Ivy Hill Stable’s On the Corner scored his second come-from-behind victory in a week when he prevailed by 1 3/4 lengths in the $35,000 National Sporting Library Chronicle Cup, the featured timber race of the Virginia Fall Races in Middleburg on Saturday, Oct. 5. Mark Beecher again rode the seven-year-old Smart Strike gelding for trainer Alicia Murphy.
Kinross Farm’s Old Timer, who had a commanding lead at the final fence, finished second under Bernie Dalton, and Armata Stables’ Embarrassed was 18 lengths farther back in third with Willie Murphy. Holston Hall’s Hot Rize finished fourth, only a nose behind Embarrassed, and He’s a Conniver finished fifth after setting the pace for the first two miles. On the Corner ran the Chronicle Cup’s 3 1/4 miles in 6:34.20 on firm turf.
Old Timer led On the Corner by seven lengths at the final fence, but Beecher drove the Maryland-bred past the leader to a clear advantage at the finish line.
On the Corner had little success in his debut races over timber fences this past spring, finishing fourth in a $10,000 maiden timber race at My Lady’s Manor and then eighth in a similar race at Winterthur in on May 5. But he and Beecher clicked at Shawan Downs on Sept. 28, rallying late to win a $10,000 maiden timber contest by three-quarters of a length.
Run to Class, bred and owned by Vivien Malloy’s Edition Farm, marked himself as a horse to watch in the three-year-old division when he drew clear to a 2 3/4-length victory in the Nelson C. Noland Memorial maiden hurdle. With Bernie Dalton in the saddle for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Janet Elliot, Run to Class ran the Noland’s 2 1/8 miles in 4:05.20.