Post-Race Analysis:
It was "Miller time" again as All Gong (GB) captured
the ninth running of the $250,000 Grade I Breeders' Cup Steeplechase
and solidified his chances of being voted this year's steeplechase
Champion. All Gong is trained by F. Bruce Miller and ridden by his
daughter Blythe Miller. The father-daughter tandem teamed-up to
win their second Breeders' Cup Steeplechase, having captured the
race the last time it was run in 1993 with five-time steeplechase
Champion Lonesome Glory. Bruce Miller's son, Chip Miller, finished
second on Popular Gigalo, a horse that he trained as well as rode.
Allgrit finished third. The winning time was 4:53.4 over the hard
course, just 3/5ths of a second off the stake record set by Morley
Street at Belmont Park in 1990.
All Gong pressed the pace for the first two miles of the race as
Blythe Miller kept her horse tucked-in behind the early leader,
Campanile. Ms. Miller, the only rider in the field with a Breeders'
Cup victory under her belt, then moved the 6-year-old son of Kris
to the front as they straightened away down the backside the last
time. A contentious race developed at that point, as several other
jocks all made there move at the same time. Allgrit, Spring Salute,
Ninepins and Master McGrath joined All Gong and Campanile to jump
the fences on the backside six-abreast with each jockey asking their
horse for his best run. All Gong jumped beautifully and gained a
norrow lead on Allgrit as the field moved around the final turn.
By the time they had galloped up the hill to the last fence All
Gong was two lengths in front of Allgrit. All Gong fenced beautifully
at the last jump, and after that the outcome was never in doubt,
as he lengthened his advantage through the stretch to win by 3 1/4
lengths. Popular Gigalo, who was making his first start over fences
in 14 months, passed Allgrit after the last fence but could not
pick up any ground on All Gong.
"I don't tell Blythe how to ride All Gong " said Bruce
Miller after the race, "but it makes me nervous when she keeps
him so close to the pace. He really proved he could stay a distance
of ground today. He's been very consistent and his jumping keeps
getting better and better." Bruce Miller remains the only United
States-based trainer besides Janet Elliot and Jonathan Sheppard
to have won the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase.
"It was an honest pace" said Ms. Miller after the race.
"Not too fast and not too slow. I wanted to keep my horse behind
Campanile, because I've ridden Campanile in a lot of races, and
I knew if All Gong hooked-up with him those two are so competitive
that they would end up knocking each other out."
When asked to compare All Gong to some of the other horses she
has ridden such as Lonesome Glory and 1998 Champion Flat Top, Ms.
Miller demurred. "All Gong is a younger horse who is just getting
started" said the politically correct Ms. Miller. "It's
hard for me to compare him to those older horses who have done so
much more."
All Gong prepped for the Breeders' Cup by running in the Grade
II Ferguson at Colonial Downs on October 6th, where he finished
fourth. The English-bred gelding was a close second to Pinkie Swear
in the Grade I Iroquois earlier this year after capturing the Grade
I Atlanta Cup on April 15th. He is the only horse to have won two
unrestricted Grade I steeplechase races this year.
Trainer Janet Elliot, who won the inaugural running of the Breeder's
Cup Steeplechase in 1986, was upset to see Campanile go to the front
so early. Campanile was ridden by Mathew McCarron, a last minute
substitution for Sean Clancy who sustained a concussion from a fall
in the race before the Breeder's' Cup. Matt had never ridden Campanile
before" said Elliot after the race, "but he was doing
all right until the horse he was behind jumped badly. At that point
Campanile had to pull out from behind the horse in front to avoid
running into him, and Matt couldn't hold him after that." Campanile
faded to finish last after setting the early pace.
Elliot was also disheartened by an injury suffered by Flat Top
earlier this week that caused her to scratch the 7-year-old son
of Alleged. "Unfortunately, Flat Top is done for the rest of
the year" said Elliot. "He has no chance of making the
Colonial Cup in three weeks." Flat Top is undefeated this year,
having won the $175,000 Grade I Royal Chase at Keeneland this Spring
and then tuning-up for the Breeders' Cup with a victory in a 1 1/2
mile flat race at Morven Park on October 14th.
The other scratches were Invest West and Logician (NZ), the later
having traveled all the way from Australia for this race only to
be scratched when the ground came up hard. While the Far Hills course
is notorious for its soft footing, it had been three weeks since
it last rained in New Jersey, and the race officials had not applied
water to the course for three days before the race.
Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard, who has won the Breeders'
Cup Steeplechase three times, sent out a three-horse entry of Allgrit,
Ninepins, and Double Leaf (GB), who finished fourth, sixth and eighth,
respectively.
Spring Salute, who had upset All Gong at odds of 13-1 in the Grade
II Ferguson on October 6th, could not stay the distance and faded
to finish seventh.
The Miller family had a big day at Far Hills. In addition to their
Breeders' Cup success, Blythe teamed up with her father to win the
$75,000 Grade II Foxbrook Supreme Hurdle with Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords
Yellowroad. Pompeyo (Chi) finished second and Flasher was third.
Bruce Miller contonued his hot streak in the next race winning the
$30,000 Appleton with Mrs. Jeffords' Turkish Corner (Matthew McCarron
up). John H. Filbert III's Ironfist won the $35,000 New Jersey Hunt
Cup defeating Atomistic and Patrician Power. Ironfist is undefeated
in four starts this year and leads all timber horses with $70,500
in earnings.
The complete results of the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase are set
forth below.
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|
Blythe Miller with her mother in the paddock before the
Breeders' Cup Steeplechase. Blythe Miller remains the only
woman jockey to win a Breeder's Cup race.
|
Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard giving instructions
to his three jockeys before the Breeders' Cup Steeplchase.
The jockeys are (from left to right) Cyril Murphy, J.W.
Delozier and Arch Kingsley, Jr.
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Jockeys Mathew McCarron (center) and Gus Brown listen
intently to trainer Janet Elliot in the paddock before the
Breeders' Cup Steeplechase.
|
Jockey Blythe Miller and All Gong on their way to the
post before they captured the ninth running of the Breeders'
Cup Steeplchase.
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Campanile leads Master McGrath (inside) and All Gong over
the fourth fence.
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Campanile put in a big jump at the ninth fence as he
leads All Gong and Master McGrath.
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All Gong was all alone at the last fence before going
on to capture the $250,000 Grade I Breeders' Cup Steeplechase.
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Winning owner Calvin Houghland of Wyoming smiles up
at All Gong and Blythe Miller in the winner's circle .
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Winning trainer F. Bruce Miller (left with hat on) accepting
the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase trophy along with owner Calvin
Houghland (with binoculars on) as Blythe Miller accepts the
Breeders' Cup from a Breeders' Cup official.
|
Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords' Yellowroad, with jockey Blythe
Miller up, defeated Pompeyo (Chi) for the second time in
a row to capture the $75,000 Grade II Foxbrook Supreme Hurdle.
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John H. Filbert III's Ironfist (Roger Horgan up) leads
Final Final en route to his wire-to-wire to victory in the
$35,000 New Jersey Hunt Cup. Ironfist is undefeated in four
starts this yearand leads all timber horses with $70,500 in
earnings.
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Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
All Gong (GB) |
156 |
B. Miller |
F.B. Miller |
Calvin Houghland |
|
2
|
Popular Gigalo |
156 |
C. Miller |
C. Miller |
Clorevia Farm |
|
3
|
Allgrit |
156 |
Delozier |
Sheppard |
Hudson River Farm |
|
4
|
Master McGrath |
156 |
Brown |
Elliot |
William C. Lickle |
|
5
|
Rowdy Irishman |
156 |
Marzullo |
Haynes |
Vesta Balestiere |
|
6
|
Ninepins (GB) |
156 |
Kingsley |
Sheppard |
Hudson River Farms |
|
7
|
Spring Salute |
156 |
Thorton |
S. Neilson |
Landslide Farm |
|
8
|
Double Leaf |
156 |
Murphy |
Sheppard |
Timber Bay Farm |
|
9
|
Campanile |
156 |
McCarron |
Elliot |
Gregory Hawkins |
|
Scr
|
Flat Top |
156 |
|
Elliot |
Mrs. Edward H. Gerry |
|
Scr
|
Logician (NZ) |
156 |
|
Noonan |
Roulston, Stewart, et.al. |
|
Scr
|
Invest West |
156 |
|
Sheppard |
Augustin Stable |
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Pedigree for ALL GONG
ALL GONG, G, 1994 DP = 5-1-8-4-2 (20) DI = 1.00 CD = 0.15
NATIVE DANCER
ATAN 1950 [IC]
1961 MIXED MARRIAGE
SHARPEN UP 1952
1969 [BC] ROCKEFELLA
ROCCHETTA 1941
1961 CHAMBIGES
KRIS 1949
1976 TANTIEME
RELIANCE II 1947 [S]
1962 RELANCE
DOUBLY SURE 1952
1971 CREPELLO
SOFT ANGELS 1954 [P]
1963 SWEET ANGEL
1955
NORTHERN DANCER
NIJINSKY II 1961 [BC]
1967 [CS] FLAMING PAGE
ILE DE BOURBON 1959
1975 MISTI
ROSELIERE 1958
1965 PEACE ROSE
BONNE ILE 1959
1981 PALL MALL
REFORM 1955
1964 COUNTRY HOUSE
GOOD LASS 1955
1975 DERRING-DO
DERRY LASS 1961
1967 WINDMILL GIRL
1961
Pedigree compliments of Thoroughbred
Pedigree Query
History of the Far Hills Race Meeting
The Far Hills Race Meeting's history traces back to the Essex
Hunt, a fox hunting event founded in Montclair, New Jersey in
1870. In 1913, the organizers of the Essex Hunt incorporated
as the Essex Fox Hounds and purchased a farm near Peapack, New
Jersey at which they would establish a club house, stables and
kennels.
As was the tradition for local hunt clubs, the Essex Fox Hounds
established a special event through which to thank the farmers
and landowners on whose property club members hunted. The festive
day in the country and steeplechase race meet was appropriately
named the Farmers' Day Race Meeting. The Essex Fox Hounds also
established the New Jersey Hunt Cup steeplechase (a race that
remains on the Far Hills Race Meeting's race card).
The Farmers' Day Race Meetings were first held at the Essex
Fox Hounds' Peapack club house. In 1916, however, the Grant
B. Schley estate, with its fairgrounds and ample stables, became
the setting. Nestled at the foot of the Schley Mountain in both
Far Hills and Bedminster, the site remains the race site to
this day - although the land is now known as Moorland Farms.
Eighty years ago, local farmers and gentry from miles around
Peapack came to the race meeting to take in the country fairgrounds.
Patterned after English agricultural shows, the noisy and festive
scene featured strolling families, livestock, four-in-hand carriages,
tempting displays of produce and pies, and a minstrel show performed
on a stage in front of the grandstand. After these festivities,
everyone walked over to the course for the Farmers' Race - always
the first event on the race card.
The steeplechase circuit of that time took riders to South
Carolina from late winter until March, then north through Virginia,
Maryland and Pennsylvania to New England, and south again in
the fall. The Far Hills Race Meeting thrived as part of this
circuit, providing vigorous competition for the horsemen. Except
for the two World Wars, the race meeting continued without interruption.
When the race meeting resumed in 1946 after World War II, the
day attracted fewer horses and spectators. This, however, changed
in 1954 when the races became a benefit for Somerset Medical
Center in Somerville. By partnering with a valued and important
community resource, the race meeting and "family day in the
country" has became associated with a good cause and the public
has responded generously and enthusiastically ever since.
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Breeding Analysis:
Breeding analysis of the winner to follow.....
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Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree | Breeding
Analysis
