Reprinted from The Equiery.
Serene Harbor showed good form throughout the Grand National Amateur Timber Stakes on April 18 in Butler. The bay gelding owned by Welcome Here Farm and trained by Todd McKenna won by one and a quarter lengths with Annie Yeager in the irons. Irvin L. Crawford II’s Senior Senator finished in second place.
Yeager won her second race of the day with Upland Partners’ Sovereign Fund, also trained by Todd McKenna, in the Benjamin H. Murray Memorial Amateur Allowance Timber. Straylight Racing, LLC’s Mr. Tack led for the early part of the race but in the end, Yearger and Sovereign Fund ran hard to win by seven and a half lengths over last year’s Maryland Hunt Cup winner Guts for Garters (owned by Stewart Strawbridge).
In the final race of the day, the Western Run Plate Amateur Apprentice Timber, Major Malibu and Sumo Power kept trading places for the lead with Justin Batoff sending Jeremy Batoff’s Major Malibu to the front with two jumps left. They won by one and a half lengths for trainer William Dowling.
The Grand National race day actually started with a handful of pony races. Colin Smith and Bailey won the small pony division of the Thomas L. Macfarlane Memorial Jr. Field Masters Chase. Taylor Leatherman and Splash won the medium pony division with Daisy Fenwick and D’Artagan winning the large pony division. John Brophy and Undisputed Champ on the Thoroughbred Horses division.
As soon as race results and photos from the Fair Hill Point to Point are available, we will post a recap here. Check back in a few days.
Next up on the Maryland Steeplechase Association series is the Maryland Hunt Cup on Saturday and the Maryland Junior Hunt Cup on Sunday.