Major Price Ups The Ante At Morven Park

Alicia Murphy’s winner cops his signature style, finishing far ahead of the field. 

Major Price and Jacob Roberts made short work of the allowance optional claiming timber race at the Morven Park Steeplechase in Leesburg, Va., on Oct. 10, winning by more than 9 lengths.

But that margin was small compared to the 15-plus length lead they held for most of the race, effectively running the rest of the 11-horse field off their legs. Only William Wofford’s Algezir and Jeff Murphy were close at the end in second place.

Owned by Maryland trainer Alicia Murphy, Major Price first jumped into view this spring at the Marlborough Hunt Races (Md.), but despite winning by many there, he missed a beacon and was disqualified. In his first sanctioned start at the Radnor Hunt Races (Pa.), he ran hard out front but faded to place fourth.

This fall, Major Price has been on his game, collecting his first sanctioned win at Shawan Downs (Md.) in late September in the maiden timber and jumping better than ever.

Murphy is thrilled with the 8-year-old son of Allen’s Prospect, but he does give her a bit of a fright when he goes out so far ahead and jumps hugely in the process.

“I know that’s what he’s going to do, but it’s always a little scary,” Murphy said.

“We haven’t done that many races, but he seems to have a pattern of taking a breather and letting them get in shooting distance, then he seems to say, ‘Okey dokey, here we go again!’ And he’s off and running.”

Murphy chose not to put Major Price up for a tag in the optional claiming race. Although she normally doesn’t own the horses she runs, she said that along with the extra hay money, there are some other perks, like not having to call owners with status reports.

“At this point I think I’ll keep him,” Murphy said. “I almost sold him and almost partnershipped him, but he got a little bit hurt and I thought that might be a big deal; he had pulled a hind muscle. I’m so glad I don’t have anyone to answer to right now. In two days he was better, but it reinforced those are not the kind of phone calls you want to make.”

Murphy isn’t sure where she wants to send Major Price next and may hold off running him again until the spring.

Staying Chilly

No water was needed to wash down hot horses at the Morven Park Races with the temps staying in the upper 60s. These were perfect conditions for horses who like blanket weather, and Manown Kisor’s Gather No Moss fits that bill.

Gather No Moss would have liked it cold this spring when he tried to win the $20,000 open timber at the Queens Cup (N.C.), but it was one of the hotter race weekends. He only placed third, and Tennessee trainer Michael Berryman realized the 8-year-old son of Award had some major heat issues and might have to wait for chillier weather to win. That made the  highweight timber at Morven ideal.

Ridden by fellow Tennessean Will Haynes, Gather No Moss sat just off the pace until the end, galloping up the long hill to the wire to win by 2 lengths over last year’s champions, Music To My Ears and George Hundt, Jr.

The 19-year-old Haynes said Gather No Moss feels like a completely different horse in the cooler temperatures.