Post-Race Analysis:
Middleburg, Virginia - April 23, 2005: Armata Stable's Toughkenamon
won the $75,000 Grade II Temple Gwathmey, defeating Erin Go Braugh
(NZ) and heavily favored Paradise's Boss to take the first leg of
the Steeplechase Triple Crown by seven lengths. The final time for
the 2 1/8th mile test run over 11 fences at the Glenwood Park Race
Course was 4:01.
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Toughkenamon and Robert Massey at the
finish of the Grade II Temple Gwathmey.
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Named after a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania, Toughkenamon
improved to 2-for-2 over hurdles. The 6-year-old son of Maria's
Mon (by Wavering Monarch) was purchased privately last Fall, and
made his first start over fences two weeks ago in Atlanta. Kathy
Neilson McKenna trained the winner, who was ridden to victory by
Robert Massey.
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Toughkenamon leads Hay Getoutofmyway
(green blinkers), Super Fame (# 6) and the rest of the field
at the sixth fence of the Temple Gwathmey.
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"Toughkenamon ran well close to the pace when he won at Georgia,
and the plan coming into this race was not to let Paradise's Boss
get too far out of our sights," explained Massey in the winner's
circle. "Paradise's Boss set an honest pace and then started
to come back to us with two fences left to go. That's when I knew
I had a real chance to win. My horse is inexperienced, but he jumped
exceptionally well today. We didn't really expect to beat Paradise's
Boss today, but the way the race set-up it worked out in our favor."
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Paradise's Boss went too fast early in
the Gwathmey and had nothing left for the finish.
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The first leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown looked like easy
pickings for 2004 novice champion Paradise's Boss, who opened up
a huge lead for the first 1 3/4 miles of the race under jockey Tom
Foley, but had nothing left for the end as he was passed by Toughkenamon
and Erin Go Braugh during the long run-in from the last fence. The
5-yr-old son of Thats Our Buck (by Buckaroo) is owned by Mrs. Henry
F. Stern and trained by last year's leading steeplechase trainer,
Jack Fisher. Fisher's other two entries in the Gwathmey, Mrs. S.K.
Johnston's Super Fame and Andrea S. Knight's Hay Getoutofmyway,
finished fifth and eighth, respectively.
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Toughkenamon before the start of the
Grade II Temple Gwathmey.
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The second leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown, the
$75,000 Grade II National Hunt Cup, will be run at Radnor on May
21st. The third and final leg of the series is the Meadow Brook,
which will be contested at Belmont Park on June 12th, the day after
the Belmont Stakes.
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The winning connections in the paddock
before the Temple Gwathmey (left-to-right): owner Aurelia
Bolton, trainer Katherine Neilson McKenna and jockey Robert
Massey.
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The complete order of finish for the Temple Gwathmey
is set forth below.
Results:
|
PP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
TOUGHKENAMON |
148 |
Massey |
Kathy McKenna |
Armata Stable |
|
2
|
ERIN GO BRAGH |
151 |
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
Brigadoon Stable |
|
3
|
PARADISE'S BOSS |
157 |
Foley |
Jack Fisher |
Mrs. Henry F. Stern |
|
4
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NOBLEST |
148 |
Read |
Neil Morris |
Kinross Farm |
|
5
|
SUPER FAME |
151 |
Bentley |
Jack Fisher |
Mrs. S.K. Johnston, Jr. |
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6
|
WHY NOT BABY |
148 |
Boucher |
Lilith Boucher |
Wish You Well Stable |
|
7
|
OOBITWA |
148 |
Rafter |
Jimmy Day |
S. Bruce Smart, Jr. |
|
8
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HAY GETOUTOFMYWAY |
151 |
McCormack |
Jack Fisher |
Andrea Seefeldt Knight |
|
9
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DOUBLE FOREIGNER |
148 |
Marzullo |
Vincent Marzullo |
Gary S. Seidler |
|
F
|
CLASS SPRITE |
148 |
Petty |
Lilith Boucher |
Mede Cohaba Stable |
|
Scr
|
CHARLIE WHISKEY |
148 |
Murphy |
Tom Voss |
Fox Ridge Farm |
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Pedigree of Winner:
Click
here for Toghkenamon's 5-cross pedigree.
Pedigrees compliments of Thoroughbred
Pedigree Query
Previous Winners of the 1st Leg of the
Steeplechase Triple Crown:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2004 |
Sur La Tete (6) |
McCarron |
151 |
Cherokeeinthehills |
148 |
Mauritania |
151 |
| 2003 |
Trebizond (Ire) (7) |
Massey |
151 |
Naughty Prince |
141 |
Fighting Star |
151 |
| 2002 |
McDynamo (5) |
G. Brown |
151 |
Najjm (5) |
160 |
Miles Ahead (5) |
148 |
| 2001 |
Praise The Prince (NZ) (6) |
G. Brown |
157 |
Tres Touche (4) |
141 |
War Talk (6) |
151 |
| 2000 |
Pompeyo (Chi) (6) |
G. Brown |
148 |
Sharahere (5) |
148 |
Turkish Corner (4) |
142 |
| 1999 |
Popular Gigalo (5) |
C. Miler |
150 |
Lafitte The Pirate (6) |
150 |
Moshe (6) |
148 |
Run as the Hard Scuffle at Churchill Downs from
1999-1003. Run as the Atlanta Cup in 2004.
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
