- By:Joe Clancy
Professor Maxwell (and stirrup-less jockey Mark Beecher) jump the 13th fence of the Maryland Hunt Cup on the lead. Douglas Lees photo
The key to the Maryland Hunt Cup came early Saturday, and became truly evident only in hindsight.
As the field of 12 sorted itself over the first two fences, one horse lengthened stride and locked on to the second fence – small by comparison to some on the course, yet still nearly 4 feet tall. His ears pricked, his front hooves flicked, his hind legs drove forward. He built a short lead, soared over the fence like it was fun, then drove on to the next. The race was far from over, but Professor Maxwell was in control.
Jacqueline Ohrstrom’s 14-year-old veteran made that enthusiasm stand up – through 22 fences and 4 miles – to win the $75,000 timber classic for trainer Richard Valentine. Run for the 117th time, the race drew 16 names in the program and 12 starters after scratches (early and late). Six finished, with the winner needing 8:57 1/5 to defeat Sand Box Rules by 3 lengths. Guts For Garters finished third, followed by two-time race winner Twill Do, Bon Caddo and Woodmont. The race had plenty of moments, but even winning jockey Mark Beecher talked about that early jump.
“Coming to the second fence, his ears were pricked and he was wanting to do it,” Beecher said. “That’s all of it. I’ve said it before, this race is 80 percent horse, 20 percent jockey. The jockey is just there.”
Beecher’s right, but his 20 percent really counted Saturday. Leading the field to the ninth fence, Professor Maxwell landed awkwardly and shook Beecher loose in the saddle. The Irishman stayed on, but lost his stirrups and looked to be in serious trouble. The ninth leads to a turn, a short straightaway, another turn, and then four fences in quick succession. Professor Maxwell navigated the turn, saving ground as Brands Hatch (Jackson Roberts) went wide on the lead. At the 10th, Professor Maxwell jumped smoothly and reclaimed first position. Battle Op (Connor Hankin) followed in second with Prospectors Strike (Justin Batoff) third alongside Brands Hatch with Catch The Echo completing the first five. Despite a lack of stirrups, Beecher sat tall and kept his legs in position over the 11th and 12th. From a distance, you might not have noticed though Beecher knew he wasn’t going to make it 2 more miles without stirrups.
“The fences were coming up too quick there was no point in trying to get them back,” said Beecher, who put his show-jumping experience to good use. “I thought I’d try and get over the 13th and then try and get them back.”
The 13th, of course, is a 4-foot-9 monster that begins the race’s second half. Companion to the third, the fence has claimed its share of fallers – with stirrups. Tackling the obstacle without them was a recipe for disaster. Beecher rode Professor Maxwell down to the bottom and let the fence happen.
“It felt good,” he said the 13th, which claimed Catch The Echo. “The thing about him is you ride him up to it and then you just wait. I like to encourage a horse to his fences and with him you just wait. He’s going to come up. It’s a lot of trust, a hell of a lot of trust.”
Stirrups reacquired by the 14th, where Brands Hatch fell, Beecher and Professor Maxwell steamed onward. Battle Op, runner-up in 2012, continued to apply pressure and the duo touched down over the massive uphill 16th in control of the race. Battle Op jumped to the front at 17, followed by Professor Maxwell, Guts For Garters, Prospectors Strike and Bon Caddo. Behind them, Sand Box Rules (Diana Gillam) tried to work into the picture ahead of Woodmont (Martin Rohan) and Twill Do (James Stierhoff). Battle Op flew the 18th and the field bunched up behind him as Beecher tried to give Professor Maxwell a breather.
At the 19th, companion to the ninth (where Beecher lost his irons), Battle Op blundered badly and lost Hankin – handing the lead back to Professor Maxwell. The Pennsylvania-bred towed the others over the 20th and across Tufton Avenue, but there was plenty of run left in them.
The course’s 21st fence, a 2-foot-11 downhill leaning board fence with a small brook on the landing side, poses a unique question late in the Hunt Cup. Always. Despite its size, it claims plenty. The horses are tired, the jockeys are tired, the tempo is increasing, the end is near. And then there’s this, as Beecher put it, “horrible little fence.”
Prospectors Strike progressed on the inside. Woodmont followed him. Battle Op, riderless, scrambled for room. Guts For Garters made up ground along with Bon Caddo. Outside, Sand Box Rules surged. In front of them, Professor Maxwell looked for company.
“Into the water, I wanted to squeeze him and I heard Justin coming up to me which was good,” said Beecher of Prospectors Strike. “I wanted someone to come to me.”
They did. Then they didn’t. Prospectors Strike tried to stop, then veered right, sending Batoff over the fence and to the ground. Woodmont bounced into Guts For Garters, who crowded Bon Caddo. They all made it over, but lost precious momentum as Professor Maxwell (who kind of crow-hopped over and landed flat-footed) got back to running and set sail for the last along with Sand Box Rules.
Looking like he did at the second, Professor Maxwell stepped into the final fence and flew it – galloping resolutely home to get his first Hunt Cup win in his third try. Race rookie Sand Box Rules stayed for second, and Guts For Garters rallied for third.
The winner completed a steeplechase odyssey of sorts. He was bred by Hall of Fame trainer Janet Elliot, a son of Buckhar and the Bounding Basque mare Pas De Basque. The 1999 foal started twice on the flat as a 4-year-old, then tried hurdles the next year. He won a maiden hurdle at Middleburg Spring for Elliot and owner Nancy Gerry. By 2007, he was a timber horse with Valentine and won an amateur highweight race for owner/rider George Hundt Jr. at the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup. Ohrstrom was the owner in 2010 and Professor Maxwell tried the Maryland Hunt Cup with former champion jockey Gus Brown. They were in contention when they fell at the 16th fence. They fell again, at the Grand National, the next season (and skipped the Hunt Cup) but capped the year with a win in the Genesee Valley Hunt Cup. The last two years, Valentine bypassed the traditional preps and went to the Maryland race off point-to-point starts only. Professor Maxwell and Darren Nagle finished fourth last year, after slipping badly crossing the road after the 20th fence, and won it this time.
“He can jump a big fence,” the trainer said. “The two years we thought we had him good the Grand National came too close and he just had some awkward jumps and then he came here and remembered them. He’s a very sensitive horse. In England they run the Grand National horses over hurdles to give them confidence so I just thought a point-to-point was the way to go.”
Professor Maxwell finished second at Brandywine in Pennsylvania April 7, but the idea was confidence – not victory. Beecher paid credit to Valentine and the job done by Brown in 2010 and Nagle in 2012.
“He’s a funny horse,” Beecher said. “They got him around here, taught him and taught me. They told me how to ride him. Sit quiet, don’t do anything. Don’t ask him. Gus asked him and he fell. We were up at the 16th and I saw Gus’ stride and I wanted to ask him for it because it was the perfect one. I told myself ‘No don’t. Sit and wait.’ What did he do? He jumped up out of my hands anyway.”
Professor Maxwell won just the fourth race of his long, 43-start career, but rewarded a whole lot of humans for their patience – Valentine, Ohrstrom (whose husband George tried to win the race for years and failed) and Beecher.
“I put it down to my dad and (Maryland timber owner) George Mahoney,” the jockey said. “They brought me over (from Ireland in 2010). I didn’t really understand it as much the first year. I didn’t understand it. I’m here now three years and when you’re here three years, this is all they talk about. It does mean a lot and it means a lot to my dad because he knew about this race before I did. He was the one that gave me the kick up the arse to get over here. I was going to go back jumping at home, I’d kind of done the racing thing and was finished with it. Three years ago, I said I’d come out here for two weeks and give it a go. It’s been very good to me.”
