Motion receives 'Touch of Class' award

"There are so many great horses, horse people and horse happenings in

Maryland that we thought we should recognize and let people know about them on

an ongoing basis," MHIB chairman Jim Steele said. "This is a strong, dynamic

industry with determined and adventurous people and horses, exhibiting the best

qualities of horsemanship all over the world."

The award is named after Touch of Class, the small but mighty Maryland-bred

mare who won two Olympic show jumping gold medals. She currently holds the

Olympic record for number of clean jumping rounds in an Olympic competition and

is enshrined in the U.S. Show Jumping Hall of Fame. The mare's breeder, former

jockey Jennifer Small, also attended the awards ceremony and gave her personal

account of the mare's accomplishments.

Motion, who bases his operation at the Fair Hill Training Center in Cecil

County, had another big week at the end of August, winning the Del Mar Oaks (G1)

with Summer Soiree (War Front) on August 20 and the Ballston Spa S. (G2) at

Saratoga with Daveron (Ger) (Black Sam Bellamy) on August 27. He also captured

this year's Wood Memorial (G1) with Toby's Corner (Bellamy Road).

Motion entered last weekend having saddled 77 winners from 336 starts with

total earnings of near $6.5 million, ranking him as the fourth leading trainer

in the United States.