Saturday’s Marion duPont Scott Colonial Cup will inaugurate the $30,000 Springdale for fillies and mares, and the National Steeplechase Association’s female championship will be decided at the finish line.
Six of the Springdale’s 10 entrants are in the running for the Life’s Illusion Filly and Mare championship and could jump to the top of the list with the race’s $18,000 first-place purse. First post time is 12:15 p.m. at Springdale Race Course in Camden, S.C.
The field is headed by the top two finishers in the Peapack Stakes at Far Hills, N.J., on Oct. 17. Irv Naylor’s import One Lucky Lady won the Peapack and picked up $30,000 in her first U.S. start. Ross Geraghty will ride the British-bred seven-year-old mare for trainer Cyril Murphy.
Jennifer Pitts’ Bau Bai Gold, the Peapack’s second finisher, maintained her lead in the race for the title with $37,000 in purses. Winner of an Aiken Spring optional allowance hurdle in March, she also finished second in the Iroquois Steeplechase’s Margaret Currey Henley Stakes. Trainer Jazz Napravnik named Carol-Ann Sloan to ride.
Third by purses with $27,300 is owner-trainer Janet Elliot’s Hiwasee Gem, winner of a Queen’s Cup Ratings Handicap in April and second in a Ratings Handicap at Far Hills. Elliot also will saddle Cherry Knoll Farm’s Maggie Neary, third in the Peapack. Kieran Norris will ride Hiwasee Gem, and Jack Doyle has the call on Maggie Neary.
A newcomer to jump racing, Riverdee Stable’s The Grange, won a rich maiden hurdle at Far Hills and has a shot at the title with $25,000 in her purse account. Trained by Camden-based Kate Dalton, The Grange will be ridden by Bernie Dalton.
Another newcomer to watch is Bill Pape’s Wigwam Baby, who is trained by Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard. The four-year-old filly won a Montpelier allowance hurdle against a strong field of fillies and mares. Darren Nagle will ride.
Jack Fisher, jump racing’s champion trainer for a fourth straight year, will saddle Michael Moran’s Ivy Mills and Arcadia Stable’s Take Her Tothe Top. Ivy Mills finished second to Wigwam Baby at Montpelier, and Take Her Tothe Top was seventh in the Peapack. Champion jockey Paddy Young was named aboard Ivy Mills, and Sean McDermott has the mount on Take Her Tothe Top.
Rosbrian Farm’s Dino Mite, a four-year-old filly trained by Ricky Hendriks, will be making her U.S. debut after three victories earlier this year in English allowance hurdles. Paddy Young has a double call.
Completing the field is Barbara’s Smile, who won an Aiken Fall allowance hurdle for trainer Julie Gomena. Mark Watts will ride Michael Smith’s four-year-old filly.
Here is the field for the $30,000 Springdale in post-position order.
The Grange. 2010 b. m., Broken Vow—Cool Reception, by Deputy Minister. Owner: Riverdee Stable. Trainer: Kate Dalton. Jockey: Bernie Dalton. Breeder: Ward C. Pitfield (Ky.) 2015 record: 2-1-0-0, $25,000. Won Far Hills open maiden hurdle by 2 3/4 lengths on Oct. 17. Finished fourth in her debut over jumps in a Shawan Downs maiden hurdle on Sept. 26.
Take Her Tothe Top. 2008 dk. b. or br. m., More Than Ready—Ceiling, by Boundary. Owner: Arcadia Stable. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Sean McDermott. Breeders: Colts Neck Stable & Weisbord & Etkin. 2015 record: 2-0-0-0, $0. 2014 record: 2-0-1-0, $9,750. Finished seventh in Far Hills’ Peapack Stakes on Oct. 17 after being pulled up in Shawan Downs Ratings Handicap, her first start in more than a year. Finished second in 2014 Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois. Won 2013 Mrs. Ogden Phipps.
Barbara’s Smile. 2011 ch. f., Curlin—Credenza, by Lord Carlos. Owner: Over Creek Stables. Trainer: Julie Gomena. Breeders: Kingswood Farm, David Egan, and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (Ky.) 2015 record: 2-1-0-0, $12,600. Won Aiken Fall maiden hurdle for fillies and mares after sixth in her debut at Foxfield Fall on Sept. 27. Raced on the flat and was claimed for $12,500 at Aqueduct in December 2014.
Wigwam Baby. 2011 b. f., Langfuhr—Tepee Tot, by Waquoit. Owner: Bill Pape. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Jockey: Darren Nagle. Breeders: Bill Pape and Jonathan Sheppard (Pa.) 2015 record: 2-1-1-0, $21,000. Scored her maiden victory over fences by 3 1/2 lengths against a tough field in Montpelier allowance hurdle on Nov. 7. Three-time winner on flat made her jumps debut in Shawan Downs maiden hurdle and finished a closing second.
Dino Mite (GB). 2011 b. f., Doctor Dino—Compose, by Anabaa. Owner: Rosbrian Farm. Trainer: Ricky Hendriks. Jockey: Paddy Young. Breeder: J. Cunningham (GB). Promising import had three hurdle victories in spring of 2015 and was fourth in handicap hurdle.
Bau Bai Gold. 2010 dk. b. or br. m., Sightseeing—Lynx of Gold, by Forest Wildcat. Owner: Jennifer H. Pitts. Trainer: Jazz Napravnik. Jockey: Carol-Ann Sloan. Breeder: Damchu Stables (Pa.). 2015 NSA record: 6-1-2-1, $35,500. 2014 record: 2-1-0-0, $15,000. Finished good second in Far Hills’ Peapack Stakes on Oct. 17. Won the Charles S. Bird optional allowance hurdle at Aiken Spring to open 2015 season, then lost rider in Stoneybrook’s Sandhills Cup. Finished second in Iroquois’ Margaret Currey Henley and was third in open optional allowance hurdle at Foxfield Fall.
One Lucky Lady (GB). 2008 b. m., Lucky Story—One For Philip, by Blushing Flame. Owner: Irvin S. Naylor. Trainer: Cyril Murphy. Jockey: Ross Geraghty. Breeder: Ken Knox (GB). 2015 NSA record: 1-1-0-0, $30,000. Won her U.S. debut, Far Hills’ Peapack Stakes, by a half-length on Oct. 17. Former member of Nicky Henderson’s yard completed her overseas career with a victory in a Kempton handicap hurdle in April.
Hiwasee Gem. 2007 b. m., Cetewayo–Northern Wood, by Northern Baby. Owner-Trainer: Janet Elliot. Jockey: Kieran Norris. Breeder: Janet Elliot and Gil Johnston (Pa.). 2015 record: 5-2-1-0, $27,300. 2014 record: 4-1-0-0, $12,300. Finished second in Far Hills Ratings Handicap and then was eighth in Ratings Handicap at Montpelier on Nov. 7. Won Stoneybrook starter allowance and Queen’s Cup Ratings Handicap, both in April.
Maggie Neary (Ire). 2008 b. f., Hurricane Run (Ire)—Pleiade, by Baryshnikov. Owner: Cherry Knoll Farm. Trainer: Janet Elliot. Jockey: Jack Doyle. Breeder: Padraig Connolly (Ire). 2015 NSA record: 2-0-0-2, $7,500. 2014 record: No starts. Finished third in Montpelier allowance hurdle for fillies and mares after third in Far Hills’ Peapack Stakes on Oct. 17. Finished fourth in Saratoga Race Course’s 2012 Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes, her first U.S. start.
Ivy Mills. 2010 b. f., Broken Vow—Threadneedle, by Dynaformer. Owner: Michael J. Moran. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Paddy Young. Breeder: Lazy Lane Farms (Va.) 2015 record: 4-1-1-0, $17,300. 2014 record: 2-0-0-2, $9,500. Finished second in Montpelier allowance hurdle for fillies and mares on Nov. 7after fourth in Far Hills’ Peapack Stakes. Won her maiden victory over fences at Foxfield Fall on Sept. 27.