Foxfield and Middleburg Preview, April 26
Saturday Foxfield: Riding Double Foreigner in the Maiden Hurdle for Court Marzullo. Blinkers on first time, we expect this should make a difference and hope for a big run. I am riding Diablo's Crown for Ricky Hendricks in the apprentice race. He won his last start. He is a front runner and I am confident of his capabilities but this is clearly a step up in company. I am riding a nice allowance horse called Swoop And Soar for trainer Kathy Neilson. There is one horse in the race, Baksheesh, who ran second at Stoneybrook in a stake, will be tough to beat. I ride Robin Shower's in the Maiden Claimer for Ricky Hendricks. We are planning to drop him in behind this time, and hope this will improve his performance.

Sunday Middleburg: Riding a horse who has just arrived from New Zealand for Tom K. Its a Maiden Hurdle race, and I am really not too sure what to expect!

Tryon, NC, April 19
I had five rides for the day, one in each race. To get here I flew down to Camden on the friday, left there saturday morning to drive up to Tryon because I was struggling to make the weight and had the rubber suite on in the car! The first ride was Our Thunderbolt (trained by Jill Waterman), who I had previously won a claimer on, but this was a step up to allowance company. He finished second, while not handling the track too well. I rode him close to the pace and we had a good trip and were very happy with the result. In the Maiden Hurdle I rode Euripedes for Karen Gray. He jumped very well, and perhaps needs a little longer trip and finished fourth. Looking forward to getting another ride on him.

The next race was the big race, the Century BMW Block House Stake. This was on Naughty Prince, a very talented gelding who has his idiosyncracies. He won well previously (Dave Bentley in the Sport of Kings Maiden at the Everglades) so this was an exciting opportunity for me in my first stake, but he is still a novice running a stake. There was no pace in the race, I sat behind coming into the first fence, but a bold jump put him in front so I left him there and rode him like an experienced campaigner on the front end and never looked back. We won impressively by three lengths, trained by Ricky Hendricks who is currently tied for leading trainer.

My fourth ride was on Philip's Ferrari, who I pulled up in the Maiden Claimer. Ranahan, who I rode in the point to point previously was my final ride. We put blinker on him, he jumped awesome and was a good second in the second division of the Maiden Claimer.

A win in a stake a two seconds was certainly a good day for me. Robby Walsh also rode two winners for Bruce Haines in impressive style with Chef Bear and Green Station. Run In The Park was an easy winner in the first division of the Maiden Claimer for apprentice Danielle Hodsdon.

Strawberry Hill, Colonial Downs, VA: April 12
Three rides for the day. First ride was Robin Showers, trained by Ricky Hendricks. He was a little disappointing in running finishing fifth, we are now back to the drawing board with this horse. Second ride was a pick up ride on the day, for trainer Court Marzullo, Double Foreigner. This was my first time on the horse, he finished fourth and it was a decent experience as we got to know each other a little. Looking forward to riding him again. Previously was riding the favorite for the apprentice but the horse was a late scratch. My final ride on the day was Agitator for Doug Fout. He finished fourth with a very pleasing run, behind a couple of decent horses including Praise The Prince, a multiple stakes winner for Sanna Neilson and George Strawbridge.

The feature race was won by Richard Valentine and Chip Miller for Whitewood Farms, Michelle Marieschi. This was a very impressive winner. Richard Boucher won the Maiden Hurdle with Wataman Sam in impressive style. Richard was on a role for the day winning the two flat races for Sanna Neilson (Praise The Prince and Mcdynamo). Left the races, drove to Middleburg (got lost) to ride at Oaklands Point to Point the next day for Ricky Hendricks. First timer, Ranahan, ran green but finished second. We were very pleased with his performance and looking forward to a return ride.

Stoneybrook, NC, April 5
Had four rides today. The first ride was my third on Mozo Allegre in the Maiden Hurdle for Jill Waterman. He made the running early, the second time on the backside he missed a fence very badly leaving his hindend in the fence, and really could not recover and get back in the race. He did manage to stay on and finish fourth, picking up a check. The next ride was Our Thunderbolt, Maiden Claimer, we were very confident going into the race, from a previous work on the cup course at Camden. We sat third and he jumped awesome, the third last from home I put him on the lead, kicked four clear going round the final bend, winged the last and won by five easy lengths. He was trained by superbly for the day by Jill Waterman. My next ride was Negative Love, in the Conditional Hurdle. Hed did not handle the track too well (he prefers a left handed race track) and we were never travelling so I gave him an easy race and we finished near the back. My final ride was in the flat race, a horse called Sherman's Drum for Winky Cocks. This horse is a bit of a character and he refused to start, trailed the field and I got a good work out trying to keep him going.

Jahamour was an impressive winner of the Maiden Hurdle for Doug Fout and Robert Massey. Dynability won the stake in the capable hands of Matt McCarron for Jack Fisher. Unavailable Ride won the Conditional Claimer for owner-trainer-rider Arch Kingsley. Returned to Camden that evening for a couple of quiet drinks in the Foxes Den.

Camden, SC, March 29
Had three rides today. The first ride was the Winky Cocks trained Niello in the Camden Plate. This was a first time starter. There was an awefully slow early pace, which left me on the lead. He was a little green in running, while we were only beaten two lengths, I probably should have won if I had used the inside a little more. I kept him to the middle of the track so he could get a good look at the fences. The second ride was on a maiden claimer, Karen Gray trained Phillip's Ferrari, another first timer over hurdles. We had a nice education and was in second place jumping the second last, he got a little tired, and stayed on to be fifth. My final ride was on Mozo Allegre, who I rode at Aiken, on the flat. He finished fourth, beaten a lenth and a half, and the winner was Hotspur, a very nice horse of Hall of Fame trainer Jonathon Sheppard. Al Skywalker, a front running masterpiece in the hands of Tom Foley, destroyed the field in the Carolina Cup. This was his second Cup win (same horse, trainer and rider) and second stakes win of the year, having won the Everglades in Florida. Ethical Action won the Sport of Kings Unlimited Claimer for the Arch Kingsley and Jack Fisher combination. Timber race of the day was won by Natty Boh, with the husband and wife team of Kathy Neilson and Michael Taurig. There was much after race celebrations and a few well known race personalities were a little ...

Aiken, NC, March 22
Had three rides. The first in a training flat race, Jill Waterman trained Mozo Allegre. He was fourth, his first run in a year and ran pretty well. Rode Preoccupied in the Maiden Claiming Hurdle, and he finished third to a nice horse of Ricky Hendricks (Yokazona). Rode Negative Love in the conditional claiming race and won, which was my first winner this year! He won by four lengths, and it was the second time this horse has won at this track, and trainer Linda Klein's first winner in three years. Snowball Flanigan with Robert Massey aboard, trained by eclipse award trainer Janet Elliot, won the feature race, the Imperial Cup, very impressively. Richard Valentine won the Budweiser Cup with Michele Marieschi, confidently ridden by Gus Brown.

Moore County Point to Point March 20
Had two rides, Negative Love in the Open hurdle, trained by Linda K. and Preoccupied in the Maiden hurdle trained by Dave Washer. Negative Love was third, got a little tired but he had not run in two years, so not a bad performance. Preoccupied was starting for the first time. He jumped consistently and finished a good second, beaten three lengths. Drove down with Dave Bentley and Mark Griffiths whose day was no better than mine. Tom Foley won three races, all for Kevin Pallister. One of those, Pal's Pride was 3yo champion hurdler of 2002. It was raining, the ground was soft but there was still a good turn out of spectators. Drove home with Jill Waterman in Janet Elliot's truck!

2003 Race Record
As of April 25:
19 Rides
3 Wins (Negative Love, Our Thunderbolt, Naughty Prince (Stake))
3 Seconds
1 Third
$43,850

About this Blog
This blog will cover the steeplechase story of Gerry Carwood, riding in the USA. He will post entries twice a week, covering the upcoming weekend racing schedule and reviewing the previous weekend.