The $50,000 Peapack Stakes, the Far Hills Races’ contest for fillies and mares, attracted a full and highly competitive field for Saturday’s 2 1/8-mile race over National Fences.
Trainer Ricky Hendriks will unveil Rosbrian Farm’s Dino Mite, a three-time winner in England last spring. Willie McCarthy has the mount for Dino Mite’s American debut.
Another newcomer to American racing will be Irv Naylor’s One Lucky Lady, who won her final start in England. Cyril Murphy trains the seven-year-old mare and named Ross Geraghty to ride.
Jazz Napravnik, who has been successful with females racing over fences, entered Jennifer Pitts’ Bau Bai Gold and Turnkey Stable’s Ginobi. Bau Bai Gold started the year with an optional allowance victory at Aiken Spring and finished second in the Margaret Currey Henley Stakes at the Iroquois Steeplechase in May. She most recently finished third in a Foxfield Fall optional allowance hurdle.
Ginobi, winner of a Queen’s Cup maiden hurdle in April, was unplaced in a Saratoga Race Course allowance hurdle. Carol-Ann Sloan rides Bau Bai Gold, and Robbie Walsh will be aboard Ginobi.
Champion trainer Jack Fisher entered the Arcadia Stable’s Take Her Tothe Top, a 2013 stakes winner who was pulled up in a Ratings Handicap at Shawan Downs on Sept 26. Sean McDermott has the call.
Fisher also entered Michael Moran’s Ivy Mills, winner of a Foxfield Fall maiden hurdle on Sept. 27, and Sheila Williams’ homebred Tecka, who was pulled up in that race for fillies and mares. Paddy Young, currently leading the jockey standings by wins, rides Ivy Mills.
Jack Doyle, the year’s top jockey by purse earnings, has the mount on Clarke Ohrstrom’s homebred See Trouble, a winner at Fair Hill, Md., in May and second in a Saratoga allowance hurdle in August for trainer Richard Valentine.
Both of American Steeplechasing’s active Racing Hall of Fame trainers, Jonathan Sheppard and Janet Elliot, will be represented in the Peapack. Sheppard entered Bill Pape’s Wigwam Baby, second finisher in an open maiden hurdle at Shawan Downs in Maryland on Sept. 26. Darren Nagle has the mount.
Elliot named Bernie Dalton to ride Maggie Neary, who is coming back from two years on the sidelines and prepared with a flat start in July.
Here is the field for the $50,000 Peapack Stakes for fillies and mares in post-position order.
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: 1-0-1-0, $3,600. Three-time winner on flat made her jumps debut in Shawan Downs maiden hurdle and finished a closing second.
Maggie Neary (Ire). 2008 b. f., Hurricane Run (Ire)—Pleiade, by Baryshnikov. Owner: Cherry Knoll Farm. Trainer: Janet Elliot. Jockey: Bernie Dalton. Breeder: Padraig Connolly (Ire). 2015 NSA record: No starts. 2014 record: No starts. Coming back from almost two years off and finished fourth to Demonstrative in a flat race for hurdlers at Parx Racing in July. Finished fourth in Saratoga Race Course’s 2012 Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes, her first U.S. start.
Dino Mite (GB). 2011 b. f., Doctor Dino—Compose, by Anabaa. Owner: Rosbrian Farm. Trainer: Ricky Hendriks. Jockey: Willie McCarthy. Breeder: J. Cunningham (GB). Promising import had three hurdle victories in spring of 2015 and was fourth in handicap hurdle.
So Far Away. 2010 b. m., Skip Away–Hark the Sound (GB), by Robellino. Owner: Betsy B. Mead. Trainer: Doug Fout. Jockey: Kieran Norris. Breeder: Betsy B. Mead (Ky.) 2015 NSA record: 4-0-2-0, $8,300. 2014 record: 2-0-1-1, $5,600. Two seconds in maiden hurdles at Foxfield Spring and Foxfield Fall Races. Pulled up behind promising novice at High Hope in May.
Fall Colors. 2010 ch. m., Northern Spur (Ire), Leaves of Autumn, by Expelled. Owner: Bruce Smart Jr. Trainer: Jimmy Day. Jockey: Bernie Dalton. Breeders: Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Smart (Va.). 2015 record: 2-1-0-0, $11,500. 2014 NSA record: 2-0-0-0, $0. Finished fourth in Iroquois’ Margaret Currey Henley Stakes. Began 2015 season with 4 3/4-length victory in Foxfield Spring maiden claiming hurdle. Was unplaced in two 2014 starts over fences.
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: No starts. Former member of Nicky Henderson’s yard completed her overseas career with a victory in a Kempton handicap hurdle in April.
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 record: 5-1-1-1, $26,500. 2014 record: 2-1-0-0, $15,000. 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. Finished fifth in 2014 Peapack Stakes.
See Trouble. 2011 dk. b. or br. f., Sightseeing—Leioa (Arg), by Engrillado. Owner: Clarke Ohrstrom. Trainer: Richard Valentine. Jockey: Jack Doyle. Breeder: Clarke Ohrstrom (Ky.). 2015 NSA record: 4-1-1-0, $25,500. First-year hurdler won at Fair Hill in third start over fences, then was second in Saratoga allowance hurdle. Homebred had three wins on the flat last year.
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: 1-0-0-0, $0. 2014 record: 2-0-1-0, $9,750. Pulled up in Shawan Downs Ratings Handicap after break of more than a year. Finished second in 2014 Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois. Won 2013 Mrs. Ogden Phipps.
Ginobi. 2009 b. m., Go for Gin–Glittering Marie, by Marine Brass. Owner: Turnkey Stable. Trainer: Jazz Napravnik. Jockey: Robbie Walsh. Breeder: Bonita Farm (Md.). 2015 record: 4-1-1-0, $16,200. 2014 record: No starts. Distanced in Saratoga allowance hurdle after being pulled up in Iroquois’ Margaret Currey Henley. Set all the pace in a Queen’s Cup maiden claiming hurdle and won by 2 1/4 lengths. Faded late to finish second in a Carolina Cup maiden hurdle for fillies and mares.
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: 1-1-0-0, $12,000. 2014 record: 2-0-0-2, $9,500. Won her maiden victory over fences at Foxfield Fall on Sept. 27. Won a 2013 Monmouth Park maiden flat race.
Tecka. 2011 dk. b. or br. f., War Chant–Brig, by Two Punch. Owner: Sheila J. Williams. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Open. Breeder: Sheila J. Williams (Pa.). 2015 record: 2-0-1-0, $9,750. 2014 record: No NSA starts. Finished second in Fair Hill maiden hurdle in May and was pulled up in Foxfield Fall maiden hurdle for fillies and mares.