Take that, Kentucky.

Under gorgeous skies, thousands turned out for the Raleigh Jaycees-hosted event at Brookhill Farms. The group hoped to draw 15,000 fans, and the large crowd seemed to support that estimate.

Although the future of the Brookhill is murky, the Jaycees remain optimistic that the event will continue for at least next year. Developers plan to build houses on Brookhill Farms' land.

"The land has not sold yet," said Jennifer Trivette, the race chairwoman. "We won't know until later this summer what will be the future of the land. Once we find that out, if it is sold, we will go into negotiations with the land owner at that time. Right now, we're in hopes that we'll have a race next year and that the race will be here."

On this Saturday at least, the party and the racing continued.

The first four races were 2 1/4-mile steeplechases. The horses in the final race, which was one mile and one furlong, did not have to jump.

In the 14th Anniversary Brookhill Cup, Alsoknownasbubba led the whole race to take the win in 4:22 1/5. Jody Petty, who led the National Steeplechase Association jockeys with 19 wins last year, rode the winner.

"I'd never even sat on the horse before, so I didn't know what to expect," said Petty, who also won the fourth race aboard Hawk Hill. "He was very alive, very sharp. He ended up jumping to the front. He wasn't being very strong, but he just outjumped everybody."

Petty's win on Hawk Hill came in the Bellsouth The Real Yellow Pages Cup. Hawk Hill is a horse he has won on twice this year. Petty began the 2006 season on March 5 at the Little Everglades Steeplechase in Dade City, Fla., by suffering a ruptured spleen, broken ribs and a collapsed lung after a fall.

He returned on April 15 in New Kent., Va., and won in his first race back with Hawk Hill.

At the Brookhill, Gather No Moss led much of the Bellsouth race until the gelding unseated his rider, allowing Hawk Hill to easily take the win in 4:22.

Jockeys were tossed off their rides in four of the races -- with the second race winning the terrifying award. On the second turn through the front straightaway in The Worley Cup, Capitan El Grande didn't clear his jump and tumbled, throwing rider Michael Traurig.

The horse had been holding off Sea Drama and the rest of the field, so fans anxiously watched the horses evade Traurig, who knelt with his hands over his head. The jockey and horse were fine.

Sea Drama and jockey Richard Boucher took the win in 4:21 3/5.

"I saw the horse hit the fence, and I knew he was going to go down," Boucher said. "It looked like he was going to go to the left, but he went to the right. You just have to really pay attention, and hopefully, the horse will pay attention also. They're smart animals, they try not to step on anyone."

Rate Base and jockey Bernard Dalton won the Brookhill Capital Cup in 4:18 2/5, the fastest time of the day.

Even the flat race had a bit of excitement. As rider Vince Paschal took Bombay Lad to the starting line, the horse startled fans by brushing close to the inside fence. Once the race started, the gelding showed no intention of racing, veering immediately to the outside fence. Paschal was unseated in less than a furlong.

Heir Apparent took the win over Complete Concern in 1:53 4/5.

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