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Straight Gin headed to Gold Cup?
MIDDLEBURG — Straight Gin could have stood at the Locust Hill Farm front gates cooling out after Sunday's Orange County races — peering north towards Middleburg, or south towards The Plains — to see into his future.After trouncing a classy field in the featured three-mile open timber, the regally-bred gelding plans to follow a career path that will reach the very top ranks of American jump racing.
Co-owned by local Whitewood Stable and Kim Zito, Straight Gin rolled to victory, crushing four talented opponents that included a two-time Maryland Hunt Cup winner, a two-time Pennsylvania Hunt Cup winner and two others headed to the $100,000 Virginia Gold Cup.
It was a quality effort, said trainer Richard Valentine, one that earns the son of Go For Gin a chance at racing's richest timber prize.
"He was amazing, wasn't he," Valentine asked rhetorically in the winner's circle, accepting the handsome Ohrstrom memorial trophy named for late Whitewood partriarch George Ohrstrom.
The gelding was off a year and a half due to injury, but showed great promise over timber in the fall of '06 with a maiden win at Glenwood Park and a third in the International Gold Cup.
Valentine said the plan was to send Straight Gin to the Chronicle Cup at Glenwood next, then, "if that goes well," to the Gold Cup.
Straight Gin, an $80,000 sales yearling (Keeneland September) raced in the 2002 Preakness. He had a brief career over hurdles, but seems to take to timber best of all. The white-faced bay was conditioned, primarily, in the Orange County and Piedmont hunt fields with stable jockey Calvin McCormack, Valentine said, becoming the fourth '08 winner McCormack helped train in the hunt field.
Straight Gin joins Orange County novice winner Music To My Ears, Piedmont winner Professor Maxwell and Warrenton winner Westbound Road as season winners for Whitewood.
INJURY REPORT: Jockey Rachel Gray was reportedly conscious and talking after a frightening spill when pulling up Thegooddieyoung after the flat race Sunday.
Trainer Neil Morris reported that she was transported via ambulance to the hospital, but no updates were available at press time.
Bedford Rogers, injured at the March 15 Warrenton races, is reported to be knitting from several cracked ribs and a broken jaw.
AT CAMDEN: At the March 29 Carolina Cup races in Camden, S.C., Nick Arundel's Monte Bianco (Xavier Aizpuru) won the $20,000 allowance timber. Whitewood Stables' Bee Charmer (McCormack) won a division of the training flat race. Filly Imagina (Jody Petty) won the $75,000 Carolina Cup novice stakes, opener for steeplechasing's Triple Crown series. The next Triple Crown race is April 19 at Middleburg's Glenwood Park.
Results
Junior field masters flat race. Ponies. 1. Finesse, o/Jane Ware Bishop, r/Harry Ware.
Horses. 1. Strange Fruit, o/r Scarlett Lovett; 2. Two Bit Temptation, o/Mary O'Brien, r/Sarah Green; 3. Across The Miles, o/r Grant Chungo. 4 started.
Junior field masters chase. Ponies. 1. Minuet, o/r Madeline Lohr; 2. Talbotstown, o/Karen Eyles, r/Amelia Eyles; 3. Better Early, o/r Beverley Catlett. 7 started.
Horses. 1. Turnadieu, o/r Grant Chungo; 2. Willy, o/r Scarlett Lovett; 3. Sing And Hoist, o/r Sarah Green. 4. started.
Novice rider flat, first division. 2 miles. Time: 3:41. 1. Fershaw, o/Margaret White, r/Victoria Lawrence. 6 started, 5 off course.
Second division. Time: 3:54 2/5. 1. Bold Quest, o/Northwoods Stable, r/Forest Boyce; 2. Antonio Star, o/John Pettibone, r/Nick Carter; 3. Zhukov, o/Brigadoon Stable, r/Rod Mackenzie. 6 started.
Novice timber. 3 miles. Time: 6:43 3/5. 1. Music To My Ears, o/Whitewood Stable, r/Calvin McCormack; 2. South Monarch, o/Augustin Stables, r/Paddy Young; 3. Finally Home, o/Larry Levy, r/Liam McVicar. 5 started.
Charles Whitehouse memorial maiden hurdle. 2 miles. Time: 4:11 2/5. 1. McCallum, o/Gary Baker, r/Paddy Young; 2. Leaves of Autumn, o/Bruce Smart, r/Liam McVicar; 3. Cozy Lane, o/Gary Baker, r/Jeff Murphy. 9 started.
Restricted maiden. 2 miles. Time: 4:13 2/5. 1. Grand Heritage, o/William Russell, r/Jeff Murphy; 2. Magic Boots, o/Mojallali Stable, r/Nick Carter; 3. Run The Light, o/Kinross Farm, r/Chris Read. 12 started, 2 off course.
Rufus Humphrey memorial amateur hurdle. 2 miles. Time: 4:08 4/5. 1. Church Ghost, o/r Jake Dunning; 2. Just A Prince, o/Indian Run Farm, r/Nick Carter; 3. Another Look, o/Randleston Farm, r/Liam McVicar. 5 started, 1 lost rider.
Open hurdle. 2 miles. Time: 4:02 3/5. 1. American Toga, o/Bruce Smart, r/Liam McVicar; 2. Hey Doctor, o/Kinross Farm, r/Chris Read; 3. Humdinger, o/Kinross Farm, r/Willi Dowling. 6 started.
George Ohrstrom memorial open timber. 3 miles. Time: 6:44 4/5. 1. Straight Gin, o/Whitewood-Kim Zito, r/Calvin McCormack; 2. Erin Go Bragh, o/Brigadoon Stable, r/Paddy Young; 3. No Fast Moves, o/Kinross Farm, r/Matt McCarron. 5 started.
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