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Rain can't dampen Blue Ridge Point-to-Point
BERRYVILLE — He's won on good turf. He's won on soft footing. He's won on rock hard going akin to concrete.And now, Erin Go Bragh has won on a course that — almost literally — had him walking on water.
The durable New Zealand-bred splashed to victory in Saturday's headliner, shrugging off turf saturated by mid-morning rains and left with puddles the size of farm ponds from a storm that unleashed as horses entered the saddling enclosure for the Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point featured open timber 'chase.
"It was wild," jockey Paddy Young said of the half-hour storm delay that had riders huddled in the changing room, spectators dashing for their cars and grooms running with their horses back to the trailers to wait out thunder, lightning and hail the size of peas.
After the storm front passed, competitors re-emerged under brightening skies to find the Woodley Farm racecourse, if anything, improved from the torrent.
"It was heavy going before," said Young, an Irish native who claims to "know all about" soft going. "The rain seemed to lighten the ground a bit, loosen it, if you will."
Indeed, Erin Go Bragh settled easily behind the early lead of Crypto Cousin (Pat Cooney up) and Genghis (Nick Carter) the first two of three miles. Young eased to the front passing the historic Woodley mansion the last time, and easily handled a late challenge from Genghis to win by four lengths.
"The horse was really fresh and keen, but that's a lot of weight for any horse to carry," Young said of the 175-pound assignment (base weight plus handicaps as a sanctioned winner.) "It was no matter to him. He's got a lot of class."
Erin Go Bragh, 9, has earned well over $150,000 in a career that's taken him from graded stakes level over hurdles (he won the Grade 3 Appleton, on soft turf, and placed in the Grade 1 Iroquois) to a near-perfect year over timber starting last spring.
The bay gelding finished second in his point-to-point debut at Piedmont last March, then followed with a win at Orange County before stepping up to sanctioned competition with a close-placed second at My Lady's Manor in April.
Trainer Doug Fout gave the versatile runner the summer off and brought him back to win convincingly at Thornton Hill (over hard footing) and Shawan in September and at the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup meet in November.
Young, who's contract rider for owner Brigadoon, said he thinks My Lady's Manor is the next spring target. The April race is over one of Maryland's "big fence" courses — tall, solid post-and-rail jumps that, Young said, Erin Go Bragh obviously likes.
My Lady's Manor is widely considered the first "real" test of the season for America's elite timber horses; the Monkton, Md. meet regularly produces runners that go on to the Maryland Hunt Cup two weeks later, and Virginia Gold Cup three weeks later.
Fout also saddled What A Prize (Desmond Fogarty up) to win a division of the novice rider turf for owner Cary Jackson. Flying Horse Farm's Analyze (Melanie Williams up) won the other division.
Beth deStanley saddled her own Brogans Shield (Michael Cooney) to win the novice timber, while Upperville's Jim Whitner continues to dominate the Seven Corners division with a third victory in as many weeks on his Bien Allure.
Catherine Stimpson won two races on the day — the senior field masters chase aboard Pat Cooney's Waterloo Run, and the Virginia-bred flat on Eric Myer's Roseville Run.
Results
Junior field masters chase. Large ponies. 1. Talbotstown, o/Karen Eyles, r/Amelia Eyles; 2. Castle Fox, o/Marlowe Daly, r/Mary Motion; 3. Better Early, o/r Beverley Catlett.
Junior field masters chase. Horses. 1. Sing and Hoist, o/r Sarah Green; 2. Denbigh, o/r Scarlett Lovett; 3. Turnadieu, o/r Grant Chungo.
Senior field masters chase. 1. Waterloo Run, o/Pat Cooney, r/Catherine Stimpson; 2. Susquehanna Cat, o/r Stephanie Moore; 3. Henri, o/r Billy Eyles.
Sheila Baldwin memorial novice rider flat, first division. 1 1/2 miles. Time: 3:57 3/5. 1. Analyze, o/Flying Horse Farm, r/Melanie Williams; 2. Elusive Glory, o/Maggie Bryant, r/Bedford Rogers; 3. Dr. Kinsolving, o/Kinross Farm, r/Rachel Gray. 7 started.
Second division. Time: 3:54 3/5. 1. What A Prize, o/Cary Jackson, r/Desmond Fogarty; 2. Mornin' Eddie, o/Kinross Farm,r /Rachel Gray; 3. Tracy Arm, o/Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Dyer, r/Teddy Zimmerman. 6 started.
A.A. Baldwin memorial novice timber. 3 miles. Time: 7:14 1/5. 1. Brogans Shield, o/Beth deStanley, r/Michael Cooney; 2. Prospectors Strike, o/Long Ball Stable, r/Tom Foley; 3. Fiery Legacy, o/Michele Sanger, r/Jacob Roberts. 4 started, 1 pulled up.
Virginia-bred flat. 1 mile. Time: 2:41 1/5. 1. Roseville Run, o/Eric Myer, r/Catherine Stimpson; 2. Hey Doctor, o/Kinross Farm, r/Matt McCarron; 3. Expel, o/Northfield Farm, r/Jeff Murphy. 8 started.
William Dreyer memorial open timber. 3 miles. Time: 7:56 3/5. 1. Erin Go Bragh, o/Brigadoon Stable, r/Paddy Young; 2. Genghis, o/Sara Collette, r/Nick Carter; 3. Crypto Cousin, o/Prospect Partners, r/Pat Cooney.
Maiden flat. 1 1/4 miles. Time: 3:33 3/5. 1. Magic Boots, o/Mojallali Stable, r/Nick Carter; 2. Aquila D'oro, o/Bruce Smart, r/Liam McVicar; 3. Another Junior, o/Jamie Collyer, r/Mike Woodson. 8 started.
George Greenhalgh memorial owner-rider timber. 3 miles. Time: 7:55 3/5. 1. Bien Allure, o/r Jim Whitner; 2. Fire Foot, o/r Justin Batoff; 3. Assembly, o/r Matt Hatcher.
Foxhunters timber. Walkover. 1. Midnight Classic, o/Rod Cameron, r/Suzanne Stettinius.
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