Race Analysis:
This Grade I classic offered a purse of $100,000 and was the highlight
of the Saratoga steeplechase season. It was contested over 2 3/8ths
miles at Saratoga on August 26th.
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Entries/Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
| 1 |
Campanile |
148 |
B. Miller |
Elliot |
Gregory D. Hawkins |
| 2 |
Willstown |
138 |
Boucher |
Sheppard |
Augustin Stable |
| 3 |
Romantic |
152 |
Delozier |
Sheppard |
Timber Bay Farm |
| 4 |
Ninepins |
146 |
Kingsley |
Sheppard |
Hudson River Farm |
| 5 |
Pinkie Swear |
144 |
Clancy |
Fenwick |
Arcadia Stable |
| 6 |
Muscle Car |
144 |
Edwards |
Sheppard |
Bayard Sharp
|
| 7 |
SoaringoverSeattle |
150 |
Kiser |
Voss |
Warren Dempsey |
| 8 |
Popular Gigalo |
152 |
C.Miller |
Miller |
Clorivia Farm |
| PU |
Lenape Forge |
140 |
Brown |
Moran |
Rolling Plains Stable |
| PU |
Approaching Squall |
148 |
Marzullo |
Voss |
The Fields Stable |
Campanile solidified his leadership position in the steeplechase
handicap division by winning his third consecutive graded steeplechase
stake race. Having previously annexed the Grade II Midsummer Hurdle
Handicap and the Grade II A.P. Smithwick Handicap, The New York
Turf Writer's Handicap was Campanile's first Grade I victory. Jockey
Blythe Miller, ignoring trainer Janet Elliot's pre-race instructions,
put Campanile on the lead shortly after the start of the 2 and 3/8ths
mile test and never looked back. "Campy was real strong at the start"
explained Miller after the race, "and rather than fight him I just
let him go to the front, the one place I was instructed not to be!"
There had been rain showers off and on all day until a half hour
prior to the event when a steady rain began to fall that continued
throughout the race. The track condition was officially listed as
"good" in contrast to Campanile's previous stakes victories which
came over hard racing surfaces. "Blythe took Campanile wide around
the turns on purpose" noted Elliot after the race "which helped
because the ground was pretty chopped up on the rail. Blythe did
an excellent job of getting Campanile to relax once he got loose
on the lead." As they came to the last fence Willstown mounted a
challenge on the inside while Romantic ranged up on the outside.
Campanile met the last fence wrong, chipped in and stumbled slightly
upon landing which enabled both Willstown and Romantic to draw even
with him upon landing. This set the stage for a rousing stretch
drive that had the crowd of 15,262 on their feet screaming for their
choice as Campanile battled Willstown on his inside and Romantic
on the outside. Campanile edged away less than 100 yards from the
wire to prevail by 3/4ths of a length to win in 4 minutes 22.06
seconds. The course record for 2 and 3/8ths miles is 4 minutes 12
seconds established by Hokan last year. Sent off at generous odds
of 6-1, Campanile rewarded those who wheeled him on top in the exacta,
trifecta and late double with payoffs of $470; $3,639 and $531,
respectively. The last horse to win both the Smithwick and the Turf
Writer's in the same year was 4-time steeplechase champion Lonesome
Glory in 1995. Others to complete the double are Warm Spell in 1993
and Yaw in 1991. Happy Intellectual won the Turf Writer's three
years in a row from 1976 - 1978 before the Smithwick was contested.
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Pedigree
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Breeding Analysis:
Campanile is a 5-year-old gelding by Lear Fan out of Irish Jody,
who is by Irish Tower. He was bred in Illinois by the Bond Stable.
Campanile is in-bred 4x4 to the speed favoring blue hen Rough Shod
II through the full brothers Lt. Stevens and Ridan. Other notable
race horses in-bred to Rough Shod II include 1996 steeplechase champion
Correggio and 1998 Japan Cup (Grade I) winner El Condor Passa. Campanile
has a dosage profile of 2-3-15-0-0, a dosage index of 1.67 and a
center of distribution of 0.35.
Campanile's sire, Lear Fan, was a Grade I stakes winner in Europe.
He was a consistent racehorse who won 5 of his 8 starts and finished
off the board only once in his career. Lear Fan was undefeated as
a 2-year-old, including a victory in the Grade II Laurent Perrier
Champagne at 7 furlongs. As a 3-year-old in 1984, Lear Fan won the
Grade I Prix Jacques le Marois and the Grade II Craven Stakes, both
contested at a mile, defeating Palace Music and Rainbow Quest. He
ran 2nd in the Grade I Prix du Moulin de Longchamp to Mendez and
was 3rd in the Grade I Two Thousand Guneas to El Gran Senor. Lear
Fan has sired four Grade I winners: Ryafan was the Champion Turf
Mare in 1998 after winning Grade I races in the England, France
and the United States; Windsharp was the Champion Turf Mare and
Champion Older Mare in Canada in 1995; Sikestown was the Champion
2-year-old in Italy in 1988 and and the Champion 3-year-old in 1989;
and Loup Solitare was highweight at two in France after winning
the Grade I Grand Citerium. Lear Fon is out of the Lt. Stevens mare
Wac, a full sister to Bel Sheba, the dam of Alysheba. Bel Sheba
was trained by Hall of Fame steeplechase jockey Paddy Smithwick.
Lear Fan has an Average Earning Index of 2.19. The average winning
distance of his progeny in North American open stakes races is 8.5
furlongs on the dirt and 9.4 furlongs on the turf. He stands at
Gainesway for a stud fee of $25,000.
Lear Fan is a son of Classic chef-de-race Roberto, the Champion
2-year-old colt in Ireland in 1971. As a 3-year-old, Roberto won
the English Derby and the Coronation Cup, both of which are Grade
I races contested at 11/2 miles. Roberto is by Hail To Reason, a
son of Turn-To by the Nearco sire Royal Charger.
Campanile's dam, Irish Jody, won 9 of 18 starts including 3 stakes
races at Canterbury Downs. In addition to Campanile, she has produced
stakes winner Will Post Bond, by Cryptoclearance, and two other
winners from four foals of racing age. Irish Jody is a half sister
to stakes winner Sweet Alex and to Landmark Decision, who produced
stakes winner Green Boundary, the dam of stakes winners East of
Easy and Trevelyan.
Irish Jody is by Irish Tower, a consistent sort who won stake races
at ages 2, 3 and 4. Irish Tower had his greatest success at age
4 when he won the Grade II Excelsior Handicap as well as the Grade
III Stymie and Grey Lag Handicaps; he was the highweight in all
three of those victories. That same year (1981) Irish Tower finished
2nd in both the Grade I Metropolitan Handicap to Fappiano and second
in the Grade II John B. Campbell Handicap to Relaxing, the dam of
Easy Goer. Irish Tower is by Irish Castle, a son of Bold Ruler.
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Race Analysis | Entries/Results
| Pedigree | Breeding
Analysis
