Two stakes winners owned by the The Fields Stable, Dawn Wall and Sarah Joyce, are among a crowded list of 16 nominees to the $50,000 Iris Ann Coggins Memorial, the hurdle feature of the 85th annual Fair Hill Spring Races.
The anniversary edition of the popular Northern Maryland meet will be a two-day affair on Friday, May 24, and Saturday, May 25. Two timber races and two training flat races will be on the Friday twilight program, which will kick off at 3:30 p.m.
The Saturday card will feature six hurdle races, including the Coggins Memorial and the $40,000 Valentine Memorial Handicap, and a training flat race. First post time for that session will be 1 p.m., and pari-mutuel wagering will be available.
Dawn Wall went into last year’s Coggins Memorial as a maiden and emerged as a half-length stakes winner at generous odds of 17.80-to-1. Ridden by Jack Doyle, she made a big move on Fair Hill’s final turn, led at the final fence, and held on well for the victory.
The Fields Stable of Dede and Laddie Merck has had a long association with the Voss family and particularly with Dawn Wall, who was bred in Maryland by Mimi Voss and is trained by Elizabeth Voss.
The Fields Stable also nominated Sara Joyce, a multiple stakes winner who finished third, beaten two lengths, in her attempt to win a third straight Margaret Currey Henley Stakes at Nashville’s Iroquois Steeplechase on May 11. The Irish-bred seven-year-old mare also is trained by Elizabeth Voss.
The Henley produced several nominees to the 2¼-mile Coggins Memorial, including owner-trainer Jonathan Sheppard’s winner Wigwam Baby, who prevailed by 1¼ lengths over Joseph Fowler’s Down Royal, a Coggins nominee from the stable of trainer Kate Dalton.
Owner-trainer-jockey Bethany Baumgardner nominated Mavourneen, who finished fourth in the Henley after a second-place finish in Foxfield Spring’s Daniel Van Clief Memorial, a ratings handicap against male opponents.
Also nominated out of the Henley were KMSN Stable’s Inverness, seventh; Clarke Ohrstrom’s Furiosa, ninth; Beverly Steinman’s Go As You Please, 10th; and Gil Johnston’s Amnicalola, who was pulled up.
Owner-trainer F. Hill Parker’s 2016 champion Get Ready Set Goes was nominated for a comeback effort in what would be her first start of the year. The Ohio-bred most recently finished fourth to Sarah Joyce in last year’s Henley.
Here are the 16 nominees to the $50,000 Iris Coggins Memorial.
Amnicalola. 2013 b. f., Arch—Copelan’s Angel, by Copelan. Owner: Gil Johnston. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Breeder: Christiana Stables LLC (Ky.). 2019 record: 2-1-0-0, $12,000. 2017 NSA record: 4-0-2-0, $9,700. Returned after missing 2018 season to win a maiden hurdle at The Cup Runneth Over meet, then was pulled up in the Iroquois Steeplechase’s Margaret Currey Henley. Finished fourth in Margaret Currey Henley Stakes at 2017 Iroquois after seconds in maiden hurdles for fillies and mares at the Atlanta Steeplechase and Carolina Cup.
Blackhaw’s Sis. 2013 b. m., Military—Morning Ride, by Lear Fan. Owner: Eve Ledyard. Trainer: Ricky Hendriks. Breeder: Joel Zanzow (Minn.) 2019 record: 2-0-0-0, $0. Finished seventh and eighth, respectively in 2019 maiden hurdles at the Aiken Spring Races and The Cup Runneth Over meet. Completed flat career at Canterbury Downs in races for fillies and mares.
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 record: 1-0-0-1, $2,500. 2018 record: 3-1-0-0, $14,000. 2017 record: 1-0-0-0, $1,200. Led early in 2019 Daniel Van Clief Memorial and finished third. Finished fifth in Fair Hill’s 2018 Iris Coggins Memorial. Began 2018 with maiden victory at Georgia Steeplechase, then was pulled up in Margaret Currey Henley at the Iroquois Steeplechase. Finished fifth in career debut on flat at 2017 International Gold Cup. Her dam was champion steeplechase female in 2010. (102)
Dawn Wall. 2013 b. m., Not For Love—Guelph, by Sky Classic. Owner: The Fields Stable. Trainer: Elizabeth Voss. Breeder: Mimi Voss (Md.). 2018 record: 2-1-0-0, $30,000. 2017 record: 2-0-0-0-1, $3,600. Won Fair Hill’s Iris Coggins Memorial in final 2018 jumps start. Finished eighth in Virginia Gold Cup open maiden hurdle. Began career with sixth in Foxfield Fall maiden hurdle for females. Foal of two-time female champion Guelph, who also was the novice champion in 2005.
Down Royal. 2014 gr. or ro. f., Alphabet Soup—Miss Crown, by High Yield. Owner: Joseph F. Fowler. Trainer: Kate Dalton. Breeders: Bernard and Kate Dalton (N.Y.) 2019 record: 1-0-1-0, $9,000. 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. 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)
Furiosa. 2014 dk. b. or br. m., Mizzen Mast—Katara, by Pulpit. Owner: Clarke Ohrstrom. Trainer: Richard Valentine. Breeder: Clarke Ohrstrom (Ky.) 2019 record: 3-0-0-1, $2,600. Finished ninth in Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2019 Margaret Currey Henley. Finished third in maiden hurdle at 2019 Foxfield Spring meet after sixth in similar race at The Cup Runneth Over meet.
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)
Go As You Please. 2015 b. f., Paddy O’Prado—Well Fashioned, by Cozzene. Owner: Beverly R. Steinman. Trainer: Doug Fout. Breeder: Magalen O. Bryant (Ky.) 2019 record: 2-0-0-0, $1,000. 2018 record: 1-0-1-0, $5,400. Opened 2019 with fourth in Foxfield Spring maiden hurdle, then was 10th in Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2019 Margaret Currey Henley. In only other career start, finished second in 2018 International Gold Cup maiden hurdle for fillies and mares.
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: 2-0-0-1, $2,000. 2018 NSA record: 4-0-1-2, $17,500. 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.
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. Closed 2018 season with back-to-back wins in Foxfield Fall maiden hurdle and Montpelier allowance hurdle. (111)
Pamzine. 2012 gr. or ro. m., Dunkirk—Minkie, by Red Ransom. Owners: John C. and Marlou Gregory and Why Not Racing. Trainer: Lilith Boucher. Breeder: Michael J. Moran (Pa.) 2019 NSA record: 1-1-0-0, $12,000. 2018 record: No starts. In her first start over fences, won a Carolina Cup maiden claiming hurdle.
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: 11-0-0-1, $5,000. 2018 record: 2-1-0-1, $34,000. 2017 record: 5-2-0-1, $57,250. Finished 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 as even-money favorite 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)
Sweeter Surprise. 2012 dk. b. or br. m., Fairbanks—Tanwi Spring, by Mt. Livermore. Owner-trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Breeder: Jonathan Sheppard (Pa.) 2019 record: 1-0-0-0, $800. In first start over fences, finished fifth in 2019 maiden hurdle for fillies and mares at Foxfield Spring meet.
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: 1-0-1-0, $3,600. In first start over fences, finished second in 2019 Foxfield Spring maiden hurdle for fillies and mares.
Twentytwentycrest. 2014 dk. b. or br. m., Court Vision—Clear Lake, by Megas Vukefalos. Owner: Langcrest Farm. Trainer: Leslie Young. Breeder: Hill ’N’ Dale Farm (Ont.) 2019 record: 1-0-0-0, $600. In first start over fences, finished sixth in 2019 maiden hurdle for fillies and mares at Foxfield Spring.
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: 2-1-0-0, $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 after 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. (103)