December 2019/January 2020 Issue

OUR TH YEAR 3 - PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 280 LANC., PA 17604 Vol. 26 No. 12 December 2019/January 2020 Mystic Strike Wins the 85th Running of the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup Inside... Maryland woman adopts PMU foal, ends up with a treasure … pg. 5 Wandering horse with no name finds a home at Wernersville PA rescue … pg. 6 …and much more! Get your shopping done with our Holiday Gift Guide...Pgs. 12-17 By Marcella Peyre-Ferry The first and second place finishers from the 2018 Penn- sylvania Hunt Cup were in the field for this year’s 85th running of the $40,0000 Timber Stake in Unionville, PA on Sun., Nov. 3, but Upland Partner's entry Mystic Strike topped them both. "They weren't planning to run the horse here. I rang them up and I said run the horse here,” jockey Mark Beecher said in the winner’s circle. “I’m not riding that much anymore, so when I say I think the horse can win, they backed me.” Grand Manan, owned by Armata Stables and ridden by Archie Macauley, set the pace for the 4-mile timber race from the start, with a lead of eight lengths or more at some points. Last year’s winner Stand Down, ridden by Eric Poretz, ran third until a fall in the early go- ing. Last year’s runner up, Super Saturday, stayed in contention in the pack but never made a move on the pace setter. It was Mystic Strike, trained by Todd McKenna, that stayed in second behind Grand Manan around the majority of the course. In the late going, Mystic Strike closed the gap on the leader, gaining steady ground. The two jumped the final fence at the top of the stretch side by side, with Mystic Strike taking off from there to win by 2 1/4 lengths. "I know this horse now. When he hits the front too early he has a bit of a look. I wanted to go a bit earlier, but knew I couldn’t, and I just waited as long as I could. I didn’t get a great one at the last fence but he was super,” Beecher said. The two horses jumped that last fence so close side-by-side that an inquiry was called but was not upheld. Irvin Naylor’s Super Saturday finished third this time out under Gerard Galligan, followed by Witor ridden by Paul O’Neil and It’s Nothing ridden by Skyler McKenna. Mystic Strike completed the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup’s four miles in 9:07 3/5 and raised his 2019 earnings to $57,000 with the Unionville classic’s $24,000 first- place purse. Maiden Timber Skyler McKenna had her mo- ment in the winner’s circle in the first race of the day, the $15,000 Lewis C. Ledyard, Maiden Timber. McKenna rode Charles C Fenwick, Jr.’s, Royal Ruse trained by Sanna Neilson. This was the second win in a sanctioned race for McKenna, who was enthusiastic about the horse. “He’s so nice to ride, he’s really genuine. He’ll go in tight for you or leave on if you want to leave on - he’s a really nice horse.” Mark Beecher took Rene- gade River out to the front early, and stayed there twice around, but faded to fourth in the final stages of the race. Royal Ruse had been running second on the final lap, and opened up after a nice final fence to win by 2 ¾ lengths at the wire over second place finisher Forever Bernardini and Pincer Movement in third In the $20,000 Arthur O. Choate Jr. Memorial Timber Race, a two horse fall took out Shinobi (owned by Irvin Naylor, ridden by Gerard Galligan) and Really Ready (owned by Charles Fenwick, Jr., ridden by H Frost) before they had completed the first circuit of the course. Just Wait And See under Jack Doyle was well in the lead at that point, safe from the fallers, where he stayed from start to finish. At times he was challenged by El Jefe Grande, with Graham Watters, who pushed the pace and gained ground at the jumps, but could not keep up in the stretch where Just Wait And See opened it up for a 8 ¾ length margin of victory in a time of 6:26. This was just the second time Doyle has raced Just Wait And See, owned by Kinross Farm and trained by Richard Valentine. “He’s hunted all his life. He’s run cross country in Ireland and done hunt races over there, he’s a clev- er old boy,” Doyle said. “He’s not a quick horse but he gallops all day, so I just wanted to jump out, get in a rhythm, and leave it up to him after that.” The sanctioned races for the day ended with The Athenian Idol Amateur Apprentice Jockey Training Flat Race. The winner in the 12 horse field by a 2 ½ length margin, was Good and Proper, owned by Morning Star Farm, trained by Ricky Hendriks and ridden by Elizabeth Scully. Pony Races The PAHunt Cup hosted the last Young Rider Flat race for the year. All riders in the field had ridden in the PA Jr Hunt Cup at one point in their junior jockey careers. Conquest Falcon, ridden by Teddy Davies, won the one mile and three furlong contest over a field of six. The young rider flat races have been a great training opportunity for young riders and have helped several of them make connections with sanctioned trainers. Junior jockey Thomas Houghton rode his first Field Master Chase on Princess Pongo and pulled up all smiles. Young Houghton got an arm workout, but finished a game second in the Medium Pony Chase to Teddy Davies aboard pony racing school- master Count Chocula. Will Slater and Chewy took the small pony division while junior jockey James Wyatt aboard Bailey had his first win over fences. Mystic Strike, leading, and Grand Manan, who led by as much as eight lengths most of the race, jumped the final fence of the 2019 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup together before Mystic Strike and Mark Beecher pulled ahead to win by two and a quarter lengths. Photo by Marcella Peyre-Ferry