An action-packed spring season of National Steeplechase Association racing kicks off in March and will offer more than $2.1-million in purses at 19 race meets. Topping the spring’s busy stakes schedule is the $150,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois (Gr. 1) at the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville on May 12.
Other graded hurdle races scheduled for the spring season are the $75,000 Marcellus Frost (Gr. 2) at Iroquois; the $50,000 Carolina Cup (Gr. 3) in Camden, S.C., on March 31; the $50,000 Temple Gwathmey (Gr. 3) at the Middleburg Spring Races in Virginia on April 21; and the $50,000 David L. “Zeke” Ferguson Memorial (Gr. 3) at the Strawberry Hill Races in Virginia on June 2.
The Ferguson is an addition to the Strawberry Hill program, which moves to the first Saturday in June from its former spot in mid-May. As in past years, Strawberry Hill’s races will be held at Colonial Downs near Richmond. The Ferguson formerly was run as a part of Colonial’s Thoroughbred season.
Horses that race over timber fences also will have several rich opportunities in the spring. The historic Maryland timber racing schedule culminates with the $75,000 Maryland Hunt Cup in Glyndon on April 28. A week later, timber horses will be in action in the $75,000 Virginia Gold Cup in The Plains.
Kicking off the spring schedule on March 24 will be the 46th annual Aiken Steeplechase in South Carolina. Its feature will be the $50,000 Imperial Cup, a hurdle race for novices, which are horses in their first seasons of competition over fences.
Other novice stakes on the spring schedule are the $50,000 Georgia Cup at the Atlanta Steeplechase on April 14; the $50,000 Queen’s Cup MPC ‘Chase at the Queen’s Cup Steeplechase near Charlotte, N.C., on April 28; and the $50,000 National Hunt Cup at the Radnor Hunt Races in Malvern, Pa., on May 19.
Steeplechasing’s growing division for fillies and mares will have two spring stakes races, the $50,000 Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois and the $40,000 Valentine Memorial at the Fair Hill Races in Maryland on May 26.
Here is the complete schedule of National Steeplechase Association spring race meets:
2012 NSA SPRING RACING DATES
AIKEN SPRING, Aiken, SC……………………………………………………………. Saturday, March 24
CAROLINA CUP, Camden, SC …………………………………………………….. Saturday, March 31
STONEYBROOK, Raeford, NC…………………………………………………………… Saturday, April 7
ATLANTA, Kingston, GA………………………………………………………………….. Saturday, April 14
MY LADY’S MANOR, Monkton, MD………………………………………………. Saturday, April 14
BLOCK HOUSE, Tryon, NC……………………………………………………………… Saturday, April 21
GRAND NATIONAL, Butler, MD……………………………………………………… Saturday, April 21
MIDDLEBURG, Middleburg, VA …………………………………………………….. Saturday, April 21
FOXFIELD, Charlottesville, VA………………………………………………………… Saturday, April 28
MARYLAND HUNT Cup, Glyndon, MD………………………………………….. Saturday, April 28
QUEEN’S CUP, Mineral Springs, NC…………………………………………………. Saturday, April 28
VIRGINIA GOLD CUP, The Plains, VA………………………………………………. Saturday, May 5
WINTERTHUR, Winterthur, DE……………………………………………………………. Sunday, May 6
IROQUOIS, Nashville, TN…………………………………………………………………. Saturday, May 12
WILLOWDALE, Kennett Square, PA………………………………………………….. Sunday, May 13
RADNOR, Malvern, PA…………………………………………………………………….. Saturday, May 19
HIGH HOPE, Lexington, KU……………………………………………………………….. Sunday, May 20
FAIR HILL, Fair Hill, MD…………………………………………………………………. Saturday, May 26
STRAWBERRY HILL, New Kent, VA………………………………………………… Saturday, June 2