Held in the heart of Montgomery County's horse country, the Potomac Hunt Races is an annual tradition, celebrating the sport of steeplechase racing. The Potomac Hunt Races hopes you enjoyed the camaraderie of friends and colleagues, the beauty of nature, and the majesty of the equine athletes at the races on Sunday!

Potomac Hunt Races Recap

Robert Keller photos - see the entire album HERE.

It was a perfect day for racing and spectating on Sunday as the Potomac Hunt hosted the final point to point races of the year at the Kiplinger estate in Poolesville, Maryland. The rain held off until the last of the spectators were leaving the grounds.

The Washington DC International Open Flat kicked off the day of racing, with four horses going to post. Irv Naylor's Family Tree led from the start with Regina Welsh's Natty Bird close behind. Rebecca Shepherd's Clint Maroon got up in the last strides to finish second over Natty Bird. Paul Cawley rode Family Tree to the win for trainer Neil Morris.

The Preakness Amateur Rider Open Flat fielded five starters. The field was tightly bunched on the backside. Blythe Miller Davies' Ask Neal and Virginia B. Young's Tanka Tough went to the front on the turn for home and battled to the finish with Tanka Tough best. Brett Owings rode his first winner of the day for trainer Courtney Young.

The first race over fences was The Alice Keech Perpetual Plate Maiden Hurdle, with five horses going to the starting line. Signal Hill Farm's Peace Nicker set much of the pace with Brookfield Stables' Diva of Seville and Gerry Brewster & Richie Blue's Grey Giant close behind. These three were tightly bunched when they turned for home. They jumped the last as a team with Grey Giant proving best in the stretch. Teddy Davies scored his first win of the day, riding for trainer and dad joe Davies. (PHOTO, left to right: Peace Nicker (#8); Grey Giant; Diva of Seville (#2))

Three horses started The Preakness Open Timber, running for a purse of $2,500. Kinross Farm' Pocket Talk led for most of the race with The Hundred Acre Field's Cracker Factory close behind. The three horses jumped the last together with Cracker Factory landing running. He drew away in the stretch, and Gordonsdale Farm's Overdrawn took second over Pocket Talk in the final strides. Jockey Brett Owings scored his second win of the day, this time for trainer Mark Beecher.

Only two horses went to post in the Preakness Open Hurdle. Teddy Davies placed his mom Blythe Miller Davies' Brave Deacon at the front immediately. Stephany Harper's Golazo raced within several lengths the entire race with Colin Smith in the irons. Brave Deacon won by two, giving both Teddy and Joe Davies their second wins of the day.

The final race for horses was the Preakness Novice Timber, with four horses facing the starter. Willie White rode his own Night Sounds to the victory - the last man standing in a race with several mental mistakes from the jockeys. Elizabeth McKnight trained the winner.

The ponies took over after that in the Cpl. Kirk J. Bosselmann Memorial Races, with junior riders vying for Maryland Governor's Cup Series points in the final races of the year.

Three ponies started in in the small division. Yomar Ortiz, Jr. rode EHM Stables' Lickety Split to the win, by 1 1/2 lengths over Carly Kern and Mallory.

It was a hotly contested medium pony division, with Cambrie Franks and Sugar getting the nod over a herd of Betty McCue ponies. Yomar Ortiz, Jr. and Blueberry were second. (PHOTO: Sugar on the left and Blueberry on the right duke it out at the finish, with Sugar winning by a head)

Jaidyn Shore and EHM Stables' Mini finished out the 2022 Maryland Point to Point season with a win in the large pony division, by four lengths over Carly Kern and Goose.

Results can be found on the Central Entry website, here: centralentryoffice.com/results.aspx

The presentation of the colors at the Potomac Hunt Races.

REMINDERS

The Virginia Point to Point Foundation Annual Awards Party will be held at 6:00 PM on Sunday, June 5 at Buchanan Hall, 8549 John Mosby Highway, Upperville, VA.

The 2022 Maryland Steeplechase Association Awards Reception is on Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 7 p.m. at the Green Spring Valley Hunt Club in Owings Mills, MD.

Standings for Maryland and Virginia can be found on the Central Entry Office website, HERE.

The 2022 Champions for the Delaware Valley Point to Point Association are HERE.