Post-Race Analysis:
Glyndon, Maryland - April 24, 2004: Bug River won the 108th running
of the Maryland Hunt Cup, pulling away from his rivals after the
21st fence to win easily by 11 lengths over Narrow River. Rosbrian
(Ire) was third under the wire but was disqualified for interference
at the 21st fence and was placed fifth. Young Dubliner was moved
up to third and Make Me a Champ was placed fourth. The final time
for the 4-mile race was 8:57.2, more than half a minute slower than
the course record of 8:25.6 established by Young Dubliner in 2002.
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Bug River and Blair Waterman winning
the 108th running of the Maryland Hunt Cup.
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The field was reduced to eight starters when the top-two finishers
from last year, Swayo and Wood Whistle, were both scratched. Swayo
had coliced the night before the race and Wood Whistle had tied-up
after training earlier in the week. Matchless, Temple Owl and Watch
Captain (NZ) were also scratched.
Bug River jumped flawlessly around the 22-fence course, racing
in last place early while Young Dubliner made the pace for the first
three miles of the race. Bowman's Crossing and Ivorgorian were both
prominent early, but both horses began to tire three miles into
the race, and both unseated their riders at the 16th fence after
jumping poorly. Bruno Castelli lost his rider at the 7th fence when
he stumbled upon landing. None of the horses or riders were injured.
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Young Dubliner leads Bowman's Crossing,
Make Me a Champ and Rosbrian at the 13th fence.
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The five remaining horses were tightly bunched as they completed
the remaining three fences down the backside, creating quite a spectacle
as the entire field jumped the huge timber fences in unison. Bug
River and Narrow River ranged up on the outside, but Young Dubliner
battled back gamely along the rail with Rosbrian and Make Me a Champ
just to his inside.
As they crossed Tufton Avenue and turned for home it was still
anybody's race. But as Bug River approached the second-to-last fence
he found another gear, sprinting clear upon landing to win going
away.
Northwood Stables' Bug River is a horse that began to come into
his own this spring. His connections decided to supplement the 11-year-old
when he finally broke his maiden in his ninth start over timber
last week, winning an allowance race at the American Grand National.
This was the first trip over the Maryland Hunt Cup course for the
son of Polish Numbers (by Danzig), who is trained by Regina Welsh
and was ridden by Blair Waterman, a last minute substitution for
Brooks Durkee.
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Trainer Regina Welsh had her prayers
answered when Bug River won the Maryland Hunt Cup.
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"I just let him settle and find his stride,"
said Waterman after the race. "He never grabbed the bit, he
just jumped his way to the front when the others started to struggle
a little. He won with plenty in reserve. He's a four-mile horse,
and he could have gone another mile today."
"We bought this horse to run in the Maryland
Hunt Cup five years ago," explained Welsh after the race. "Blair
gets a lot of the credit because Bug River didn't really show that
much until she started riding him last year. He's a quietly nervous
horse, and Blair gets him to relax and shut off like they're just
going for a Sunday ride."
Winning Owner Michael Hankin is the CEO of Brown Advisory,
a Baltimore-based investment company, and the Secretary of the Green
Spring Valley Hunt. "I was a little nervous," said Hankin after
the race. "The first half of the race I thought Bug River was tired
he was so relaxed. But I knew Blair knew what she was doing. She
rode him last week and won using the same tactics."
Hankin also had words of praise for winning trainer
Regina Welsh: "Regina is very good at getting horses fit without
over-training them. We bought this horse from Dickie Small five
years ago to run in the Maryland Hunt Cup, and Regina made the dream
come true!"
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Alexandra Robertson and Narrow River
finished second in the Maryland Hunt Cup.
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Second-place finisher Narrow River raced in the back of the pack
early before moving into contention at the 16th fence. The 13-year-old
had finished fifth in last year's Maryland Hunt Cup after having
won the American Grand National that year. This year Narrow River
took a different route to the Maryland Hunt Cup, running at My Lady's
Manor two weeks ago where he finished 7th. In an obvious change
of tactics, the son of Cormorant (by His Majesty) raced near the
back of the pack at My Lady's Manor before picking it up late to
finish strongly. Narrow River is owned and trained by Mrs. G.W.
Robertson, Jr. and was ridden by her daughter, Alexandra
"It's a brutal race," said the younger Robertson. "The speed is
not fast over four miles, but the fences are very high and straight
up and down. I can't complain about finishing second. Narrow River
tried his best."
William C. Lickle's Young Dubliner (Ire) is a 15-year-old anomaly
who acts much younger than his age. Young Dubliner established and
still holds the Maryland Hunt Cup course record when he won the
race two years ago. The son of Strong Gale (by Lord Gayle) lost
his rider in last year's edition of the race, but then ripped off
three victories in a row last fall, including a win in the Pennsylvania
Hunt Cup. Young Dubliner is trained by Kathy Neilson and was ridden
for the first time by Irishman Paddy Young.
"That was a thrill of a lifetime," said Young after riding
in his first Maryland Hunt Cup. "You have to have a clever
horse to jump around that course. I walked the course once before
the race so I knew where to go," added Young. "But I didn't want
to walk the course a second time because I would have been scared
to death!"
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15-year-old Young Dubliner (right) leads
Bowman's Crossing and Make Me a Champ (left) at the 3rd fence.
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Irvin S. Naylor's Make Me a Champ entered the Maryland Hunt Cup
with excellent form. The 13-year-old son of Salutely (by Hoist The
Flag) had hit the board in all six of his last starts, including
a victory in last week's American Grand National, the traditional
prep race for the Maryland Hunt Cup. He is trained by veteran conditioner
F. Bruce Miller, and was ridden by 17-year-old Chris Gracie, who
won the Maryland Hunt Cup last year on Swayo.
Rosbrian Farm's Rosbrian (Ire) was disqualified for coming over
on Young Dubliner and Make Me a Champ after landing over the second-to-last
fence. The 9-year-old son of Husyan (by Alleged) is trained by Casey
Randall and was ridden by Gordon Elliott.
Move-up Stables' Swayo was scratched when he coliced the night
before the race. The 13-year-old son of Foligno (by Foolish Pleasure)
who was trying to become only the ninth three-time winner of the
Maryland Hunt Cup. His previous two victories in the race came in
2000 and 2003.
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Bug River looked like he was ready to
win in the post parade.
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The $65,000 Maryland Hunt Cup, America's oldest and richest timber
race, is restricted to amateur riders. All horse carried 165 pounds
over the grueling 4-mile course that featured the largest timber
fences in America - some as high as 4 foot 9 inches tall.
This year's edition of the race featured a number of firsts: It
was the first Maryland Hunt Cup victory for jockey Blair Waterman,
trainer Regina Wesh and owner Michael Hankin. It was also the first
time in Maryland Hunt Cup history that the race was dominated by
the female gender, as never before had women trained and rode the
first two finishers, nor had women trainers conditioned the top-three
finishers.
Some of the greatest timber horses in American history have won
the Maryland Hunt Cup, including two thoroughbreds that went on
to win England's famous Grand National steeplechase: Jay Trump and
Ben Nevis II. In 1963 Jay Trump won his first of three Maryland
Hunt Cups. Two years later he became the first horse to be bred,
owned and ridden by Americans, to win the Grand National at Aintree
racecourse in Liverpool. Ben Nevis (GB), who won the Maryland Hunt
Cup in 1977 and 1978, was flown to England to contest their signature
steeplechase race in 1979. While he was brought down by fallen horse
that year, Ben Nevis had better luck in 1980 when he captured the
English Grand National under American jockey Charlie Fenwick.
Other horses besides Jay Trump to win the Maryland Hunt Cup three
times include Cancottage (1980, 1981 & 1983); Winton (1942, 1946
& 1947); Blockade (1938-1940); and Princeton (1903, 1905 & 1906).
While no horse has been able to capture the race more than three
times, several jockeys have including Stuart Janney, owner of the
ill-fated Ruffian (1935, 1942, 1946 & 1947); Jay Trump's trainer
and jockey, Tommy Smith (1959, 1961, 1963, 1964 & 1966); and Charlie
Fenwick (1977-1979, 1983 & 1987). However, it is Hall of Fame trainer
Mikie Smithwick who holds the record for the most Maryland Hunt
Cup victories, having won the race six times during his illustrious
career as an amateur steeplechase jockey (1948-1950, 1952, 1954
& 1960).
The Maryland Hunt Cup originated in 1894 when the members of the
Elkridge Fox Hunting Club challenged the members of Green Spring
Valley Hounds to a timber race. Although the first race was limited
to members of the two clubs, the next year the race was opened to
all fox hunting clubs in Maryland, and in 1903, members from recognized
clubs throughout the United States and Canada were invited to participate.
In 1922, Worthington Valley became the permanent home of the four
mile, twenty-two fence racecourse. Since then, the size and spectacle
of the race has grown as fans bring their friends and families for
an afternoon of tailgating and picnicking on a hill that offers
a panoramic view of the racecourse.
Click here for Daily Racing Form past performance
charts for the Maryland Hunt Cup (in PDF format).
Past performance charts for the Maryland Hunt Cup are provided
to Steeplestakes.com on an exclusive basis by the Daily
Racing Form
Click here
to play the Steeplestakes.com Spring 2004 Handicapping Contest.
The complete order of finish for the Maryland Hunt Cup is set forth
below.
Results:
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FP
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Horse
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lbs
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Jockey
|
Trainer
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Owner
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1
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Bug River (S) |
165 |
Waterman |
Regina Welsh |
Northwoods Stable |
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2
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Narrow River |
165 |
Robertson |
Nanetta Robertson |
Mrs. G.W. Robertson, Jr. |
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3
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Young Dubliner (Ire) |
165 |
Young |
Katherine Neilson |
William C. Lickle |
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4
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Make Me A Champ |
165 |
Gracie |
F. Bruce Miller |
Irvin S. Naylor |
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5
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Rosbrian (Ire) |
165 |
Elliott |
Casey J. Randall |
Rosbrian Farm |
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LR
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Bowman's Crossing |
165 |
Winants |
Richard L. Valentine |
Whitewood Farm |
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LR
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Ivorgorian |
165 |
Lampton |
Dorothy F. Smithwick |
Benjamin H. Hardaway III |
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LR
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Bruno Castelli |
165 |
Lyons |
Christopher Lyons |
Waverton Farm |
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Scr
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Swayo |
165 |
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Ann D. Stewart |
Move Up Stable |
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Scr
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Wood Whistle |
165 |
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Thomas H. Voss |
Phoenix Stable |
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Scr
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Temple Owl |
165 |
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William Meister |
Mrs. R.S. Killebrew, Jr. |
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Scr
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Matchless |
165 |
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Jack Fisher |
Cohiba Stable |
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Scr
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Watch Captain (NZ) |
165 |
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Richard L. Valentine |
Whitewood Farm |
back to top
Pedigree of Winner:
to follow.....
Pedigrees compliments of Thoroughbred
Pedigree Query
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND |
lbs. |
THIRD |
lbs. |
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2003
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Swayo (12) |
Gracie |
165 |
Wood Whistle |
165 |
Bowman's Crossing |
165 |
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2002
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Young Dubliner (Ire) (13) |
Moran |
165 |
Swayo |
165 |
Stone Buster |
165 |
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2001
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Solo Lord (9) |
Hoffman |
165 |
Welter Weight |
165 |
Floating Interest |
165 |
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2000
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Swayo (9) |
Gillet |
165 |
Welter Weight |
165 |
Emerald Action |
165 |
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1999
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Welter Weight (11) |
Elmore |
165 |
Emerald Action |
165 |
Nem Blong Hem |
165 |
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1998
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Florida Law (12) |
Gillet |
165 |
Welter Weight |
165 |
Sarkis |
165 |
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1997
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Buck Jakes (9) |
Moran |
165 |
Welter Weight |
165 |
Florida Law |
165 |
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1996
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Hello Hall (10) |
Meister |
165 |
Florida Law |
165 |
(only 2 finished) |
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Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
