Global Freedom led Must See The Doc in the Far Hills Races' Gladstone Stakes. (Tod Marks photo)
The National Steeplechase Association’s 2019 season concludes on Sunday with the Steeplechase of Charleston at Stono Ferry in Hollywood, S.C. First post time will be 12:45 p.m. for a program of six races, with five of them over fences.
Owned by the Post and Courier, the South’s oldest newspaper, the Steeplechase of Charleston offers $100,000 in purses.
The Stono Ferry meet will provide a racing opportunity for the sport’s youngest competitors, the three-year-olds, in the $25,000 Alston Cup, an allowance hurdle. Heading that field is Rosbrian Farm’s Global Freedom, winner of the Far Hills Races’ Gladstone Stakes on Oct. 19.
Now trained by Ricky Hendriks, Global Freedom made a strong late move to take the lead at the last fence in the Gladstone and won by 2 ¾ lengths over Irv Naylor’s Must See The Doc, who also was entered for the Alston Cup.
Gerard Galligan rides Global Freedom, and trainer Leslie Young named Brian Linehan to ride Must See The Doc.
Naylor also entered West Newton, a modest handicap winner on the flat in England who will be making his first start over fences. The Kitten’s Joy gelding was bred by Queen Elizabeth II.
Also coming out of the Gladstone are Hudson River Farms’ Another Try, who finished fifth, and Wimborne Farm’s Drilliant, who was seventh. Trainer Jonathan Sheppard named Darren Nagle to ride Another Try, and Barry Foley will be aboard Drilliant for trainer Doug Fout.
The Alston Cup is named for Col. William Alston, who was influential in Charleston’s Thoroughbred racing in the late 18th century and is an ancestor of Pierre Manigault, chairman of Evening Post Industries.