Trainer Elizabeth Voss will saddle two stakes winners, The Fields Stable’s Sarah Joyce and Mimi Voss’ homebred Swoop, for Saturday’s highly competitive $75,000 Peapack Stakes for fillies and mares.
The Peapack at 2 1/8 miles is one of five stakes races on the program for the 97th edition of the Far Hills Races, one of New Jersey’s premier sporting events. The gala afternoon of steeplechase racing, highlighted by the international $400,000 Grand National (Gr. 1), offers $800,000 in purses and kicks off at 1 p.m.
Both Sarah Joyce and Swoop have scored major victories this year. Sarah Joyce won the Margaret Currey Henley Stakes at the Iroquois Steeplechase in May. Swoop swept to victory in Saratoga Race Course’s Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes, in which Sarah Joyce finished third.
Jack Doyle, the 2015 leading jockey by purse earnings, will ride Sarah Joyce, and Bernie Dalton has a return call on Swoop.
Trainer Leslie Young tapped Sean McDermott to ride AmyTaylor Rowe’s For Goodness Sakes, who finished fifth in the Mrs. Phipps after a victory in the Fair Hill Races’ Iris A. Coggins Memorial on May 27.
Young also will saddle owner Rowe’s Lady Blanco, who finished second in a maiden hurdle for fillies and mares at the Foxfield Fall meet in Charlottesville, Va., on Sept. 24. Irish jockey Paul Townend has the mount.
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard will be represented by Riverdee Stable’s Wigwam Baby, who finished second in the Mrs. Phipps, and Hudson River Farms’ Ciboure finished second in the Margaret Currey Henley in her first start over fences and her first U.S. start.
Darren Nagle, currently atop the jockey standings, rides Wigwam Baby, and Gerard Galligan will be aboard Ciboure.
Here is the field for the $75,000 Peapack Stakes. The horses’ weights are in parentheses at the end of their profiles.
Tay Lane (Ire). 2012 b. mare, Scorpion—San Diego, by Leading Counsel. Owner: Rosbrian Farm. Trainer: Ricky Hendriks. Jockey: Ross Geraghty. Breeder: Mrs. P. Madden (Ire). 2017 NSA record: No starts. In busy 2017 season in Ireland, won maiden hurdle at Tipperary in May and finished third in an allowance hurdle at Sligo. Most recently was unplaced in the Kilkenny Racing Festival Hurdle at Gowran Park on Sept. 30. (154)
Wigwam Baby. 2011 b. m., Langfuhr—Tepee Tot, by Waquoit. Owner: Riverdee Stable. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Jockey: Darren Nagle. Breeders: Bill Pape and Jonathan Sheppard (Pa.) 2017 NSA record: 1-0-1-0, $13,500. 2016 record: 2-1-0-0, $16,500. In first start over fences since May 2016, finished second in Saratoga’s 2017 Mrs. Ogden Phipps for fillies and mares. Opened 2016 with win in Atlanta allowance hurdle for fillies and mares, then was sixth in Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois Steeplechase. Three-time winner on flat. (150)
Lady Yeats (GB). 2011 b. m., Yeats (Ire)—Oblique (Ire), by Giant’s Causeway. Owner: Jacqueline Ohrstrom. Trainer: Richard Valentine. Jockey: Kieran Norris. Breeder: Biddestone Stud (GB). 2017 record: 1-0-0-0, $0. 2016 NSA record: 2-0-0-1, $3,000. Lost rider in 2017 Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois Steeplechase, then was fourth in Saratoga’s Mrs. Odgen Phipps. Finished third in Colonial Cup’s 2016 Springdale Stakes after eighth in Peapack Stakes at Far Hills, N.J. Won an allowance hurdle at Catterick Bridge in England to open her 2016 season. (152)
Sarah Joyce (Ire). 2012 b. m., The Carbon Unit—The Real Thing, by Traditionally. Owner: The Fields Stable. Trainer: Elizabeth Voss. Jockey: Jack Doyle. Breeder: Thistle Bloodstock (Ire). 2017 record: 3-2-0-0, $47,500. 2016 NSA record: 3-0-1-0, $6,000. Impressive winner of 2017 Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois Steeplechase, then fourth as even-money favorite in Fair Hill’s Irish Coggins Memorial. Finished third in Saratoga’s 2017 Mrs. Ogden Phipps. Won 2017 debut in Queen’s Cup ratings handicap. (156)
For Goodness Sake (Ire). 2012 b. m., Yeats (Ire) —Muschana, by Deploy. Owner: Amy Taylor Rowe. Trainer: Leslie Young. Jockey: Sean McDermott. Breeder: Aylesfield Farms Stud (Ire). 2017 NSA record: 2-1-0-0, $35,000. 2016 NSA record: No starts. Finished fifth in Saratoga’s 2017 Mrs. Odgen Phipps Stakes. Won Fair Hill’s 2017 Iris Coggins Memorial with Paddy Young, seriously hurt a week earlier, as trainer. Ran fifth in Margaret Currey Henley at Iroquois Steeplechase, her U.S. debut. Maiden hurdle winner in England was competitive over fences and on flat while trained by Warren Greatrex. (155)
Pure Deal. 2012 dk. b. or br. m., Purim—Make a Deal, by Private Terms. Owner: Beverly R. Steinman. Trainer: Doug Fout. Jockey: Byron Moorcroft. Breeder: Nuckols Farm (Ky.) 2017 record: 2-1-0-0, $12,800. 2016 record: 5-0-1-2, $11,600. 2015 record: 3-0-0-1, $3,550. Won maiden victory at 2017 Foxfield Spring. Finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length, in Foxfield Fall maiden hurdle for fillies and mares after third at Foxfield Spring and fourth at Fair Hill in similar maiden hurdles. (145)
Swoop. 2010 b. m., Louis Quatorze—Admonish, by Caveat. Owner: Mimi Voss. Trainer: Elizabeth Voss. Jockey: Bernie Dalton. Breeder: Mimi Voss (Md.) 2017 NSA record: 3-1-1-0, $56,750. Made a powerful late charge to win Saratoga’s 2017 Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes. Faded late to finish second in Fair Hill’s 2017 Iris Coggins Memorial after leading at the last. Allowance winner on the flat finished fourth in her jumps debut at the 2017 Radnor meet. (150)
Ciboure (Fr). 2013 b. f., Sir Percy—Amou Darla, by Kendor. Owner: Hudson River Farms. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Jockey: Gerard Galligan. Breeders: Eric Puerari and Oceanic Bloodstock (Fr). 2017 NSA record: 1-0-1-0, $9,000. In first career jumps start after modestly successful flat career in native France, finished second in Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2017 Margaret Currey Henley. Won maiden flat victory at provincial French track in August 2016. (140)
Lady Blanco. 2013 dk. b. or br. f., Cape Blanco (Ire)—War Clan, by War Front. Owner: Amy Taylor Rowe. Trainer: Leslie Young. Jockey: Paul Townend. Breeder: Fitriani Hay (Ky.) 2017 NSA record: 1-0-1-0, $3,600. In debut over fences, finished second in 2017 Foxfield Fall maiden hurdle for fillies and mares. Won flat handicap in England in 2016. (140)
Slug and Jockey (Ire). 2017 2011 b. m., Beneficial—Comeragh Girl, by Imperial Ballet. Owner: Cross Racing Stable. Trainer: Edward Mulligan. Jockey: Declan Queally. Breeder: Hannah Crowley (Ire). 2017 NSA record: 1-0-0-0, $0. In first U.S. start, was pulled up in Foxfield Fall maiden for fillies and mares. Looking to hit the board in seven lifetime starts. (140)