Seven races gave horsemen and spectators a full day May 14 at the Willowdale Steeplechases, Kennett Square, PA.
The featured race of the day was the $35,000 Buttonwood/Sycamore Farm Willowdale Steeplechase. It drew only three entries, but they still made for an exciting race. Withoutmoreado and Awesome Adrian, both trained by Katherine Neilson, faced off against Ballybristol Farm LLC’s Andi’Amu, trained by Leslie Young.
Andi’Amu was fresh off winning the Virginia Gold Cup just a week earlier, by a 23-length lead at the finish line there with jockey Freddie Procter. Withoutmoreado had won the Winterthur Bowl by 11 lengths the previous weekend.
Awesome Adrian, owned by Nancy Reed, set the pace for the bulk of the race under Eric Poretz, followed by Andi’Amu and Irvin Naylor’s Withoutmoreado ridden by Skyler McKenna.
Andi’Amu, again ridden by Procter, challenged for the lead at times, keeping the pace lively through the 3 ½ mile contest which includes water jumps and a change of direction.
On the latter half of the final lap, Andi’Amu took over the lead and was still opening up the distance by the final fence. From there it was all his race down the stretch to the finish line with a lead of 16 ½ -lengths in a time of 7:15 4/5 followed by Withoutmoreado and Awesome Adrian in third.
The featured hurdle race of the day was the $20,000 Rose Tree Cup. Three O One (owned by Mason Hardaway Lampton, trained by Lilith Boucher, ridden by Richard Boucher) took an early lead in the 2 ¼ mile Handicap. Bold Quest (owned by Matthew Groff, trained by Jack Fisher, ridden by Ross Geraghty) ran alongside him and took over the lead as the race progressed, but neither horse would end in the money.
Twenty Years On, who had laid near the back of the eight-horse field, turned on the speed as they came into the final long turn and into the stretch. An entry of Riverdee Stable, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Teddy Davies, Twenty Years On had a long lead by the final jump, over second place runner Criticize ridden by Eric Poretz.
Twenty Years On went on to win easily by more than 30-lengths in a time of 4:55 3/5. Don’t Shout (owned by Potter Group USA LLC, trained by Leslie Young, ridden by Freddie Proctor) was able to turn in a strong finishing drive to take second place from Criticize (owned by QR Stables LLC, trained by Neil Morris) who finished third.
The Folly, a $15,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle drew so many entries it was run in two divisions.
The first division was won by Lear Avia, (owned by Jennifer Pitts, trained by Todd Wyatt) in a time of 5:08 for jockey Colin Smith. Lear Avia, who did not make a move until late in the race finished with a 13-length margin over early pace setter Seville Barber (owned by Taking The Lead Stable and Dark Horse Racing LLC, trained by Keri Brion and ridden by Richard Boucher) and third place finisher Mission Brief (owned by Riverdee Stable, trained by Danielle Hodsdon, and ridden by Ross Geraghty).
Speeds were similar in the second division won by Mojave (owned by Sharon Sheppard, trained by Leslie Young, ridden by Freddie Procter) in a time of 5:09 1/5.
This division was a tighter contest than the first, with jockey Richard Boucher on Mekong (owned by Gregory Hawkins, trained by Janet Elliot) setting the pace for much of the early going. The six-horse field narrowed to five after Dylan McDonagh fell with Dogwoods Crosby (owned by William Wofford, trained by Sara Katz) on the first lap of the course. Mojave stayed in contention for the lead, finishing strong for a three-length win over Daddy’s Cozy ridden by Ross Geraghty (owner/trainer Danielle Hodsdon) while Mekong faded to third.
The day opener was also a hurdle race, the $10,000 Liam Magee Apprentice Rider Hurdle. The winner was Perfect Tapatino (owned by Leipers Fork Steeplechase, trained by Leslie Young, ridden by Freddie Proctor) followed by Chief Justice (trained by Cyril Murphy, ridden by Dylan McDonagh), and pace setter Chetzeon (trained by Keri Brion, ridden by Teddy Davies), both owned by Irv Naylor.
Two timber races finished out the day as the dreary skies turned to rain.
The $15,000 Landhope Cup Maiden Timber was won by The Silent Trainer, ridden by Teddy Davies, in a time of 6:03 3/5. The largest field of the day, with nine starters, was a battle of attrition with two horses pulled up, two off-course, and a fall by jockey Alex Leventhal and Worzel Gummidge. The Silent Trainer (owned by Buttonwood Farms LLC, trained by Keri Brion) managed a win by 1 ¾ - lengths over owner/rider Virginia Korrell on Tiepolo (trainer Elizabeth Korrell) and third place finisher Adjutant (owner Sycamore Run Farm, trainer Katherine Neilson, ridden by Eric Poretz).
The day concluded with the $10,000 Marshall W Jenney Memorial Foxhunter’s Chase (Apprentice Rider Timber). The top finisher in the four horse field was Our Friend (owned by Armata Stables, trained by Joseph Davies, ridden by Teddy Davies) in a time of 5:59. In second place at 5 ¾ lengths back was Mercoeur (owned by Ballybristol Farm LLC, trained by Leslie Young, ridden by Freddie Procter) followed by It’s Nothing (owned by Sally Reed, trained by Katherine Neilson, ridden by Theodore Sushko) in third and Be Counted (owned by Peter and Sarah Jay, trained by Todd Wyatt, ridden by Colin Smith) rounding out the field.