Race Analysis:
Hudson River Farm’s Ninepins (GB) captured the 30th running of
the $100,000 Grade I Colonial Cup in Camden, South Carolina and
set a new track record of 5:07 for the two and three-quarters mile
race. The finish was very close as Ninepins prevailed by a neck
over Muscle Car with Campanile just a nose further back in third
place. Ninepins raced near-to or on the lead for each of the 19
natural brush fences, a strategy envisioned by Hall of Fame trainer
Jonathan Sheppard when he equipped Ninepins with blinkers before
his last two races, both of which were winning efforts.
"Blinkers have made a pretty dramatic difference" said Sheppard
after the race. "He was just basically not showing much response
or enthusiasm [before adding blinkers]. Using blinkers was something
I was a bit reluctant to do to a horse of his caliber so late in
his career." Ninepins, an English-bred son of Niniski and a grand-son
of Nijinsky II, had suffered through a ten-race losing streak before
winning the $150,000 Grand National (Grade I) in his last start
before the Colonial Cup.
Winning jockey Arch Kingsley, Jr. agreed with Sheppard that adding
blinkers really turned Ninepins’ season around: "He [Ninepins] used
to drop out of races. Blinkers have changed his running style. The
way he he’s running right now there’s no reason not to have him
out front." Kingsley, the NSA’s leading rider in 1997, made a strong
bid to regain his title as he won four of the five races on the
card to pull within one victory of this year’s current leading rider,
Jonathan Kiser. Only one more race remains on this year’s NSA calendar,
that being the Grade II $50,000 Last Leap to be run at Calder Racecourse
on December 4th.
Ninepins and the recently retired Lonesome Glory were the only
two horses to win two Grade I steeplechase stake races this year.
However Ninepins holds the edge in money-won, having completed his
1999 campaign with $199,029 in earnings. Lonesome Glory earned $172,800
this year with his victories coming in the $100,000 Carolina Cup
and $175,000 Royal Chase earlier this spring. "Lonesome Glory has
not raced over jumps since the spring" noted Sheppard, who also
trained second place finisher Muscle Car, "and the way our horses
ran today, Lonesome Glory would have had to run his eyeballs out
to win."
What’s next for the suddenly rejuvenated 12-year-old Ninepins?
The Japan Racing Association is sponsoring a $1.6 million steeplechase
race to be contested on April 15, 2000, and they will invite eight
horses from countries other than Japan. The proprietor of Hudson
River Farms, Edward P. Swyer, said the race might be a possibility
for Ninepins if he were formally invited.
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Entries/Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
| 1 |
Ninepins (GB) |
156 |
Kingsley |
Sheppard |
Hudson River Farms |
| 2 |
Muscle Car |
156 |
Boucher |
Sheppard |
Bayard Sharp |
| 3 |
Campanile |
156 |
Kiser |
Elliot |
Gregory D. Hawkins |
| 4 |
Rowdy Irishman |
156 |
Marzullo |
Haynes |
Vesta Balistiere |
| 5 |
Romantic |
156 |
C. Miller |
Sheppard |
Timber Bay Farm |
| 6 |
Pinkie Swear |
156 |
Clancy |
Fenwick |
Arcadia Stable |
| 7 |
Clearance Code |
156 |
Petty |
Carrier |
Gregory S. Bentley |
| Fell |
Al Skywalker |
156 |
Delozier |
Majette |
Frank D. Adams |
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Pedigree
NINEPINS, G, 1987
NEARCTIC
NORTHERN DANCER 1954
1961 [BC] NATALMA
NIJINSKY II 1957
1967 [CS] BULL PAGE
FLAMING PAGE 1947
1959 FLARING TOP
NINISKI 1947
1976 RIBOT
TOM ROLFE 1952 [CP]
1962 [CP] POCAHONTAS II
VIRGINIA HILLS 1955
1971 RIDAN
RIDIN' EASY 1959
1967 EASY EIGHT
1954
TOM FOOL
SILLY SEASON 1949 [IC]
1962 DOUBLE DEAL II
MARTINMAS 1946
1969 PRINCE CHEVALIER
CALVINE 1943 [C]
1960 DECEIVER
MARTINOVA 1955
1978 ARCTIC STAR
FIDALGO 1942
1956 MISS FRANCE
PAVLOVA 1946
1962 SUPREME COURT
TIME AND CHANCE 1948
1957 FOXTROT
1946
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Breeding Analysis:
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Race Analysis | Entries/Results
| Pedigree | Breeding
Analysis
