Post-Race Analysis:
October 20, 2001 - Far Hills, New Jersey: Coppertree Farm's Quel
Senor (Fr) pulled off a huge upset, winning the $250,000 Grade I
Breeders' Cup Steeplechase by 5 and 3/4 lengths over the Augustin
Stables entry of Lord Zada and novice Praise the Prince (NZ), who
finished another 1 3/4 lengths behind his stablemate. A crowd of
more than 45,000 steeplechase enthusiasts watched Quel Senor complete
the 2 5/8ths miles test over 13 hurdles in 4:54.1, just 2/5ths of
a second off the track record established by All Gong (GB) last
year.
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Left-to-right: Lord Zada, Flasher, Quel
Senor, All Gong, Its A Giggle and Pinkie Swear at the fourth
fence of the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase.
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Quel Senor assumed the lead with about a mile to run,
and was never challenged from that point on. "The horse just
jumped his way to the front," said winning jockey Cyril Murphy
after the race. "I got an easy lead going down the backside
the last time, and he could dictate his own terms from there. I
let him stretch out around the final turn, and he had plenty left
for the finish." Quel Senor jumped the last fence three lengths
in front and lengthened his advantage over Lord Zada and Praise
The Prince on the run-in.
Before being imported to the United States Quel Senor won over
$145,000 on the flat in France, including the Grade III Prince d'Orange.
"We always knew he had the talent, it was just a question of
when he could put it all together on the same day," said winning
trainer Tom Voss, who also trained Grade I winner John's Call. "He
picked a good day to do it," quipped Voss, who noted that the
Breeders' Cup Steeplechase was Quel Senor's first start in a Grade
I race. Voss was last year's leading steeplechase trainer, and currently
leads this year's standings.
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Quel Senor assumes the lead from Pinkie
Swear at the ninth fence of the Grade I Breeders' Cup Steeplechase.
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Quel Senor won two of his three starts this Spring, including the
$30,000 Miles Valentine at Fair Hill on Memorial Day. He went to
the post as one of the favorites in the Grade III Ferguson at Colonial
Downs on July 14th, but struggled home fourth beaten 23 lengths.
Going from bad to worse, Quel Senor fell in his next start, the
Grade II Smithwick at Saratoga. That was his last start before the
Breeders' Cup.
When asked to explain Quel Senor's poor efforts this summer, winning
jockey Murphy explained that the 6-year-old son of Akarad (Fr) (by
Labus (Fr)) does not do well in extreme heat, which caused him to
bleed in the Ferguson. As for his fall in the Smithwick, Murphy
explained: "He's a naturally gifted horse but he can get lackadaisical
at times. He had a bad fence today at the second but once he got
that out of the way he was just rocking and rolling out there."
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Coppertree Stable's Quel Senor landing
in front at the last fence en route to his victory in the
Grade I Breeders' Cup Steeplechase.
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Like Quel Senor, Lord Zada was making his first start in a Grade
I race. Prior to the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase, Lord Zada's only
start this year came in the Legacy Cup at Shawan Downs on September
29th where he finished third behind Darn Tipalarm and All Gong.
The 8-year-old son of Lord Avie (by Lord Gaylord) raced near the
back of the pack before being put into a drive around the far turn
the last time. He rallied four wide approaching the stretch but
could not close any ground on Quel Senor after the last hurdle.
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Cyril Murphy and Quel Senor return to
the winners' circle after capturing the Grade I Breeders'
Cup Steeplechase.
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Augustin Stables Praise The Prince (NZ) was unhurried for the first
two miles of the race, dropped back around the final turn but then
came on again to pass tired horses through the stretch. He competed
in all three Grade I races that comprise the Steeplechase Triple
Crown for novices this Spring. The 6-year-old son of Prince of Prince
(NZ) (by Crossways (GB)) came within a neck of capturing that series,
winning the first and third legs and leading a few strides from
the finish of the second leg before he was nipped at the wire by
Flasher. Ultra-consistent, Praise The Prince has never been worse
than third in 12 career steeplechase starts, sporting a record of
6-3-3.
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Winning trainer Tom Voss (left) celebrates
with Guy Torsilieri (right) who manages the Coppertree Stable
partnership.
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Pinkie Swear, It's A Giggle and Hokan completed the order of finish.
Flasher was eased after the final turn and galloped home without
jumping the last fence. Trainer Bruce Miller's entry of last year's
Eclipse award winner All Gong (GB) and Yellowroad fell at the 8th
and 11th fences, respectively.
With just one Grade I steeplechase race left this year, Steeplechase
Horse-of-the-Year honors are wide-open. The NSA has sanctioned six
unrestricted Grade I steeplechase races so far this year, and a
different horse has captured the laurels in each event: Al Skywalker
won the Colonial Cup, Electron took the Atlanta Cup, Pompeyo (Chi)
captured the Royal Chase, Rand (NZ) won the Iroquois, It's A Giggle
took the New York Turf Writers' Cup and now Quel Senor has captured
the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase. Of those six, only Its A Giggle,
Al Skywalker and Quel Senor remain in training, setting up a possible
rematch in the Grade I Colonial Cup on November 18th.
The complete results for the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase are set
forth below.
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Results:
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PP
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Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
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1
|
Quel Senor |
156 |
Murphy
|
Thomas H. Voss |
Coppertree Stable |
|
2
|
Lord Zada |
156 |
Delozier
|
Sanna Neilson |
Augustin Stables |
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3
|
Praise The Prince |
156 |
Brown
|
Sanna Neilson |
Augustin Stable |
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4
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Pinkie Swear |
156 |
Llewellyn
|
Jack Fisher |
Arcadia Stable |
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5
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It's A Giggle |
156 |
Fitzgerald
|
Jonathan Sheppard |
William L. Pape |
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6
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Hokan |
156 |
Massey
|
Janet Elliot |
Mrs. Henry A.Gerry |
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PU
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Flasher |
156 |
C. Miller
|
Jimmy Day |
Daybreak Stable |
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F
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All Gong |
156 |
B. Miller
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F. Bruce Miller |
Calvin Houghland |
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F
|
Yellowroad |
156 |
Bentley
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F. Bruce Miller |
Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords |
QUEL SENOR (FR) was well placed just off the early pace, stalked
the leaders from outside for a good part of the way, moved to the
front approaching the wire the second time, brushed the top of the
10th fence, recovering quickly extended his lead opening a clear
advantage along the backstretch the final time, shook loose on the
turn then drew away under steady urging. LORD ZADA was unhurried
for a mile and a half while racing well out in the course, closed
the gap leaving the far turn the final time, rallied four wide approaching
the stretch but was no match for the winner while clearly best of
the others. PRAISE THE PRINCE (NZ) was rated along while saving
ground, dropped back slightly nearing the far turn, lodged a rally
along the inside nearing the stretch and finished willingly for
a share. PINKIE SWEAR pressed the early pace along the inside, surged
to the front gaining a brief lead under the wire the first time,
raced forwardly along the inside to the final turn and gradually
tired thereafter. IT'S A GIGGLE took the lead soon after the start,
set the early pace while well off the rail, surrendered the lead
midway through the race, remained a factor to the turn and tired
from his early efforts. HOKAN trailed a good part of the way, lodged
a brief four wide move on the far turn the final time then flattened
out. FLASHER raced well back between horses, dropped back after
going two miles then was eased and left the course on the final
turn. YELLOWROAD fell at the 11th fence. ALL GONG (GB) fell at the
eighth fence.
back to top
Pedigree of Winner
QUEL SENOR (FR) b. G, 1995 DP = 2-3-5-2-0
(12) DI = 1.67 CD = 0.42
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Pedigree compliments of Del
Mar Pedigree Query
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner
