'Jump' Newsletter - Edition 8 (August 13th, 2023)
'Jump' Newsletter - Edition 8 (August 13th, 2023)
Gold Charm takes the Randolph D. Rouse. Filly and Mare Stakes, adding to Naylor stable's magical summer run!
Welcome to the eighth edition of 'Jump.'
Irv Naylor has made an indelible mark on the steeplechase racetracks this summer. His vibrant green, yellow, and white silks have dominated the winner's circle throughout the 2023 Summer Jump Season.
Naylor's stable has secured wins in all three stakes races so far this season. Among the victories, he took down the Grade 1 AP Smithwick, a revered event in the racing calendar, with Belfast Banter. The Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes at Saratoga, another significant race, was also claimed by Naylor's McTigue. In addition, Gold Charm won for the second time this summer and on Friday claimed The Randolph D. Rouse. Filly and Mare Stakes at Colonial Downs.
The results are telling - four wins, a significant $204,000 in first prize money, and an impressive 50% strike rate. This stellar performance has launched Naylor to the top of the owner standings, with his winnings amounting to twice that of his closest competitor, Riverdee Stables.
This is not a new phenomenon for Naylor. The longtime steeplechase owner and former amateur jockey, who was partially paralyzed in a racing fall in 1999, has shown an unwavering commitment to the sport. As National Steeplechase Association racing director Bill Gallo once noted, "Irv Naylor is probably one of the most competitive owners we have. [He has] a great business mind and supports the game in many different ways."
Long may his reign at the top continue!
Riders up
Steve Coxon - USASteeplechase
In Case You Missed It: This Week's Top 5 USA Jump Racing Stories
Contents
Colonial Downs Review - Gold Charm takes the Rouse Stakes, adding to Naylor stable's magical summer run!
Update on Summer Steeplechase Racing at Saratoga
Trainer Feature - Keri Brion Follows in a Legend's Footsteps
Patrick Lewis - The Shake Room
News - Top 10 Horses in Training
Gold Charm takes the Rouse Stakes, adding to Naylor stable's magical summer run!
By Tod Marks
Pictured: File photo of Gold Charm at Radnor.
The third start was definitely a charm for Irv Naylor's Gold Charm. After coming over from England earlier this year, the four-year-old Irish-bred daughter of the magnificent classic winner Golden Horn, made two starts in the spring, finishing a strong second in her NSA debut at Radnor in May and breaking her maiden at Colonial Downs last month for trainer Cyril Murphy.
On Friday, Gold Charm became a stakes winner when she put away six rivals to take the $75,000 Randolph Rouse filly and mare stake at 2 1/4 miles.
The race unfolded when Joseph Fowler's Met in Miami, coming off of a second-place finish in the Margaret Currey Henley stakes in Nashville, assumed the lead under Bernie Dalton and held it throughout most of the going. Though never on top by more than about four lengths, Met in Miami was running easily as Jordan Wycoff's Clara Belle and Ashwell Stable's Durragh sat in striking distance.
There was little change in position among the field until the final fence as Arch Kingley's Cainudothetwist, under Graham Watters, made a big move, overtaking the leader and scooting clear by about two lengths. Cainudothetwist doubled her lead turning for home as Naylor's other entry, Bercasa, made up ground under Gerard Galligan. At that point, Gold Charm charged up on the outside under Harry Bewsick and drew off easily by three lengths. Cainudothetwist finished 8 1/2 lengths ahead of the Bercasa.
The victory was the fourth of the summer for the Naylor stable, including two other stakes, the Grade 1 AP Smithwick and Jonathan Kiser novice stakes, both at Saratoga.
Pure Courage earns first NSA win in today's opener
Gill Johnston's five-year-old son of Declaration of War grabbed the lead, relinquished it, and came on again under a long, sustained drive by Elizabeth Scully to win today's $40,000 maiden special weights event going away by 2 1/4 lengths.
Pure Courage, trained by Todd Wyatt, began his jump racing career last fall following a career on the flat that took him to Sam Houston, Ellis Park, and Remington Park, among others. And in four NSA starts, he finished in the money three times in maiden contests.
On Friday, Pure Courage broke on top in the field of 10 going 2 1/4 miles, racing on or near the lead for most of the going. Heading up the backside the final time, Pure Courage and his shadow, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Daigneault Thoroughbreds Abaan, who vied for the lead throughout, pulled away from the field. Abaan then began to draw clear of Pure Courage on the turn and looked like a winner straightening for home.
But Scully steered Pure Courage to the outside and gradually wore down the leader. A son of Travers winner Will Take Charge, Abaan was ridden by Bernie Dalton for his wife, trainer Kate Dalton. Abaan was second best in his NSA debut, 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Armata Stable's Imperial Assasin.
Pictured: File photo of Elizabeth Scully and Pure Courage at Shawan Downs.
Junonia rallies for handicap win
Kinross Corp.'s Junonia found the winner's circle for the first time in more than two years as the gray son of City Zip zoomed past pacesetter Baltimore Kid to score by three lengths in the $30,000 handicap for horses rated at 110 or less.
Ridden by Bernie Dalton for trainer Neil Morris, Junonia was content sit toward the rear of the field of seven for the first mile as Buttonwood Farm's Baltimore Kid, ridden by Parker Hendriks, and Mr. Connecticut (Harry Beswick) vied for the top spot.
There was little change in position until Junonia made his move with three jumps remaining, taking the lead into the final turn. Turning for home, the field bunched up a bit and it still appeared to be anyone's race. That's when Junonia spurted clear on the inside to lead by three as Paul and Molly Willis' New Appointment (Mell Boucher) narrowed the gap, getting up for second, a neck ahead of William Russell's Seismic Wave (Graham Watters), who unleashed a belated rally to catch Tom Rice's Oscar Winner for the show spot.
For Junonia, a nine-year-old Pennsylvania-bred who has split his time between flat racing and steeplechasing, it was his first victory since July 2021, which marked his third straight trip to the winner's circle.
Pictured: File photo of Junonia.
You can check out all of Tod’s wonderful photos at www.todmarks.photoshelter.com
Update on Summer Steeplechase Racing at Saratoga
The Wednesday, August 9 allowance hurdle at Saratoga that was canceled when all races were taken off the turf, and will not be rescheduled for Wednesday, August 16 due to an insufficient number of possible entries. Therefore, the next jump race at Saratoga will be the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard, which has been moved to Wednesday, August 23, in place of the Michael G. Walsh novice stakes. Nominations for the Sheppard have been re-opened and close this Saturday, August 12. The final jump race at Saratoga, an allowance hurdle, remains on the schedule and will be run Wednesday, August 30.
Jump Racing at the Spa!
Photo by Peggy Kohn
Horse Trainer Keri Brion Follows in a Legend's Footsteps
By Sam Cavalieri, Correspondent, Aug 12, 2023
GRANTVILLE, Pa. — Keri Brion was interviewed by a local newspaper when she was 15 years old for being athlete of the week. The freshman was a budding track-and-field star, but she told the Sun Ledger, “My first love is racehorses.”
Brion has turned that love into a successful and expanding career as a racehorse trainer. But, as the former top assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard, she faces expectations from owners and even more so herself.
Brion’s introduction to the horse world began with riding lessons around the age of 6 and progressed to working with horses by the age of 10 for Ronnie and Betsy Houghton at their Sylmar Farm in Christiana, Pennsylvania, scrubbing water buckets and cleaning tack.
“They put me on my first racehorse to gallop, and I knew. It just was the racing, it just got me. I didn’t love anything with the horses as much as I did racing,” she said.
Diana and Kenneth Galbraith of KMSN Stable stand in the winner's circle with Keri Brion (right) at Penn National racecourse recently.
Still, Brion attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania on a pole-vaulting scholarship. She came home over a Thanksgiving break and learned that Sheppard needed riders at his Ashwell Stables in West Grove, Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes away from Kirkwood, a tiny hamlet of 300 where the 32-year-old Brion grew up.“(Riding for Sheppard) opened a whole new world. I mean, that was the time he had Informed Decision and Forever Together and all those types of horses, and I was like, ‘oh wow, there’s way more out there.’ That actually is what made me really want to come home. I wasn’t staying sound pole vaulting anyway.”
The Shake Room
by Patrick Lewis (Steeplechase Owner @UplandFlats)
It’s been just 18 days since I wrote my Saratoga Bound post. My stint thus far has been every bit as magical as I hoped it would be, just not where I expected to experience magic. It has been humbling and at times, heartbreaking. 10 runners in these 18 days yielded exactly zero winners, 2 thirds and a handful of midpack finishes and a failed to-menace or two. Onto the heartbreak: my majority-owned Grade 1 placed Steeplechaser and possible Eclipse Finalist, Freddy Flintshire, had to be shut down for the year. Oh and Red Carpet Ready told us in horse terms she needed a break after a year plus of campaigning so she misses Saratoga Graded stakes and likely most of fall . So yes— it’s been a slew of canceled Grade 1 dates, canceled plane flights and canceled hotel rooms.
Enough of the pity party. It has been 18 days filled with joys, belly laughs at raucous dinners, sleep deprivation, 17 drops in claiming races.
I rented a golf cart to get the fullest backside experience. I slip a fleece on and drive down 5th Avenue every morning at 6:30, through the back entrance of the Oklahoma Training Track along the dust road, avoiding horses, other carts, potholes and park at the track kitchen for a bad but perfect cup of coffee and walk over the mud/mulch/manure melange 100 feet to my trainer, Jamie Begg’s barn 54. The first 3 days I had to be told which horse was which 5 or 10 times but I eventually got it down. We cart up to the rail of the Oklahoma, and my ADD brain immediately loses track of the horse I’m supposed to follow and miss about 50% of the breeze/gallop and then walk with and talk with the rider or jockey still up to ask how the horse felt. While the grooms hotwalk then bathe the horse post-workout, we pull open the Racing Form and start plotting out horses we want to drop on for the day and then take a break until the races in the afternoon start. I should say I take a break, the trainer’s mid morning is filled with vet visits, blacksmiths, owner phone calls, billing, feed ordering etc etc. I go back to the rental and try and focus on my day job but fail to menace there as well.
Around 25 minutes prior to the race the horses are brought over from the holding barn and along the white railed horsepath that weaves through the pines, people and picnic tables and into the paddock. Claiming owners and trainers are allowed to watch them walk the path but claims will be voided if they enter the paddock. The trainers studying the horses walking lined up on the rail have a striking resemblance to the pigeons aligning the opposite rail waiting for picnic tablers to exit the turnstiles so they can feast. We make final notes, thoughts and then make our minds up which horse we want to claim and walk into the racing office which I affectionately call the Shake Room. You have to fill the paperwork out perfectly and drop at least 15 minutes before the start of the race to be eligible. If a single word is misspelled or mislabeled your claim will be voided. Pray to the horse Gods and drop the claim envelope in the box. If the room is packed there is a collective sense of annoyance that so many others had the same idea as you.
If its a condition race such as non winners of 2, or 3, you cheer for your target horse to run a strong effort but not win so you can keep the condition and run back in that race, win and get claimed next out. If they win, they better win BIG so maybe you can run in open company. If they run horribly, and the claim doesn’t get vet voided, then you do some soul-searching and self-talk as you walk this unknown-to-you horse back to your barn
The Saratoga Racing Office is impossibly small when there are big shakes and we are packed in like Sardines watching the race finish and then all eyes are fixed on the Racing secretary who will read out the names of the horses claimed, and then the names of the trainers who dropped. If its a 10 way shake, he drops 10 numbered balls in to match the 10 claim slips and cranks the wheel three or four times and then reads the ball it spits out. He reads the number, then reads the name of the trainer. Generally 1 audible cheer and 9 varying four letter words.
In 12 racing days we dropped 17 claim slips and won just one single time. I could be disheartened for those missed opportunities but I am thrilled with the filly we did pick up and I have loved every bit of the action. There is magic found everywhere at Saratoga: The Oklahoma, the main track, in Clare Court on foggy mornings and on rain soaked ones too. But this year my favorite new magic has been the magic found in the Shake Room.
News - The Top 10 Horses in Training
The Mean Queen, a 6-year-old Irish-bred mare owned by Buttonwood Farm, is ready to reclaim her throne in the world of USA Jump Racing. After an impressive 2021 season, where she secured three Grade 1 victories and was honored as the Eclipse winner, this chestnut powerhouse is back in training after a break since last September.
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Jonathan Sheppard at Saratoga on August 23rd. The final Grade 1 at Saratoga this summer is worth $150,000 in purse money and is set to feature seven or eight of the top ten runners!
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Steve
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