Beverly R. Steimman's Market Alley won Saratoga's Mrs. Ogden Phipps over Down Royal and Bullet Star on Aug. 7. (Tod Marks photo)
A champion, her winning full sister, and four stakes winners are among the 13 nominees to Colonial Downs’ $50,000 Randolph D. Rouse Stakes on Saturday, Sept. 7.
The 2 ¼-mile race honors the memory of Virginia horseman Randy Rouse, who received the National Steeplechase Association’s F. Ambrose Clark Award for lifetime achievement in 2016 and died the following year at the age of 100.
Owner-trainer F. Hill Parker’s Get Ready Set Goes, the novice and female champion in 2016, would be making her first start of the year. She most recently finished fourth in the Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2018 Margaret Currey Henley Stakes in May 2018.
Her full sister, Riverdee Stable’s four-year-old Snowie Hill, won Colonial’s maiden hurdle for fillies and mares on Aug. 17, nosing out KMSN Stable’s Inverness, who also was nominated to the Rouse.
Parker trains Snowie Hill, who is named for his late mother, Frances Snowden “Snowie” Hill Myers, who bred Get Ready Set Goes. Inverness is trained by Keri Brion.
Carrying the highest NSA rating into the Rouse is The Fields Stable’s Sarah Joyce, winner of the 2018 Henley and most recently second in the Fair Hill Races’ Iris Coggins Memorial for trainer Elizabeth Voss.
Finishing third in the Coggins on May 25 was Mavourneen, who is owned, trained, and ridden by Bethany Baumgardner.
The Fields Stable’s Dawn Wall, another Rouse nominee trained by Voss, won the 2018 Coggins Memorial and was fourth this year.
The top three finishers from Saratoga Race Course’s Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes on Aug. 7 were nominated to the Rouse. Beverly Steinman’s Market Alley won by 3¼ lengths over Joseph Fowler’s Down Royal. Miss Steinman’s homebred Bullet Star, also trained by Doug Fout, finished third. Kate Dalton trains Down Royal.
Owner-trainer Jonathan Sheppard’s Wigwam Baby, winner of this year’s Henley, lost her rider when she landed awkwardly in the Mrs. Phipps. The Racing Hall of Fame trainer also nominated Sherry Fenwick’s Forgiving, who finished fourth behind Snowie Hill in the Colonial maiden hurdle.
Irv Naylor’s Bercasa was nominated to make her U.S. debut in the Rouse. Now trained by Kathy Neilson, she has three victories in Ireland this year.
Here are the 13 nominees to the $50,000 Randolph D. Rouse Stakes for fillies and mares at 2 ¼ miles. The horses’ NSA ratings for hurdle winners are in parentheses at the end of their profiles.
Bercasa (Ire). 2015 ch. f., Casamento—Berocco, by Danehill Dancer (Ire). Owner: Irvin S. Naylor. Trainer: Kathy Neilson. Breeders: Old Carhue and Graeng Bloodstock (Ire). 2019 NSA record: No starts. Failed to finish in Galway’s Guinness Galway Tribe Handicap in August after victory in Tote Account EBF Hurdle.
Bullet Star. 2014 dk. b. or br. m., Bullet Train (GB)—Ptarmigan, by Unbridled Jet. Owner: Beverly R. Steinman. Trainer: Doug Fout. Breeder: Magalen O. Bryant (Ky.). 2019 NSA record: 2-0-0-2, $10,000. 2018 record: 3-1-0-0, $14,000. 2017 record: 1-0-0-0, $1,200. Finished third in Saratoga’s 2019 Mrs. Ogden Phipps after third in Daniel Van Clief Memorial. Finished fifth in Fair Hill’s 2018 Iris Coggins Memorial. Her dam was champion steeplechase female in 2010. (104)
Dawn Wall. 2013 b. m., Not For Love—Guelph, by Sky Classic. Owner: The Fields Stable. Trainer: Elizabeth Voss. Breeder: Mimi Voss (Md.). 2019 record: 2-0-0-0, $5,500. 2018 record: 2-1-0-0, $30,000. 2017 record: 2-0-0-0-1, $3,600. Finished fifth in Saratoga’s 2019 Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes. Never a factor in Fair Hill’s 2019 Iris Coggins Memorial and finished last of four. Won Coggins Memorial in final 2018 jumps start. Foal of two-time female champion Guelph, who also was the novice champion in 2005. (106)
Down Royal. 2014 gr. or ro. m., Alphabet Soup—Miss Crown, by High Yield. Owner: Joseph F. Fowler Jr. Trainer: Kate Dalton. Breeders: Bernard and Kate Dalton (N.Y.) 2019 NSA record: 2-0-2-0, $22,500. 2018 record: 3-0-1-2, $13,400. 2017 NSA record: 3-1-1-0, $24,000. Finished second in Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2019 Margaret Currey Henley and Saratoga’s Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes. Began 2018 with second in Carolina Cup allowance hurdle, then was third in similar races at Middleburg Spring and Iroquois. Awarded second place in Far Hills’ 2017 Gladstone Stakes after sustaining interference from first finisher, then won a Charleston allowance hurdle. (111)
Forgiving. 2014 ch. m., Redeemed—Confined, by Mojave Moon. Owner: Sherry Fenwick. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Breeder: Jonathan Sheppard (Pa.). 2019 NSA record: 2-0-0-0, $1,800. Finished seventh in jumps debut at 2019 Camden meet and was fourth in Colonial Downs maiden hurdle.
Get Ready Set Goes. 2012 ch. f., Run Away and Hide—Ready to Goes, by Lord Avie. Owner-trainer: F. Hill Parker. Breeder: Frances Hill Myers (Ohio). 2018 record: 2-0-0-0, $2,500. 2017 record: 2-0-0-0, $4,500. Champion, novice and female, 2016. Finished seventh in Carolina Cup’s 2018 Life’s Illusion Stakes, then was fourth in in Iroquois Steeplechase’s Margaret Currey Henley. Reigned as 2016 female champion after winning Saratoga’s Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes and Far Hills’ Peapack Stakes, and also seized novice title by earnings. (112)
Inverness. 2014 dk. b. or br. f., Giant’s Causeway—Fareena, by Point Given. Owner: KMSN Stable. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Breeder: Spirit Lake Enterprises (Pa.). 2019 record: 4-0-1-1, $9,800. 2018 NSA record: 4-0-1-2, $17,500. Just beaten in 2019 Colonial Downs maiden hurdle. Finished third in 2019 The Cup Runneth Over maiden hurdle for fillies and mares, then was seventh in Iroquois Steeplechase’s Margaret Currey Henley. Finished second in 2018 Margaret Currey Henley in second start over fences. Maiden winner on flat at Penn National.
Market Alley. 2014 ch. m., Flower Alley—Skirmish, by War Chant. Owner: Beverly R. Steinman. Trainer: Doug Fout. Breeder: Beverly R. Steinman (Ky.) 2019 record: 4-2-0-0, $60,000. 2018 NSA record: 2-0-0-0, $2,750. Won Saratoga’s 2019 Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes. Won 2019 Foxfield Spring maiden hurdle after fourth at The Cup Runneth Over, then was well-beaten fifth in Iroquois’ Margaret Currey Henley. Had two fourth-place finishes to open her jump-racing career in 2018. (112)
Mavorneen. 2019 ch. m., Langfuhr—Rowdy, by Malibu Moon. Owner-trainer: Bethany Baumgardner. 2019 record: 2-0-1-0, $7,000. 2018 record: 3-2-0-0, $27,000. Ran solid race to be second in 2019 Daniel Van Clief Memorial at Foxfield Spring, then was fourth in Iroquois Steeplechase’s Margaret Currey Henley and third in Fair Hill’s Iris Coggins Memorial. Closed 2018 season with back-to-back wins in Foxfield Fall maiden hurdle and Montpelier allowance hurdle. (110)
Sarah Joyce (Ire). 2012 b. m., The Carbon Unit—The Real Thing, by Traditionally. Owner: The Fields Stable. Trainer: Elizabeth Voss. Breeder: Thistle Bloodstock (Ire). 2019 record: 2-0-1-1, $14,000. 2018 record: 2-1-0-1, $34,000. 2017 record: 5-2-0-1, $57,250. Finished second in Fair Hill’s 2019 Iris Coggins Memorial after third in Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2019 Margaret Currey Henley. Scored game victory in 2018 Margaret Currey Henley after third in Life’s Illusion Stakes at Carolina Cup. Impressive winner of 2017 Margaret Currey Henley, then fourth in Fair Hill’s Irish Coggins Memorial. Finished third in Saratoga’s 2017 Mrs. Ogden Phipps and was sixth in Far Hills’ Peapack Stakes. Won 2017 debut in Queen’s Cup ratings handicap. (116)
Snowie Hill. 2015 b. f., Run Away and Hide—Ready to Goes, by Lord Avie. Owner-trainer: F. Hill Parker. Breeder: F. Hill Parker (Oh.) 2019 record: 3-1-0-0, $20,300. 2018 NSA record: 1-0-1-0, $3,600. Won 2019 Colonial Downs maiden hurdle. Opened 2019 with fifth-place finish in The Cup Runneth Over maiden hurdle for females. Finished second in first start over fences, a 2018 maiden hurdle for three-year-olds at Shawan Downs. Full sister to Get Ready Set Goes, stakes-winning champion novice and female in 2016. Her name honors owner-trainer-breeder’s mother, Frances Snowden Hill Myers, the breeder of Get Ready Set Goes who died in 2014. (107)
That’s That. 2015 b. f., The Factor—Fantastic Promise, by Fantastic Light. Owner: Debra E. Kachel. Trainer: Ricky Hendriks. Breeders: Ashleigh Stud Farm and White Diamond LLC (Ky.) 2019 record: 2-0-1-0, $4,600. In first start over fences, finished second in 2019 Foxfield Spring maiden hurdle for fillies and mares, then was fifth in Colonial Downs maiden hurdle.
Wigwam Baby. 2011 b. m., Langfuhr—Tepee Tot, by Waquoit. Owner: Jonathan Sheppard. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Breeders: Bill Pape and Jonathan Sheppard (Pa.) 2019 record: 3-1-0-0, $30,750. 2018 record: 5-0-1-0, $4,800. 2017 NSA record: 4-0-1-1, $22,250. Won Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2019 Margaret Currey Henley before losing rider in Saratoga’s Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes. Finished sixth in The Cup Runneth Over ratings handicap. Finished second in 2018 Montpelier handicap. Finished sixth in Life’s Illusion Stakes at 2018 Carolina Cup, then fell in Margaret Currey Henley Stakes and was seventh in Fair Hill’s Iris Coggins Memorial. Finished second in Saratoga’s 2017 Mrs. Ogden Phipps. (111)