Post-Race Analysis:
Anofferucantrefuse took the lead at the drop of the flag and never
looked back, capturing the $100,000 Grade I Joe Aitcheson in front-running
fashion while defeating odds-on favorite McDynamo by 2 lengths.
Ethical Action's was another 5 3/4 lengths back in third. The winning
time for the 2 1/18th mile test over 11 hurdles was 3:41.74, which
tied the stakes record established by Batchwood in the inaugural
running of the Aitcheson in 1997.
Anofferucantrefuse does his best running on the front-end, and
winning jockey Roger Horgan sent him straight to the head of the
10-horse field at the start of the race. Horgan then did an excellent
job of controlling the pace, all the while keeping an eye on McDynamo
who tracked him in second. Craig Thornton on McDynamo tried to wrestle
the lead from Anofferucantrefuse as those two rounded the far turn
and again as they straightened away at the top of the stretch, but
Horgan saw him coming both times and simply let a notch out of his
hold on Anofferucantrefuse, preventing McDynamo from drawing even
with his rival. That tactic seemed to break McDynamo's heart, as
the 5-year-old son of Dynaformer (by Roberto) lost for the first
time in four career starts over fences.
|
|
|
Roger Horgan did an excellent job of
controlling the pace in the Grade I Aitcheson and has posted
an outstanding 33% winning percentage so far this year.
|
"He jumped brilliant the whole way and was quick away from
his hurdles the whole time," Horgan told the NSA. "If
you're going to beat McDynamo, you're going to beat him from in
front. That was my plan. This horse hasnšt run since Aug. 20 last
year so for the boss (winning trainer Tom Voss) to bring him out
here and have him run like that it tells you how sharp he is. He
knows exactly how his horses are doing."
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|
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Tom Voss, the leading steeplechase trainer
(by races won) in each of the last two years, won his first
Steeplechase Triple Crown race when Anofferucantreuse captured
the Grade I Aitcheson.
|
"This horse is pretty one-dimensional: he has to be in front,"
Voss said. "The idea was to go immediately to the front and get
a good lead. After that, he jumps so well that kept him in front."
Owned by Peter G. Schiff's Fox Ridge Farm, Anofferucantrefuse improved
his lifetime record over fences to three wins and a second from
four starts. The 5-year-old son of Red Ransom (by Roberto) had an
uninspiring career on the flat, winning only once from nine starts
before being converted to a hurdler last summer. Anofferucantrefuse
took immediately to his new calling, winning at first asking in
Saratoga and then going on to capture an allowance hurdle race at
the Spa by more than 20 lengths. The Aitcheson was his first start
of the year as well as his first start in a stakes race. Anofferucantrefuse
earned $60,080 with his Aitcheson victory, increasing his career
steeplechase earnings to $102, 880; he earned only $13,095 on the
flat.
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Peter G. Schiff, shown here with his
son Ted, is the proprietor of Fox Ridge Farm, who bred and
races Grade I winner Anofferucantrefuse.
|
Anofferucantrefuse is a full brother to another Graded stakes winner,
Upper Noosh, who was also bred and raced by Fox Ridge Farm. Upper
Noosh was a turf specialist who won the Grade III Miss Grillo at
Belmont, finished second in the Grade III Pucker Up Stakes at the
Meadowlands and was third in a pair of Graded stakes at Saratoga:
the prestigious Grade II Diana Handicap and Grade III Saratoga Breeders'
Cup Handicap. Anofferucantrefuse and Upper Noosh are both out of
the unraced mare Valid Offer, by Val de l'Orne. Val de l'Orne was
the Champion 3-year-old of France in 1975 when he won a pair of
1 1/2 mile races: the Prix Du Jockey Club (Fr-I) and the Prix Hocquart
(Fr-II), as well as the 1 3/8ths mile Prix Noailles (Fr-II). He
finished second in the Grand Criterium (Fr-I) as a 2-year-old.
The Aitcheson was the second leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown.
Michael J. Moran's McDynamo captured the first leg of the series,
the $100,000 Grade I Hard Scuffle at Churchill Downs on May 2nd.
McDynamo is trained by Sanna Neilson, who won the first two legs
of the Steeplechase Triple Crown with Pompeyo (Chi) in 2000 and
then won the first and third legs last year with Praise The Prince.
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McDynamo lost his chance to win the Steeplechase
Triple Crown when he finished second to Anofferucantrefuse
in the Joe Aitcheson.
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While there will be no Steeplechase Triple Crown winner this year,
Classic chef-de-race sire Roberto (by Classic chef-de-race sire
Hail To Reason) is still in the running to capture a triple crown
of his own, as he is the grand-sire of both Anofferucantrefuse and
McDynamo. Roberto is also the grand-sire of Grade I steeplechase
winner Campanile (by Lear Fan). Roberto was the Champion 2-year-old
in Ireland in 1971. He won the Derby Stakes (Eng-I), Benson and
Hedges Gold Cup (Eng-I), Coronation Cup (Eng-I), National Stakes
(Ire-II), Anglesey Stakes (Ire-III), and Vauxhall Trial Stakes (Ire-III),
and finished second in the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes (Eng-I),
Prix Niel (Fr-III), and the Nijinsky Stakes (Ire-III). Roberto's
breeder, Mr. John W. Galbreath, was the owner of the Pittsburgh
Pirates, and named Roberto after baseball superstar and Hall of
Fame member Roberto Clemente, who played right field for the Pirates
until his untimely death in a plane crash in 1972.
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Arcadia Stable's Ethical Actions finished
a good third in the Grade I Aitcheson.
|
The Aitcheson is named after Champion steeplechase jockey Joe Aitcheson,
a member of Thoroughbred Racing's Hall of Fame and the Maryland
Athletic Hall of Fame. Aitcheson won a record 440 races during his
career, which is 42 more than his closest rival, Paddy Smithwick.
In addition to Aitcheson and Smithwick, the list of leading steeplechase
riders by career victories includes Dooley Adams (301), Jerry Fishback
(301), Tommy Walsh (253), Jeff Teter (231) and Blythe Miller (200).
Joe Aitcheson was the Champion steeplechase jockey in 1961, 1963,
1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, and again in 1970. He rode over fences for
24 seasons, from 1956 to 1979 and won 40 steeplechase races in 1964,
a single-season record for steeplechase jockeys. Aitcheson, long
sought after for his exercise riding talents by leading flat trainers
such as King Leatherbury, can still be found galloping horses in
the mornings at Laurel Park for trainer Tim Keefe.
The next and final race in the Steeplechase Triple Crown will be
the $100,000 Grade I Meadow Brook at Belmont Park on June 6th.
The complete order of finish for the Grade I Aitcheson is set forth
below.
Click here for Daily Racing Form past
performance charts for the Aitcheson.
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
|
Anofferucantrefuse |
151 |
Horgan |
Thomas H. Voss |
Fox Ridge Farm |
|
2
|
McDynamo |
154 |
Thornton |
Sanna Neilson |
Michael J. Moran |
|
3
|
Ethical Actions |
151 |
Kingsley |
Jack Fisher |
Arcadia Stable |
|
4
|
Dixie's Crown |
148 |
B. Miller |
Janet Elliot |
Willmott Stables |
|
5
|
Sharp Face |
151 |
C. Miller |
Jack Fisher |
Mrs. F.E. Dixon, Jr. |
|
6
|
Understood |
148 |
Massey |
Richard Valentine |
Whitewood Farm |
|
7
|
Miles Ahead |
148 |
Brown |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Jonathan Sheppard |
|
8
|
Geaux Beau |
138 |
Bentley |
Ricky Hendriks |
Contrarian Stables |
|
PU
|
Seek |
154 |
McCarron |
Jimmy Day |
Trappe Hill Farm |
|
PU
|
Taireallade |
130 |
P. Cooney |
Susan S. Cooney |
Alfred H. Smith, Jr. |
|
SCR
|
Mr. Fater |
151 |
Murphy |
Thomas H. Voss |
Coppertree Farm |
| Winner: |
Anofferucantrefuse - Dark Bay or Brown Horse,
May 02, 1997
Bred by Fox Ridge Farm, Inc. in KY |
| Pedigree: |
Red Ransom - Valid Offer , by Val de l'Orne
(FR) |
| Scratched Horses: |
Mr. Fater |
| Pgm |
Horse |
Win |
Place |
Show |
Total WPS
Pool: $167,987 |
| 9 |
Anofferucantrefuse |
18.60 |
6.60 |
4.60 |
|
| 6 |
McDynamo |
|
3.40 |
2.80 |
|
| 4 |
Ethical Actions |
|
|
8.80 |
|
| Wager Type |
Winning Numbers |
Payoff |
Pool |
Carryover |
| $2 Daily Double |
6-9 |
56.60 |
13,868 |
|
| $2 Exacta |
9-6 |
48.60 |
182,218 |
|
| $1 Superfecta |
9-6-4-7 |
1,589.40 |
29,970 |
|
| $2 Trifecta |
9-6-4 |
840.00 |
129,566 |
|
| Pgm |
Comment |
| 9 |
Anofferucantrefuse: set pace, clear in lane,
driving |
| 6 |
McDynamo: stalked pace outside winner, finished
gamely |
| 4 |
Ethical Actions: saved ground, faded |
| 7 |
Dixie's Crown: evenly, bobbled after final
jump |
| 5 |
Sharp Face: no factor |
| 1 |
Understood: no factor |
| 3 |
Miles Ahead: outside, weakened |
| 8 |
Geaux Beau: dropped back |
| 11 |
Seek (GB): outrun, left course |
| 2 |
Taireallade: outrun, left course |
| Footnotes
|
|
ANOFFERUCANTREFUSE set the
pace and turned back MCDYNAMO under urging. MCDYNAMO stalked
the pace outside the winner and finished gamely. ETHICAL ACTIONS
saved ground and faded. DIXIE'S CROWN raced evenly and bobbled
after the final hurdle. SHARP FACE was no factor. UNDERSTOOD
was no factor. MILES AHEAD raced outside horses and weakened.
GEAUX BEAU dropped back. SEEK (GB) , outrun, left the course.
TAIREALLADE , outrun, left the course.
|
| |
back to top
Pedigree of Winner:
ANOFFERUCANTREFUSE (USA) dkb/br.
G, 1997 DP = 1-4-17-0-0 (22) DI = 1.59 CD = 0.27
|
ANOFFERUCANTREFUSE
(USA)
dkb/br. 1997 |
RED
RANSOM (USA)*
b. 1987
3-2-1-0
$34,400 |
ROBERTO
(USA)*
b. 1969 [C]
14-7-3-0
$339,902
Article |
HAIL
TO REASON (USA)*
br. 1958 [C]
18-9-2-2
$328,434 |
TURN-TO
(IRE)*
b. 1951 [BI] |
ROYAL
CHARGER (GB) |
ch. 1942 [B]* |
| SOURCE SUCREE
(FR) |
br. 1940 * |
NOTHIRDCHANCE
(USA)
b. 1948 |
BLUE
SWORDS (USA) |
b. 1940 * |
| GALLA COLORS
(USA) |
b. 1943 |
BRAMALEA
(USA)**
dkb/br. 1959
38-8-7-7
$192,396 |
NASHUA
(USA)*
b. 1952 [IC]
Book |
NASRULLAH
(IRE) |
b. 1940 [B]* |
| SEGULA
(USA) |
dkb/br. 1942 |
RARELEA
(USA)
b. 1949 |
BULL
LEA (USA) |
|
br. 1935 [C]* |
| BLEEBOK (USA) |
br. 1941 * |
ARABIA
1977
13-3-2-4
$54,880 |
DAMASCUS
(USA)*
b. 1964 [IC]
32-21-7-3
$1,176,781 |
SWORD
DANCER (USA)*
ch. 1956 |
SUNGLOW
(USA) |
ch. 1947 |
| HIGHLAND
FLING (USA) |
br. 1950 |
KERALA
(USA)*
b. 1958 |
MY BABU
(FR) |
b. 1945 [B]* |
| BLADE OF
TIME (USA) |
br. 1938 |
CHRISTMAS
WIND
1967
$10,020 |
NEARCTIC
(CAN)*
br. 1954 |
NEARCO
(ITY) |
br. 1935 [BC]* |
| LADY
ANGELA (IRE) |
ch. 1944 |
BALLY
FREE
1960 |
BALLYMOSS
(GB) |
ch. 1954 [S]* |
| FAIR FREEDOM
(GB) |
b. 1945 |
VALID
OFFER
1978 |
VAL
DE L'ORNE (FR)*
dkb/br. 1972
5-4-1-0
$497,901 |
VAL
DE LOIR (FR)*
b. 1959
$268,771 |
VIEUX
MANOIR (FR)
b. 1947 [C] |
BRANTOME
(FR) |
b. 1931 [C]* |
| VIEILLE
MAISON (FR) |
b. 1936 |
VALI
(FR)*
b. 1954 |
SUNNY BOY
(FR) |
b. 1944 [P] |
| HER SLIPPER
(GB) |
b. 1936 |
AGLAE
(FR)
b. 1965 |
ARMISTICE
(FR)
1959 |
WORDEN
(FR) |
ch. 1949 [S] |
| COMMEMORATION
(FR) |
b. 1953 |
AGLAE
GRACE (FR)
1947 |
MOUSSON (FR) |
b. 1934 |
| AGATHE (FR) |
1936 |
GLEAM
br. 1967 |
SPY
WELL (USA)
1960 |
MARK-YE-WELL
(USA)
b. 1949 |
BULL
LEA (USA) |
|
br. 1935 [C]* |
| MAR-KELL
(USA) |
b. 1939 |
MISS
SPY
1951 |
SPY SONG
(USA) |
br. 1943 [B] |
| GENEROSITY
(USA) |
b. 1940 |
GLAMOUR
(GB)
1960 |
DJEBE
(FR)
gr. 1945 |
DJEBEL
(FR) |
b. 1937 [I]* |
| CATHERINE
(FR) |
gr. 1940 |
TUDOR
GLEAM (GB)
1952 |
OWEN
TUDOR (GB) |
br. 1938 |
| RIDING RAYS
(GB) |
blk. 1943 |
Pedigrees compliments of Del
Mar Pedigree Query
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2001 |
Flasher (7) |
C. Miller |
154 |
Praise The Prince (NZ) (6) |
160 |
Golden Marvel (Fr) (5) |
148 |
| 2000 |
Pompeyo (Chi) (6) |
Brown |
148 |
Banjo Man (5) |
148 |
Shahrahere (5) |
145 |
| 1999 |
Grand Nord (5) |
Kiser |
148 |
Spring Salute (5) |
150 |
Moshe (6) |
148 |
| 1998 |
Lafitte The Pirate (5) |
Kingsley |
148 |
Darn That Erica (5) |
152 |
Maipo (5) |
152 |
| 1997 |
Batchwood (5) |
Clancy |
158 |
Soaringoverseattle (4) |
147 |
Dictador (7) |
158 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
