Betsy Mead’s veteran Forgotten Man will be shooting for his second straight victory in Saturday’s $25,000 Daniel Van Clief Memorial, the featured optional allowance hurdle at the 38th annual Foxfield Spring Races in Charlottesville, Va. The five-race program kicks off with a 1:30 p.m. first post time.
Trainer Doug Fout gave apprentice jockey Gerard Galligan a return call on Forgotten Man, who started his 2015 season with a 1 1/2-length victory in the $25,000 Sandhills Cup optional allowance hurdle at the Stoneybrook Steeplechase on April 4.
The seven-year-old homebred by Bowman’s Band had wrapped up his 2014 season with a third-place finish in a Colonial Cup conditioned allowance hurdle on Nov. 15.
Taking another shot at Forgotten Man will be Marq Your Bible, who finished third in the Sandhills Cup in Raeford, N.C. Owned by Perfect Peace Racing Stable and trained by Lilith Boucher, Marq Your Bible started the year with a second-place finish in an Aiken Spring optional allowance hurdle on March 21.
Also coming out of the Aiken optional allowance hurdle are Van Clief contenders Arrakis and Handsome Hoyt. Trained by Julie Gomena, Over Creek Farm’s Arrakis finished third and again will be ridden by Kieran Norris.
Nancy Reed’s Handsome Hoyt was fourth for trainer Kathy Neilson after winning the Colonial Cup’s Raymond G. Woolfe Memorial allowance hurdle for three-year-olds in November. Neilson also will saddle Ball N Chain Racing’s Tentimesthetrouble, a maiden claiming winner last year.
Hishi Soar will be attempting to add another honor for Virginia horseman Randy Rouse, who inscribed his name in Thoroughbred racing’s history books last fall when he saddled Hishi Soar for a victory in a Montpelier claiming hurdle. A former president of the National Steeplechase Association, Rouse became the oldest trainer to saddle a winner at age 97.
Virginia-based trainer Jimmy Day will send out S. Bruce Smart’s Orchestra Leader, who completed his 2014 season with a third-place finish in an International Gold Cup allowance hurdle. Apprentice jockey Brendan Brooks has the mount.
Here is the field for the $25,000 Daniel Van Clief Memorial optional allowance hurdle in post-position order:
Orchestra Leader. 2009 b. g., an Nistelrooy—Magic of Life, by Seattle Slew. Owner: S. Bruce Smart. Trainer: Jimmy Day. Jockey: Brendan Brooks. Breeder: Strategy Bloodstock (Ky.) 2014 record: 6-1-0-2, $12,500. Ended 2014 season with third-place finish in an International Gold Cup allowance hurdle after seventh in Virginia Fall optional allowance hurdle. Won Tryon $15,000 claimer to open the 2014 season.
Handsome Hoyt. 2011 dk. b. or br. g., Great Notion—River Kwai, by Valley Crossing. Owner: Nancy A. Reed. Trainer: Kathy Neilson. Jockey: Jacob Roberts. Breeder: Nancy J.A. Reed (Pa.) 2015 record: 1-0-0-0, $1,250. 2014 NSA record: 3-1-0-0, $16,000. Kicked off 2015 season with fourth in Aiken Spring optional allowance hurdle. Won Colonial Cup’s Raymond G. Woolfe Memorial allowance hurdle for three-year-olds to wind up 2014 season.
Forgotten Man. 2008 ch. g., Bowman’s Band—Hark the Sound (GB), by Robellino. Owner: Betsy Mead. Trainer: Doug Fout. Jockey: Gerard Galligan. Breeder: Betsy B. Mead (Ky.) 2015 record: 1-1-0-0, $15,000. 2014 record: 5-0-1-1, $10,450. Won Stoneybrook’s Sandhills Cup optional allowance hurdle to kick off 2015 season. Finished fifth in Virginia Fall’s W. Gary Baker Memorial, was pulled up in the International Gold Cup’s David L. “Zeke” Ferguson Memorial (Gr. 3), and closed 2014 season with a third in a Colonial Cup allowance hurdle. Homebred finished second in 2014 Sandhills Cup.
Marq Your Bible. 2009 dk. B. or br. g., Marquetry—Red Devilette, by Oh Say. Owner: Perfect Peace Racing. Trainer: Lilith Boucher. Jockey: Open. Breeder: Lisa Calhoun and Gordon Calhoun (Va.) 2015 record: 2-0-1-1, $7,000. 2014 record: 9-2-2-2, $44,475. Finished second in Aiken Spring’s Charles S. Bird optional allowance hurdle to open 2015 season, then was third in Stoneybrook’s Sandhills Cup optional allowance hurdle. Virginia-bred won a state-bred allowance on the flat at the International Gold Cup and then was third in the Crown Royal allowance hurdle at the Steeplechase at Callaway.
Hishi Soar. 2007 dk. b. or br. g., Theatrical (Ire)—Go On Baby, by With Approval. Owner-trainer: Randolph D. Rouse. Jockey: Jacob Roberts. Breeder: Kaleem Shah (Ky.) 2014 record: 2-1-0-0, $6,000. Made history when he won Montpelier claiming hurdle and owner Randy Rouse became Thoroughbred racing’s oldest trainer to saddle a winner at age 97.
Tentimesthetrouble. 2010 ch. g., Ten Most Wanted—Troubleinshangrila, by Hazaam. Owner: Ball N Chain Racing. Trainer: Kathy Neilson. Jockey: Jacob Roberts. Breeder: Wine Alot Stables (Calif.). 2015 record: 1-0-1-0, $2,700. 2014 NSA record: 3-1-0-0, $6,000. Began 2015 with second-place finish in Stoneybrook starter allowance hurdle. Won Virginia Fall maiden claimer and then was fifth in International Gold Cup allowance hurdle and seventh in Montpelier claiming hurdle.
Arrakis. 2007 dk. b. or br. g., Royal Academy—Quinn, by Theatrical (Ire). Owner: Over Creek Farm. Trainer: Julie Gomena. Jockey: Kieran Norris. Breeder: Iron County Farms (Ky.). 2015 record: 1-0-0-1, $2,500. 2014 record: No starts. Returned to the races after missing 2014 season and finished third in Aiken Spring optional allowance hurdle. Won 2014 Charleston Cup optional allowance hurdle.