'Jump': Irv Naylor Sets Record Becoming the NSA's All-time Leading Owner, Next up - Grade 1 Beverly Steinman Steeplechase at the Belmont Festival on June 9th + The NSA Top 20 Horses in Training!
Monday May 20th, Edition #38
In Case You Missed It: This Weekends Top 6 USA Jump Racing Stories
Contents
Saturday Review - Radnor Hunt Cup Recap
Radnor Hunt Cup - All the Results
NSA Ratings - The Top 20 Horses in Training
Naylor Sets Record - With a double at Radnor, Naylor becomes NSA's all-time leading owner
Next up - Grade 1 Beverly Steinman steeplechase to Belmont Festival on June 9th
NSA Standings - Leslie Young and Leipers Fork dominate
“The ‘Jump newsletter’ is an absolute boon to me. Now domiciled in the UK, it keeps me updated on US jump racing. Thank you.” - Barbara Shaw (Facebook)
WEEKEND REVIEW
Radnor Hunt Cup Recap
by Tod Marks
"Court" rules in Radnor Hunt Cup
An incredible finish in the co-featured $30,000 Radnor Hunt Cup at 3 1/4 miles over timber involving a pair of remarkable horses.
Leipers Fork Steeplechasers' Court Ruler, with Conor Tierney, led from the outset, opening up by a wide margin at one point in the contest.
The 10-year-old, trained by Leslie Young, has made the most of a carefully managed, albeit abbreviated career. With just 21 starts under his girth, the Irish-bred son of Court Cave has captured 11 of those starts, finishing out of the top three just three times. And he's only gotten better with age. He's won four of his last five, the only blemish on his record having come when he missed a beacon and went off course in the Steeplethon at Great Meadow two weeks ago.
On Saturday, Court Ruler faced a stiff challenge from Upland Partners' Mystic Strike, trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by Gerard Galligan, making his 15-year-old debut and coming off of a year-long layoff.
Both ran brilliantly, dueling head to head through the long stretch with Court Ruler (pictured at left) prevailing by three-quarters of a length despite setting the fractions.
Read the full articles on Tod's Facebook page
ALL THE RADNOR RESULTS
NAYLOR SETS NEW RECORD
With a double at Radnor, Naylor becomes NSA's all-time leading owner
By Tod Marks
The Irv Naylor Stable, a powerhouse on the National Steeplechase Association circuit since 2010, became the sport's leading purse earner with a pair of victories at Saturday's Radnor Hunt Races in Malvern, Pa.
Naylor, who captured his seventh leading owner crown in 2023 with a stable of sluggers under the care of Cyril Murphy, Kathy Neilson, and Neil Morris, surpassed George Strawbridge when Travesuras, trained by Murphy and ridden by Gerard Galligan, took the opener, the $30,000 Milfern Cup. He added to his total when Westerland, scored in the sixth, the $20,000 Henry Collins, for trainer Kathy Neilson and jockey Paddy O'Hanlon.
The victories added $27,000 to Naylor’s 2024 earnings, which total $68,550. He began the season with $9,003,852, $42,459 shy of Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable.
Ever humble, Naylor had this to say when about this milestone:
"On Friday, we shed tears of sadness at Will O'Keefe's Celebration of Life. On Saturday, we shed tears of joy while watching the live stream of the Radnor Races with friends.
"We were just so happy to have finally won 2 races- the 1st 2 for us this year. I didn't focus on the fact that a win would catapult me to the Leading Owners spot. Our trainer Cyril and jockey Gerard alerted me ot the fact.
"I am grateful to all the trainers, jockeys, staff, and wives (most especially Diane) over many, many years that made this great milestone possible for me.
"Obviously, this is one of the most meaningful accomplishments in my life. I have always remained passionate about this sport and tit seems the time, effort, and money involved paid off. It only goes to show - Miracles do Happen!"
THE NSA RATINGS
The Top 20 Horses in Training
Photo - Alan Poizner - The Tennessean
As Spring wraps up, Snap Decision holds the top spot in the nation with a rating of 168, a full 12 pounds ahead of Vae Patron, who pushed him to the limit in the Grade 1 Iroquois. For that impressive performance, Vae Patron's rating was bumped up by 12 pounds. Another significant climber is Eclipse Thoroughbred’s Abaan, who saw his rating rise by 9 pounds after an outstanding win in the Green Pastures.
As we head into summer, expect plenty of shifts in these ratings. Notably, three of the top 10 horses—Snap, Noah, and Sebastopol—are ineligible to run in New York because they are 10 years old. Last year’s Eclipse winner, Merry Maker, has yet to make it to the track, while a few younger horses have had quite demanding spring campaigns. This should set the stage for an unpredictable Summer Jump season.
NEXT UP
Grade 1 Beverly Steinman steeplechase at the Belmont Festival in Saratoga on June 9th
Photo - Tod Marks
The New York Racing Association will host a new $150,000 steeplechase race during its Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, to be run this year on June 9 at Saratoga Race Course.
The 2 3/8-mile grass steeplechase race for older horses has been designated a Grade 1 by the National Steeplechase Association, which administers the steeplechase calendar and allocates funding for steeplechase purses. It is being called the Beverly R. Steinman, in honor of a prestigious Thoroughbred owner and breeder and New York racing fixture who has raced top-class horses over the jumps and flat.
“The New York Racing Association is excited to incorporate a steeplechase event into the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA’s senior vice president of racing and operations, in a release. “We value the longstanding relationship that NYRA and the NSA have shared and are pleased to honor Peggy Steinman with this wonderful new event.”
NSA STANDINGS
Share the Love for Jump!
Are you a fan of Jump? Know someone else who might enjoy our content? Don't hesitate to share! We cover everything from jockey profiles to race recaps, offering something for every jump racing enthusiast.
Sharing is simple and helps us grow - allowing us to keep delivering the content you love. So, spread the word about Jump and help us build a community that celebrates the thrill of jump racing. Thank you for your support!
If you have any articles or topics to share, send us a link at usasteeplechase@gmail.com.
Check back on in a few weeks for more USA Steeplechase news and insights!
Steve
@USASteeplechase - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram