Pre-Race Analysis:
The $100,000 Grade I Joe Aitcheson Stakes, originally schedued
to be run at Pimlico on Friday May 16th, was postponed the morning
of the race after a powerful rain storm dumped three inches of rain
on the Baltimore, Maryland track in less than 24 hours. Due to the
rain, all races were run on the main track that day - an option
that's not available to steeplechasers, as steeplechase races must
be run on turf to ensure safe takeoffs and landings over the fences.
Attempts to reschedule the Aitcheson, which was to be the second
leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown, on May 24th or 25th were derailed
by rain that has been forcasted in Baltimore for those days. The
final leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown, the $100,000 Meadow
Brook Stakes, will be run Thursday, June 5 at Belmont Park.
"It's a huge disappointment for us because we had 12 horses ready
to participate on what would have been a great day, but you can't
change the weather," said NSA director of racing Bill Gallo in an
NSA press release. "Steeplechasing understands Pimlico's needs to
protect its turf course, and there was really nothing anyone could
have done about it. Pimlico wanted the race on a weekend to maximize
the betting handle, and we couldn't run any later (than May 25)
because it would be too close to Belmont."
Gallo said Pimlico has offered to make up the race with a steeplechase
stakes in September that could coincide with the Baltimore-area
steeplechase meet at Shawan Downs on September 27th.
The entries originally drawn for the Aitcheson are set forth below.
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Trebizond (Ire), shown above at Far Hills
last year, won the first leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown.
and was one of the favorites to win the Aitcheson.
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JOE AITCHESON - A CHAMPION FOR THE AGES: 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 (202).
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.
Click here for Daily Racing Form Past Performance
Charts for the Joe Aitcheson.
Past performance charts are provided by the Daily
Racing Form
Click here
to play the Steeplestakes.com Spring 2003 Handicapping Contest.
Entries:
|
PP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Malagash |
|
Murphy |
Thomas H. Voss |
Mrs. Thomas H. Voss |
|
2
|
Trebizond |
|
Foley |
Katherine Neilson |
William C. Lickle |
|
3
|
Blasphemous |
|
C. Miller |
Jeremy Gillam |
Jeremy Gillam |
|
4
|
Crafty Celt |
|
Brown |
Richard L. Valentine |
Barbera C. Graham |
|
5
|
Mr. Perkolater |
|
Traurig |
Katherine Neilson |
Mrs. S.K. Johnston |
|
6
|
Naughty Prince |
|
Bentley |
Ricky Hendricks |
Contrarian Stables |
|
7
|
Fighting Star |
|
Petty |
Janet Elliot |
Willard C. Freeman |
|
8
|
Ghost Fever |
|
Massey |
Doug Fout |
Edward P. Evens |
|
9
|
Hendler |
|
Boucher |
Don Yovonovich |
Berkley Stable |
|
10
|
I'm Hit Sarge |
|
Walsh |
Ricky Hendricks |
Ricky Hendricks |
|
11
|
Major Hero |
|
Murphy |
Thomas H. Voss |
Coppertree Farm |
|
12
|
Vintage Class |
|
McCarron |
Ross R. Pearce |
Never Better Stables |
back to top
Pedigree of Winner:
Not Applicable.
Pedigrees compliments of Del
Mar Pedigree Query
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2002 |
Anofferucantrefuse (5) |
Horgan |
151 |
McDynamo (6) |
154 |
Ethical Actions |
151 |
| 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 |
Pre-Race Analysis | Entries
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
