Connor Hankin teams up with Bruton Street-US to win two of four at My Lady’s Manor
Story reprinted from The Equiery.
Bruton Street-US took home both divisions of the John Rush Streett Memorial Maiden Timber with Connor Hankin riding both Two’s Company and Ballylifen for the wins at My Lady’s Manor on April 11 in Monkton. Both horses are trained by Jack Fisher. Hankin and Two’s Company hung near the back of the large field for the first Maiden division, which was the second race on the day’s card. Nearing the last few fences, Hankin urged the Irish-bred gelding towards the front, winning by two lengths over Le Chevalier (ridden by Jacob Roberts, trained by Neil Morris and owned by Otter Racing).
For the second division, Hankin kept the strategy the same riding Ballylifen near the back and steadily moving forward nearing the end of the course. They won by four and a half lengths over Dax (ridden by Darren Nagle, trained by Katherine Neilson and owned by Move Up Stables).
In the first race of the afternoon, The My Lady’s Manor Timber Stakes,
it looked like Irvin “Skip” Crawford II’s Senior Senator was about to pull off a win with Eric Poretz riding for trainer Blythe Miller Davies when Mark Beecher and Grinding Speed shot forward after the last jump. In what seemed like a blur of grey at the finish, the gelding owned by Michael T. Wharton and trained by Alicia Murphy took home the win by one and a half lengths.
The day’s excitement continued into the very last race, which ended in a photo finish between Snow Blizzard (owned by Equinox Stable) and Ebanour (owned by Irvin S. Naylor). In the end, it was Bethany Baumgardner who sent Snow Blizzard to win at the wire by a neck for trainer Nancy Knox. Ebanour was ridden by Amelia McGuirk and trained by Cyril Murphy.
In other racing news… Skip and Vicki Crawford’s Touchdowntony won the Eustis Cup at the Loudon Hunt Point to Point in Leesburg, VA. Forest Kelly was in the irons for trainer Blythe Miller Davies and won by three lengths. This is the second win this season for Touchdowntony.
There are two races this weekend on the Maryland Steeplechase Association series: the Grand National Steeplechase this Saturday and Fair Hill Point to Point on Sunday.