Post-Race Analysis:
August 9, 2001 - Saratoga Springs, NY: Augustin Stables' Praise
The Prince (NZ) cruised to a 4 1/4-length victory over Aggro Crag
in the $75,000 Grade II A.P. Smithwick Memorial. Spring Salute was
up for third just getting by Al Skywalker who had lead until the
last fence. The time for the 2 1/16th miles over 10 fences (one
was eliminated) was 3:39.36, three seconds off the track record
set by Hudson Bay while carrying 147 pounds in 1996.
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Al Skywalker leads Spring Salute (jumping,
left), Praise The Prince and Popular Gigalo over the second
fence in the Smithwick. Note Indispensable falling (partially
obscured by Al Skywalker).
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Praise The Prince was making his first start in a steeplechase
stake race that was not restricted to novices. The Smithwick was
his third Graded stakes victory from four starts this year. The
6-year-old New Zealand-bred son of Prince of Praise (NZ) (by Crossways
(GB)) came within a neck of capturing the Steeplechase Triple Crown,
winning the first and third legs of the series and leading a few
strides from the finish of the second leg before he was nipped at
the wire. He is trained by this year's leading steeplechase trainer
(by money won) Sanna Neilson and was ridden by this year's leading
steeplechase jockey Gus Brown.
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Al Skywalker leads Quel Senor, Aggro
Crag and Praise The Prince with seven furlongs left to run
in the Grade II Smithwick.
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NSA handicapper Bill Gallo assigned Praise The Prince high-weight
of 158 pounds for the Smithwick, 16 more than Green Stripe Stables'
Aggro Crag, who was the low-weight in the field of seven. Aggro
Crag, who was only beaten a length in the Grade III Marcellus Frost
earlier this year, took advantage of his light impost to finish
a good second. The 9-year-old son of Caveat has now hit the board
in nine of his last 11 starts. He is trained by Alicia Murphy and
was ridden by Matt McCarron, nephew of Hall Of Fame jockey Chris
McCarron.
Al Skywalker, who captured the $100,000 Grade I Colonial Cup in
his first start this year, made all the pace in the Smithwick, leading
until Praise The Prince collared him as they approached the last
fence. Praise The Prince landed in front and sprinted clear of the
field as Al Skywalker faded to fourth on the run-in.
"This is a brave little horse," said winning jockey Gus
"Buster" Brown of Praise The Prince after the race. "He
carried all the weight in this heat and nothing bothered him"
said Brown, alluding to his 158-pound impost and the 98-degree heat.
"It felt like he could go around the course again. The ground
was hard out there, but he can run on any surface and under any
conditions: hard or soft, hot or cold, 158 pounds; nothing seems
to bother him."
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Praise the Prince winning the Grade II
A.P. Smithwick under high-weight of 158 pounds. The Smithwick
was his first first stakes victory against open company.
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Winning trainer Sanna Neilson echoed Brown's praise: "This
is a super consistent horse. He's very workmanlike and very hard
to fault. To do what he did today - spotting weight in his first
start against open company - is not an easy task. It's always a
big step going from novice to open. I was concerned with the heat,
especially with him carrying all that weight, but he handled it
great. The plan is to run him back in the New York Turf Writers'
Cup, unless the weights are ridiculous."
Indispensable fell at the second fence when he misjudged the take-off.
Jockey J.W. Delozier was thrown clear but fell hard suffering a
concussion and was taken by ambulance to Saratoga Hospital for x-rays
before being released later that day. The next day he was found
to be suffering from a collapsed lung and spent three days in a
Baltimore hospital recuperating from surgery. The field was waived
around the fallen jockey on the second circuit of the course thereby
reducing the number of fences in the race to 10. Quel Senor (Fr)
fell at the seventh fence when he failed to jump high enough, catapulting
jockey Roger Horgan out of the saddle. Horgan landed clear and completed
four summersaults before dusting himself off and walking away from
the fall. Canta Ke Brave scratched as his connections protested
being assigned the second high-weight of 152 pounds.
The complete order of finish for the Smithwick is set forth below.
Smithwick Biography: A. P. (Paddy) Smithwick rode 398 steeplechase
winners during his career, second only to Joe Aitcheson's total
of 440. Mr. Smithwick was the nations leading steeplechase jockey
in 1956, 1957, 1958, and again in 1962. He won the Temple Gwathmey,
at the time the country's most prestigious steeplechase race, run
in the late fall at Belmont Park, four times. He won the Meadow
Brook Handicap and the Georgetown Handicap six times each, the International
Handicap and the Beverwyck Handicap five times each, and the New
York Turf Writers and the Grand National three times each. Mr. Smithwick
said the greatest horse he ever rode was Mrs. Ogden Phipps three-time
champion Neji, who retired in 1960 as the leading steeplechase earner
of all time. In 1958 Mr. Smithwick was aboard Neji when he won the
Grand National carrying 173 pounds. Forced to retire from riding
in 1966 after a spill at Monmouth Park that left him partially paralyzed
in the left arm, Mr. Smithwick went on to train two stakes winners
on the flat including Bel Sheba, the dam of Kentucky Derby winner
Alysheba and a full sister to Wac, the dam of Campanile's sire,
Lear Fan. Mr. Smithwick died of cancer at the age of 46 in 1973,
shortly after he was inducted into the Racing Hall Of Fame.
To play the Steeplestakes.com Summer 2001 Handicapping Contest
click here.
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Results:
|
PP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Praise The Prince (NZ) |
158 |
Brown |
S. Neilson |
Augustin Stables |
|
2
|
Aggro Crag |
142 |
McCarron |
Murphy |
Green Stripes Stables |
|
3
|
Spring Salute |
144 |
Bentley |
S. Neilson |
Landslide Farm |
|
4
|
Al Skywalker |
150 |
Foley |
Majette |
Jennifer J. Majette |
|
5
|
PopularGigalo |
152 |
C. Miller |
C. Miller |
Clorevia Farm |
|
F
|
Quel Senor (Fr) |
150 |
Horgan |
Voss |
Coppertree Farm |
|
F
|
Indispensable |
148 |
Delozier |
Fisher |
Mrs. F. Eugene Dixon |
|
Scr
|
Canta Ke Brave |
154 |
Massey |
Day |
Claytonville Stable |
| Winner: |
Praise the Prince (NZ) - Dark Bay or Brown
Gelding, October 3rd, 1995
Bred by Thoroughbred Investments Ltd. in NZ |
| Pedigree: |
Prince of Praise - Dynataine, by Centaine
(AUS) |
| Scratched Horses: |
Canta Ke Brave |
| Pgm |
Horse |
Win |
Place |
Show |
| 4 |
Praise the Prince (NZ) |
3.30 |
2.60 |
2.10 |
| 6 |
Aggro Crag |
|
9.00 |
3.80 |
| 5 |
Spring Salute |
|
|
4.60 |
| Wager Type |
Winning Numbers |
Payoff |
Pool |
Carryover |
| $2 Exacta |
4-6 |
35.40 |
171,671 |
|
| $2 Trifecta |
4-6-5 |
242.50 |
114,609 |
|
| Pgm |
Comment |
| 4 |
Praise the Prince (NZ): reserved early, advanced
inside, led over last, ridden out |
| 6 |
Aggro Crag: reserved early, outside move,
stayed on for place |
| 5 |
Spring Salute: no response when roused |
| 3 |
Al Skywalker: made pace, faltered after tenth
fence |
| 1 |
Popular Gigalo: had no rally |
| 7 |
Quel Senor (FR): fell after eighth fence |
| 8 |
Indispensable: fell at the second fence |
| Footnotes
|
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PRAISE THE PRINCE (NZ) was
reserved in the early going, advanced inside on the final
turn, took over when asked, led over the last jump and widened
while being ridden out to the finish. AGGRO CRAG was reserved
early, rallied outside and stayed on well to earn the place.
SPRING SALUTE had no response when roused. AL SKYWALKER made
the pace and faltered after the tenth fence. POPULAR GIGALO
had no rally. QUEL SENOR (FR) fell after the eighth fence.
INDISPENSABLE fell at the second fence. Due to the spill at
the second fence, the field was waived around the seventh
fence. Following a general stewards' inquiry, the result was
declared official.
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History of Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND(Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 1980 |
Cookie (5) |
Martin |
141 |
Coconut Creek (6) |
149 |
Pala Mountain (6) |
142 |
| 1981 |
Round the Bay (4) |
Cushman |
140 |
Hill Talk (4) |
136 |
Acromion (4) |
135 |
| 1983 |
Running Comment (9) |
McWade |
148 |
Census (5) |
151 |
Steve Canyon (3) |
147 |
| 1984 |
Double Reefed (8) |
Teter |
152 |
Twas Ever Thus (5) |
155 |
Steve Canyon (4) |
144 |
| 1985 |
Gateshead (6) |
Fishback |
155 |
Le Sauteur (6) |
155 |
Statesmanship (5) |
143 |
| 1986 |
Census (8) |
Teter |
156 |
Le Sauteur (7) |
156 |
Polar Parrallel (5) |
153 |
| 1987 |
Micky Free (4) |
Morris |
141 |
Gateshead (8) |
143 |
Chammsky (8) |
143 |
| 1988 |
Summer Colony (5) |
Smart |
146 |
Jive With Five (4) |
144 |
Rio Claro (5) |
150 |
| 1989 |
Uptown Swell (7) |
Lawrence |
149 |
Rio Claro (6) |
157 |
Double Bill (6) |
142 |
| 1990 |
Summer Colony (7) |
Smart |
158 |
French Hill (5) |
154 |
Victorian Hill (5) |
154 |
| 1991 |
Yaw (9) |
Smart |
143 |
Mihmaz (6) |
144 |
Three Bells For Me (4) |
136 |
| 1992 |
Master McGrath (5) |
Guessford |
139 |
Peer Prince (7) |
140 |
Double Bill (9) |
147 |
| 1993 |
Warm Spell (5) |
Lawrence |
158 |
Castleworth (7) |
140 |
Rolling Cart (8) |
145 |
| 1994 |
Warm Spell (6) |
Lawrence |
164 |
Mistico (8) |
168 |
Cheering News (7) |
146 |
| 1995 |
Lonesome Glory (7) |
B.Miller |
164 |
Irish Aproach (6) |
146 |
Mistico (9) |
160 |
| 1996 |
Cheering News (9) |
C.Miller |
158 |
Stop and Listen (6) |
144 |
Petroski (6) |
148 |
| 1997 |
Brigade of Guards (5) |
Kiser |
144 |
Water Skipper (7) |
140 |
Mario (6) |
156 |
| 1998 |
Romantic (6) |
Kingsley |
140 |
Brigade of Guards (6) |
156 |
Bisbalense (9) |
144 |
| 1999 |
Campanile (5) |
B. Miller |
142 |
Ninepins (10) |
144 |
Approaching Squall (5) |
150 |
| 2000 |
Campanile (6) |
B. Miller |
158 |
Golden Rule (GB) (5) |
154 |
Aggro Craig (8) |
146 |
Pedigree of Winner
PRAISE THE PRINCE (NZ) dkb/br. G,
1995 DP = 4-1-4-1-0 (10) DI = 2.33 CD = 0.80
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Pedigrees compliments of Del
Mar Pedigree Query
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner
