December 2020/January 2021 Issue

By Marcella Peyre-Ferry In a race day changed by COVID-19, last year’s race winner Mystic Strike was again on top in the featured $25,000 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup. Sun., Nov. 1, five races were run on the Unionville, PA course under careful pandemic protocols. Horsemen, staff, and volunteers were asked to respond to health questions and have their temperatures checked before admission to the grounds. No spectators were permitted on site, but the races could be viewed through live-stream video via the National Steeplechase Associa- tion website. In addition to changes caused by the pandemic, a week of rain, including downpours on race day, prompted a change to the Hunt Cup course. In- stead of using the outer loop of the course, which had deeper, wetter footing, the four-mile distance was modified to utilize the layout of the day’s other timber races with different fence sections. A large field of ten starters came to the line for the 86th running of the challenging timber race. The race proved to be very competitive as leaders changed several times throughout the running. Armata Stables’ Grand Manan under Darren Nagle was an early pace setter, trading off the lead with Just Wait And See Just five of ten starters finished the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup, held in the rain in Unionville, PA the first weekend of November. Last year’s winner, Mystic Strike, ridden by Thomas Garner and trained by Todd McKenna, finished in first with an eight length lead. Photo credit: Robert Keller EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN December 2020/January 2021 Page 7 Mystic Strike Survives Slop to Win Pennsylvania Hunt Cup from Kinross Farm, ridden by Chris Gracie. The length of the race in the soft footing took its toll on the pace setters. In the late stages of the race, Just Wait and See took down a top rail while in the lead, slowing him just a bit and tight- ening the leaders. Grand Manan, running second at that point, took out a rail on the next fence and later pulled up. A fall by Le Chevalier and three other horses pulled up left just five contenders running from the final turn for the finish. The surviving runners from the pack now began to move. Mystic Strike, owned by Bill Wylie of Upland Partners and ridden by Thomas Garner had re- mained in touch with the leaders throughout the race and was well positioned to move up as the leaders tired. Rebecca Shepard’s Curve of Stones, ridden by Barry Foley, showed a good burst of speed but had been farther back when he began his move. Fol- lowing were Frank Bonsal, Jr,’s Stand Down and Armata Stables; Joshua G; all four overtook Just Wait and See. Mystic Strike, trained by Todd McKenna, was easily ahead by an eight length margin, going under the wire in a time of 9:07. In second was Curve of Stones, trained by David Bourke. A favored pick for the Hunt Cup, Curve of Stones was coming off two straight timber wins, at Mid- dleburg Oct. 10 and the Interna- tional Gold Cut in The Plains, VA Oct. 25. Stand Down and Joshua G finished third and fourth respec- tively. After the race, jock- ey-turned-trainer Mark Beecher congratulated Garner. Beecher rode Mystic Strike in last year’s Hunt Cup, his final mount as a jockey. Mystic Strike also boasts stakes scores in the Rad- nor Hunt Cup and My Lady’s Manor. Choate Memorial Royal Ruse, owned by Charles Fenwick, Jr., had been entered in both the Hunt Cup and (Continued on page 19)