Post-Race Analysis:
Malvern, Pennsylvania - May 15, 2004: Racey Dreamer won the $100,000
Grade I Mellon National Hunt Cup, the second leg of the Steeplechase
Triple Crown, holding off Serazzo in deep stretch to prevail by
3/4ths of a length. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Sur La
Tete in third. The winning time for the 2 1/4 mile test run over
11 fences on the right-handed W. Burling Cocks Memorial Racecourse
was 4:19.6.
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Racey Dreamer leads Serazzo and Sur La
Tete at the finish of the Grade I National Hunt Cup.
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Racey Dreamer took the lead at the outset and set a quick pace
while Serazzo tracked him in second. When the tempo increased as
the field raced down the backstretch the last time Racey Dreamer
was briefly passed by Mauritania, but he battled back to regain
the lead by the top of the stretch. Sur La Tete launched his bid
from the back of the pack to gain contention approaching he last
fence, but could never get past the winner. Mauritania weakened
on the run-in, but Serazzo made one last bid, coming within a neck
of the lead as he battled Racey Dreamer to the wire in an exciting
finish.
EMO Stables purchased Racey Dreamer from Richard Santulli last
fall. The regally bred gelding had won four of eight starts on the
flat, and could have been claimed for $20,000 in his last start
on the flat. Undefeated in his first two starts over hurdles, both
of which came this spring, Racey Dreamer was facing stakes company
for the first time in his brief steeplechase career. The 5-year-old
son of A.P. Indy (by Seattle Slew) is trained by Doug Fout and was
ridden for the first time by last year's co-champion steeplechase
jockey, Matt McCarron.
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Racey Dreamer leads (left-to-right):
Serazzo, Chreokeeinthehills, Mauritania, and Raise a Storm
at the 7th fence of the National Hunt Cup.
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“The horse has the heart of a giant, just kept fighting,” McCarron
told the National Steeplechase Association (NSA). “He had every
chance to cave in. He gave me absolutely everything he had. I honestly
thought Serazzo had dead aim on me, but my horse kept digging in.”
The win was Fout's second Grade I victory of the season.
“All the horse has done is gotten better since we bought him,”
Fout told the NSA . “That was a super race, all great horses. It
was just our day. The main thing that attracted us was his breeding,
but he’s a 10 mover and he was just so game today. If it hadn’t
been for Matt riding, I don’t think he would have won today. Matt
is the best at waiting and giving a horse assurance that he can
do the job. It was super.”
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Left-to-right: Serazzo, Racey Dreamer,
Naughty Prince (in trouble), Mauritania, Chreokeeinthehills,
Freucente, Sur La Tete (obscured) and Raise a Storm at the
1st fence of the National Hunt Cup.
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The complete order of finish for the Mellon National Hunt Cup is
set forth below.
While there will be no winner of the Steeplechase Triple Crown
this year, jockey Matt McCarron kept alive his personal Triple Crown
bid alive as he guided Sur La Tete to his victory in the first leg
of the series.
The Mellon National Hunt Cup was the second leg of the Steeplechase
Triple Crown, which is restricted to horses that hadn't broken their
maiden over fences prior to March 1, 2003. Sur La Tete had captured
the first leg of the series when he won the Georgia Cup five weeks
ago. The Steeplechase Triple Crown continues with the $100,000 Grade
I Meadow Brook Cup at Belmont Park June 3rd.
Click here for Daily Racing Form past performance
charts for the Mellon National Hunt Cup.
Past performance charts are provided by the Daily
Racing Form
Click here
to play the Steeplestakes.com Spring 2004 Handicapping Contest.
NSA NOTES: Steeplechasing returns to New Jersey racetrack Atlantic
City Wednesday, May 19th with the inaugural Don Levine Memorial
(a $50,000 stakes run in memory of a longtime New Jersey racetrack
steward) highlighting a seven-race card. Entries for the Levine
include recent Grade I winner Tres Touche, returning Atlantic City
winner Shahrahere and six others.
Results:
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PP
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Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Racey Dreamer |
151 |
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
EMO Stables |
|
2
|
Serazzo |
151 |
C. Miller |
Thomas H. Voss |
Martin Cherry |
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3
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Sur La Tete |
154 |
Read |
Neil Morris |
Kinross Farm |
|
4
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Mauritania |
151 |
McCormack |
Richard Valentine |
Whitewood Farm |
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5
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Cherokeeinthehills |
148 |
Hodsdon |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Marilyn S. Ketts |
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6
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Raise A Storm (Ire) |
148 |
Massey |
William C. Lickle |
Kathy Neilson |
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7
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Frecuente (Chi) |
148 |
Brown |
Sanna Hendriks |
Mason H. Lampton |
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LR
|
Naughty Prince |
151 |
Bentley |
Ricky Hendriks |
Barracuda Stables |
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Pedigree of Winner:
to follow.....
Pedigrees compliments of Thoroughbred
Pedigree Query
Previous Winners
Set forth below is a list of the previous winners of the second
leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown, formerly known as the Joe
Aitcheson, which was run at Pimlico Race Course from 1997 until
2002 (not run in 2003):
| 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 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
