Showing his class, All Together rolled to a 7 1/4-length victory in the $40,000 W. Gary Baker Memorial, the featured hurdle race on Saturday’s Virginia Fall program at Middleburg, Va. In the featured timber race on the nine-race program, Dakota Slew pulled an upset in the $35,0000 National Sporting Library & Museum Cup.
Owned by Andre Brewster and Sheila J. Williams, All Together defeated a strong field for the 2 1/8-mile race over National Fences. The Fields Stables’ Bob Le Beau. Leading trainer Jack Fisher, who saddled All Together, also claimed third money with Woodslane Farm’s Sharp Numbers. Ridden by Sam Jones, All Together ran the Baker Memorial’s distance in 3:58 on firm turf.
All Together, a nine-year-old Danzig gelding collected his first victory since an optional allowance claiming score at Saratoga Race Course in August 2013. But he twice was close to a Grade 1 victory, finishing second by a length in the New York Turf Writers Cup at Saratoga and second by a nose in Belmont Park’s Lonesome Glory Handicap. He finished fourth in those $150,000 races this year before his Baker Memorial score.
Magalen O. Bryant’s Dakota Slew ended a long drought with his 1 1/2-length victory over Brother Sy in the National Sporting Library & Museum Cup, and Straight to It finished third. Trained by Richard Valentine and ridden by Darren Nagle, Dakota Slew ran the 3 1/4-mile distance in 8:05.20.
While Fisher added to his lead in the trainer standings, Willie McCarthy pulled away from his competitors for the year’s jockey championship with two victories, both for trainer Jonathan Sheppard.