Post-Race Analysis:
May 11, 2002 - Nashville, Tennessee: After finishing second in
this Grade I race in each of the last two years, Calvin Houghland's
Al Gong (GB) finally won the 61st edition of the $100,000 Iroquois
defeating Praise The Prince (NZ) by a neck. Flat Top finished third
another 4 1/4 lengths behind the top pair. The time for the three-mile
Iroquois, the longest Grade I hurdle race on the National Steeplechase
Association (NSA) schedule, was 5:37, well off the stakes record
of 5:24.2 set by Uncle Edwin in 1986.
Pinkie Swear set the early pace and lead until the last turn.
All Gong, who was the champion steeplechaser of 2000, tracked Pinkie
Swear in second place and moved to the front on the final turn only
to be challenged by Praise The Prince at the top of the stretch.
Those two horses jumped the last fence together, and battled head-and-head
to the wire before All Gong prevailed in a photo-finish.
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All Gong (left) leads Flat Top (center)
and Allgrit with a about a mile left to go in the Grade I
Iroquois. Wnedy F. Kingsley photo.
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''I'll tell you what, he beat some of the greatest horses in the
country today and I'm awful proud of him,'' Houghland said. ''I
really believe it was the most well-balanced field we've ever had
and we just happened to tip the scales. I think he was tired of
running second, just like I was.''
All Gong broke an 8-race losing streak, winning for the first time
since he captured the Grade I Breeders' Cup Steeplechase over 18
months ago. The 8-year-old son of Sussex Stakes winner Kris (by
Sharpen Up) had ran well in several Grade I races since he had last
visited the winner's circle, finishing second in four of them: All
Gong was beaten by Electron in the Atlanta Cup; he was second to
Pompeyo (Chi) in the Royal Chase; he was defeated by Rand (NZ) in
last year's edition of the Iroquois; and he was second to Lord Zada
in the Colonial Cup.
All Gong had made only one other start this year when he finished
11th beaten almost 34 lengths in the $1.15 million Nakayama Grand
Jump in Japan on April 13th. He is trained by F. Bruce Miller (of
Lonesome Glory fame) and was ridden by his daughter, Blythe Miller,
who suffered a broken collarbone when All Gong fell with her in
the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase last year.
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All Gong (left) and Praise The Prince
battled head-and-head into the last fence. Wendy F. Kingsley
photo.
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"We were a little worried about going to Japan because it can take
so much out of a horse," Bruce Miller told the NSA, "But he came
back a much more mature horse. He's brighter and happier now, it
was a positive thing for him. I can't explain it really, but he
ran a great race in the Iroquois."
All Gong's victory broke a 38-year dry spell for Houghland, whose
horses had captured the Iroquois in 1958, 1961 and 1964. A former
gentleman jockey, Houghland also rode Frederick II to victory in
the third running of the Iroquois race in 1943.
The Iroquois victory was a milestone for jockey Blythe Miller,
as it was her 200th career steeplechase win, tops among all active
steeplechase jockeys. Joe Aitcheson holds the record for the most
career steeplechase victories with 440, which is 42 more than his
closest rival, Paddy Smithwick. Others with more than 200 steeplechase
wins are Dooley Adams (301), Jerry Fishback (301), Tommy Walsh (253)
and Jeff Teter (231). All but Walsh and Teter have been inducted
into the Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.
"I didn't want to think about (200 wins) because I'm having a great
spring and this sport can humble you if you get too excited about
it," Miller told the NSA. "But it's neat now that it's over, to
win 200 races, that's something. I never thought I'd achieve. Twenty
wins ago I was about to retire and people told me I had to get to
200."
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Veteran jockey Blythe Miller notched
her 200th career steeplechase victory when All Gong captured
the Grade I Iroquois.
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Miller has now won the Iroquois four times, putting her in a three-way
tie with George Sloan and George Strawbridge for the most Iroquois
victories. ''That was a good race; he had to dig in at the end,
so it was fun,'' Miller said. ''We jumped OK, but we didn't jump
the second-to-last jump great. He just dug back in to get ahead
of Praise the Prince. He's a tough guy. It was my fourth time [to
the winner's circle], I've been lucky here.'' Miller, 33, rode Victorian
Hill to victory at the Iroquois in 1991 and 1992, and she was aboard
Lonesome Glory for the win in 1995.
''She just has good hands and a way with the horse,'' Houghland
said. ''She's good at judging the pace and she's the best I've ever
seen.''
Praise The Prince (NZ) continued his ultra-consistent
form over hurdles, and has now hit he board in all 14 of his career
starts over fences, winning seven of them. The Augustin Stables
color-bearer just missed becoming the first horse to capture the
Steeplechase Triple Crown last year when he won the first and third
legs of the series, but he was beaten a neck in the second leg.
The 7-year-old son of Prince of Praise (NZ) (by Crossways (GB))
finished second to the ill-fated Pompeyo (Chi) in the 2001 Eclipse
award voting. He is trained by last year's leading steeplechase
trainer (by money won) Sanna Neilson and was ridden by two-time
champion jockey Gus Brown.
Mrs. Henry A. Gerry's was the steeplechase 1998 Horse-of-the-Year
Flat Top finished third in a Grade I race for the second time this
year. He has won seven of his 13 lifetime starts over hurdles while
finishing second twice and earning $374,250. Flat Top missed the
entire 1999 season and made his only start in 2000 a winning one
when he captured the Grade I Royal Chase. The 9-year-old son of
two-time Arc de Triomphe winner Alleged (by Hoist The Flag) is trained
by Janet Elliot and was ridden by top amateur jockey Colvin "Greg"
Ryan.
The complete order of finish for the Grade I Iroquois is set forth
below.
Click Here for Daily Racing Form past
performance charts for the Hard Scuffle.
Past performance charts are provided by the Daily
Racing Form.
To play the Steeplestakes.com Spring 2002 Handicapping Contest
click here.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
All Gong (GB) |
158 |
B. Miller |
F. Bruce Miller |
Calvin Houghland |
|
2
|
Praise The Prince (NZ) |
158 |
Brown |
Sanna Neilson |
Augustin Stables |
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3
|
Flat Top |
158 |
Ryan |
Janet Elliot |
Mrs. Henry A. Gerry |
|
4
|
P.C. PLod |
158 |
McCarron |
Neil Morris |
Kinross Farm |
|
5
|
Suembull (NZ) |
158 |
Massey |
Doug Fout |
EMO Stable |
|
6
|
Pinkie Swear |
158 |
Delozier |
Jack Fisher |
Arcadia Stables |
|
F
|
Allgrit |
158 |
O'Flynn |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Hudson River Farms |
ALL GONG (GB) allowed to settle in second, gamely. PRAISE THE PRINCE
(NZ) held back early, steady charge in stretch, just missed. FLAT
TOP saved ground, out finished. P. C. PLOD outrun early, passed
tiring rivals. SUEMBUL (NZ) mid pack, flattened out. PINKIE SWEAR
set early pace, tired coming into stretch. ALLGRIT raced evenly
in mid pack, fell in upper stretch.
back to top
Pedigree of Winner:
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
Pedigrees compliments of Del
Mar Pedigree Query
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2001 |
Rand (NZ) |
E. Lamb |
158 |
All Gong (GB) (7) |
158 |
Electron |
158 |
| 2000 |
Pinkie Swear (6) |
Clancy |
158 |
All Gong (GB) (6) |
158 |
Greek Hero |
158 |
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Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
