May 2015 | Brandywine Hills Point to Point Races
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Brandywine Hills Point to Point Races

May 2015 - Marcella Peyre-Ferry

Caleb Remedio and Here Comes Honey Boo BooThe hotly contested leadline race was won by Caleb Remedio and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

Run on Easter Sunday, the Brandywine Hills Point to Point Races drew light entries for their 73 running, on Sunday April 5 at the Myrick Conservation Center near West Chester, Pa.

The featured race for the day was the Open Timber, with five entries going to the starting line. Joshua G. under Eric Poertz took an early lead and hung on to win for owner/trainer Jason Cole.

"I really didn't want to take him to the front that early. I probably should have held him a little more, but he was just out-jumping the other horses in the field," Poertz said after the race. "On the last fence, he was coming in behind another horse that out-jumped him. He dug in through the stretch. I'm very happy with the horse."

As only one entry was prepared to run in the Foxhunter's Timber, Bet Bridges on Just Barely (owned and trained by William Meister) started and ran with the two entrants for the Novice Race.  Just Barely fell far back, easily distanced by twenty then forty lengths and more, until race leader Spectacular Squall pulled up at about five fences from home apparently with tack problems.

Left alone for the Novice Race, Air Maggie (owned by Small Giant's Stable and trained by Keri Brion) refused on the next fence for jockey Annie Yeager. It was not until Just Barely caught up and jumped ahead that Air Maggie went forward and followed over the remaining fences. Once the final jump was behind them, Air Maggie again turned on the speed, passing Just Barely under the finish line.

"I thought the pony horse was coming up to ride next to me because I was so slow," Bridges said. "We just wanted to be safe and sound, that was the whole goal."

Each horse took the trophy for its respective division, and Yeager was glad for the company. "It was very hard work.  This horse is really cheeky. He needs a good lead," she said. "I had no choice, I inherited the lead. Luckily this Foxhunter girl was hacking around behind so I got in and followed her to the finish. I got in behind her and that made all the difference."

Heavyweight Race
The winner of the Heavyweight Race was Grand Manan, ridden by Sarah Shaffer for trainer William Meister and owner Donald Reuwer, Jr. It was also the fastest race of the day in a time of 6:28.

Grand Manan ran his first race over timber a week earlier at Cheshire, finishing third. This time he had a long lead for most of the race, and did not give it up. "It went really well. We knew from his start last week he likes to be on the lead," Shaffer said. "He was great. He was just a little handful to get to the start. Once he gets going he was really great. That was his own pace. It was very comfortable for him."

In pony racing, the lead line race went to Caleb Remedio on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. In the Small Pony Race, 11 year-old Alice Nolen-Walston won over a field of eleven starters on Hoof Hearted.  "He's a smart pony but he's just a little hot sometimes so we're always trying to get him calmed down," she said. "He normally wins if we get a good start and we got a good start today. I really enjoy racing, especially on this one."

Charlie Mourier won the medium pony race on Count Chocula and the large pony race on Class Day. "In the beginning it started off fast. I was in the front the whole way," he said of his first win on Count Chocula. For the large pony race, he lost his stirrups near the start but still won. "The rest of the race was pretty good."