Print More Fascination incurred the only injury with a large scrape on his hip that most likely was sustained from close contact with a tree.
Uppercut is likely done for the spring season with a leg injury.
H Quiet Celebration
Young had better luck with Debra Kachel’s Lake Placid in the $30,000 optional allowance/claiming hurdle for trainer Ricky Hendriks.
This marked the 100th American jump win for the NSA 2009 and 2010 leading jockey. But the milestone came and went without any fanfare. No one mentioned it or seemed to know he had achieved the century mark.
Never one to toot his own horn, Young didn’t say a word. But the next day at the Winterthur Races (Del.), when Young won his 101st on Anthony Mala-tino’s Belarion for his wife, trainer Leslie Falini Young, the happy secret escaped.
The 35-year-old, now a father of three, arrived in the United States from Ireland in the fall of 2003. His first win came that year in a hurdle stakes race on Indispensable at Shawan Downs (Md.).
Living in Unionville, Pa., and riding predominately for Maryland trainer Tom Voss, Young helped pilot Kenneth Ramsey’s big gray Slip Away to his Horse of the Year title and Eclipse Award last year with several second-placed finishes and his $100,000 win at Colonial Cup (S.C.). He also helped Arcadia Stable’s Bubble Economy achieve his third NSA Timber Horse of the Year title in 2010.
“It will be a long way to 200 if it takes this long again,” Young said. “But it felt nice. The first U.S. win on Indispensable meant a lot, and Bubbles has been a large part of my career. And winning on Slip Away meant so much at Colonial Cup because he deserved to win big and he did.”
Young added about former trainer Paul Rowland who was struck with cancer last year, “It meant a lot to ride winners for Paul too.”
H Ice Bath
Gustav Dahl got all the hoopla that comes from winning his first sanctioned race after wiring the $25,000 starter allowance on owner-trainer Karen Gray’s Cuse.
The 16-year-old has been riding under rules since last fall. After the race, his fellow jockeys dosed him with a muck basket full of ice and water from the second tier of the steward’s stand. They were nice enough to remove the sodas first.
Dahl took it all in stride. Rubbing his head and laughing, he said, “It was great to finally get my first win, but the boys could have left the ice out.”
He added about his short career, “I started foxhunting with Ms. Gray, and she asked me if I wanted to try steeplechasing, and it progressed from there. I really like it.”
H Legitimate
Swimming River finally got his win in Great Meadows’ steeplethon.
