Defending timber champion Hot Rize will attempt to get his current season on track in Saturday’s $30,000 Radnor Hunt Cup at the 85th annual Radnor Hunt Races.
Also on the program at W. Burling Cocks Memorial Racecourse in Malvern, Pa., is the $50,000 National Hunt Cup (Gr. 3) over National Fences. First post time is 1:30 p.m.
A supplemental entry to the 3 1/4-mile Radnor Hunt Cup, Holston Hall’s Hot Rize will be making his third start of the season. On May 2, he faded to finish fifth in the Virginia Gold Cup, a race he won last year on his way to the timber title. He finished fourth in the Middleburg Hunt Cup on April 18.
Trainer Russell Haynes named 2014 champion jockey Willie McCarthy to ride the 11-year-old Sultry Song gelding, who was bred in Kentucky by the trainer’s mother, Ann Haynes.
Hot Rize will need to step up his game because the Radnor Hunt Cup field includes the respective second and third finishers in the Virginia Gold Cup, Magalen O. Bryant’s Dakota Slew and Straight to It, owned by Sheila Williams and Andre Brewster.
Trained by Richard Valentine, Dakota Slew made a strong run at winner Grinding Speed in the four-mile Virginia Gold Cup and came up a length short. Darren Nagle has the mount.
Straight to It, who finished 6 1/2 lengths behind Dakota Slew, is no stranger to the Radnor course. He finished third in the 2013 Radnor Hunt Cup and fourth last year for champion trainer Jack Fisher. Sean McDermott has a return call.
Here is the field for the $30,000 Radnor Hunt Cup in post-position order.
Be Great. 2007 b. g., Gulch—Classic Ingrid, by Regal Classic. Owner: Welcome Here Farm. Trainer: Todd McKenna. Jockey: Annie Yeager. Breeder: Equivine Farm (Pa.) 2014 record: 2-1-0-0, $9,000. Won a 2014 Winterthur maiden timber race by a half-length after losing rider in maiden timber race at My Lady’s Manor.
Wildcatter. 2008 dk. b. or br. g., Tale of the Cat—Cita My Dear, by Kris S. Owner: Armata Stable. Trainer: Elizabeth Voss. Jockey: Bethany Baumgardner. Breeder: Ramona S. Bass (Ky.) 2015 record: 1-0-0-0, $0. 2014 record: 3-1-0-1, $12,000. Pulled up in 2015 Queen’s Cup timber allowance. Won maiden timber victory at 2014 Foxfield Spring and was pulled up in Radnor Hunt Cup.
Hot Rize. 2004 dk. b. or br. g., Sultry Song—Donesia, by Desert Wine. Owner: Holston Hall. Trainer: Russell Haynes. Jockey: Willie McCarthy. Breeder: Anne Haynes (Ky.) 2015 record: 2-0-0-0, $5,100. 2014 record: 4-2-0-1, $79,400. Weakened late to finish fourth in the 2015 Middleburg Hunt Cup, then tired to finish fifth in the Virginia Gold Cup, a race he had won in 2014. Clinched 2014 timber championship with half-length score in Far Hills’ New Jersey Hunt Cup on Oct. 18, then was third in the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup.
Grand Manan. 2009 b. g., Giant’s Causeway—Manoa, by Seeking the Gold. Owner: Donald Reuwer Jr. Trainer: William Meister. Jockey: Fritz Boniface. Breeders: Stuart S. Janney III and Phipps Stable (Ky.). 2014 record: No starts. By top sire but failed on the flat, managing a third in an $8,000 maiden claimer at Delaware Park, his most recent start in 2012.
Straight to It. 2006 ch. g., Giant’s Causeway—Helsinka (Fr), by Pennekamp. Owners: Sheila J. Williams and Andre Brewster. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Sean McDermott. Breeder: Thierry Grandsir (Ky.). 2015 record: 2-0-0-1, $10,200. 2014 record: 7-1-0-3, $33,000. Finished fifth in 2015 My Lady’s Manor, then third in Virginia Gold Cup. Won Colonial Cup’s Springdale open timber for second straight year to close 2014 after third-place finishes in National Sporting Library & Museum Cup, International Gold Cup, and New Jersey Hunt Cup. Won the 2012 New Jersey Hunt Cup at Far Hills.
Brands Hatch. 2001 dk. b. or br. g., A.P. Indy–Watch Out, by Mr. Prospector. Owner: Gerry L. Brewster. Trainer: Blythe Miller Davies. Jockey: Open. Breeders: Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds, Pacelco S.A., and Chelston Ireland (Ky.) 2015 record: 2-0-0-0, $500. 2014 record: 2-0-0-0, $0. Lost rider at third fence of 2015 Maryland Hunt Cup after finishing fourth in Grand National’s Western Run Plate. Lost rider at the ninth fence of the 2014 Maryland Hunt Cup after going off course in Grand National’s Western Run Plate amateur apprentice timber race.
Dont Tell Sailor (Ire). 2006 b. g., Saddlers’ Hall (Ire)—Pharlen’s Dream, by Phardante (Fr). Owner: Rosbrian Farm. Trainer: Paddy Neilson. Jockey: Open. Breeder: Edmond Coleman (Ire). 2015 record: 1-0-0-0, $1,200. 2014 record: 3-1-0-1, $12,500. Finished fifth in 2015 Grand National. Won a maiden timber race at Willowdale last May, finished fourth in the International Gold Cup’s timber allowance race, and was third in the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup’s timber allowance.
Dakota Slew. 2007 dk. b. or br. g., Slew City Slew—Klearlee Kiera, by Allen’s Prospect. Owner: Magalen O. Bryant. Trainer: Richard Valentine. Jockey: Darren Nagle. Breeder: Larry Curtis (Ky.) 2015 record: 2-0-1-0, $17,700. 2014 record: 4-1-1-0, $32,600. Finished good second in 2015 Virginia Gold Cup after fourth in My Lady’s Manor. Won 2014 National Sporting Library & Museum Cup at Virginia Fall before second in International Gold Cup and fifth in Colonial Cup’s Springdale open timber race.
Classy Rascal. 2008 dk. b. or br. g., Dance With Ravens—Kalki’s Pride, by Regal Classic. Owner: Ken Garcia. Trainer: William Meister. Jockey: Martin Rohan. Breeder: Ken Garcia (N.J.) 2015 record: 2-0-0-1, $1,500. 2014 record: 3-0-0-1, $2,400. Finished third in 2015 Winterthur maiden timber race after eighth in Grand National timber allowance.