. Winning the first race, the $25,000 Audi Cup Sport of Kings Maiden Hurdle, was William Dowling aboard Commodore Bob. The horse, trained by Jack Fisher for Arthur Arundel, made a late break and jumped to the lead over the last hurdle.

After being crowned Maryland’s 2010 Novice Timber Horse of the Year, The Whacker (owned by Robert Kinsley and trained by Thomas Voss) won the Steeplethon at the Virginia Gold Cup by a half a length.

Paddy Young got his second win of the day aboard former Maryland Horse of the Year, Bubble Economy (owned by Arcadia Stable), in the $75,000 Galen Capital Corp Virginia Gold Cup. This race was also Jack Fisher’s second win of the day as trainer. The race was a tense one with Bubble Economy seeming to have given the win to Bon Caddo (owned by H. Bruce Fenwick and trained by Dawn Williams) and Patrick Worrall after the last fence. Bubble Economy rallied at the finish to win by half a length.

Carl Rafter and Julia Thieriot’s Fantastic Foe won the $20,000 Rutherfoord Chase over National Fences easily by 4 1/2 lengths for trainer Mairead Carr.

Winning by an even larger margin was Star For Tina with Xavier Aizpuru up. The horse, owned by Clorevia Farm and trained by Edaward Graham, sprung to the lead at the final stretch and quickly pulled ahead, winning the $10,000 EMO Hurdle Cup by 6 1/2 lengths.

Steeplechase

The Equiery welcomes your sport stories and photos! Stories and photos will not immediately appear online, but will be reviewed by the editor and publisher for appropriateness and will be considered for either online posting or printing in an upcoming print issue, or both. Send pictures to editor@equiery.com . The Equiery reserves the right to edit comments or letters that are published in print or online.