Post-Race Analysis:
Camden, SC –April 2, 2005: Sur La Tete took the lead on the final
turn and held off a late rally from Hirapour to prevail by a head
in the $50,000 Carolina Cup at Springdale Race Course Saturday.
The early pace setter Preemptive Strike finished 3 3/4 lengths back
in third. The winning time for the 2 3/8 miles Grade III event over
14 fences was 4:33, well off the stakes record of 4:16.4 established
by Mr. Yankee in 1995.
Billed as a three-way battle between Preemptive Strike (the 2004
race winner), Hirapour (the 2004 Eclipse Award winner) and Sur La
Tete (the leading steeplechase earner in 2004), the race lived up
to the hype. Jockey Robbie Walsh set a steady early pace on Preemptive
Strike, but was not allowed to take control of the race as the others
stayed close. Heading into the ninth fence, the speed increased
dramatically as Hirapour and Sur La Tete inched closer. Sur La Tete
made the lead around the final turn and was still in front over
the last fence, but Hirapour collared him on the run-in, only to
fall a head short at the wire in an exciting finish.
|
|
|
Last year's novice champion Sur La Tete
and jockey Chris Read won the Grade III Carolina Cup.
|
Trained by Neil Morris, Preemptive Strike's win was one of the
more emotional victories in the Carolina Cup’s 73 runnings, as Morris’
wife, Beale, had died 10 days before the race. In the winner's circle,
Morris searched for words, then shook his head while pondering what
the victory meant to him under the circumstances.
“As you might imagine, this has been an emotional time for all
us,” winning jockey Chris Read offered. “The owners gave (Morris)
the option of getting away from the horses for a while, but he decided
to keep on and run today.”
Morris credited victory to some tactical changes. The new plan
was to prevent Preemptive Strike from stealing the race by staying
closer to him early.
“We knew Preemptive Strike would set the pace, and we didn’t want
to let him get away,” Morris said. "We broke a little sharper
and then let [Preemptive Strike] come to us. We did not give Preemptive
Strike all the grace that he needs" Morris continued. "We
didn’t want to chase him, but we didn’t want to get displaced either.
Chris [Read] had our horse in perfect position all the way around."
|
|
|
Last year's Eclipse award winner Hirapour
(Matt McCarron up) lost the Carolina Cup by a head.
|
Read engaged in a spirited game of cat-and-mouse with Preemptive
Strike early in the race: “We would poke him and pull back,” said
the jockey, also Morris’ assistant trainer. “Then the pace started
to pick up on the backside the last time, and my horse just started
to roll. I asked him to run, and he did."
Read knew Hirapour was closing fast at the wire, but was impressed
with Sur La Tete's determination late. “I could hear Matt coming
and I knew his horse was going to dig in, but my horse dug in too,”
said Read “He was not going to let Hirapour get past him.”
Kinross Farm's Sur La Tete dominated the novice division last year
before finishing third in a pair of Grade I events against open
company last fall: the Breeders' Cup and Colonial Cup. The 7-year-old
son of Sky Classic (by Nijinsky II) was the 2004 leading steeplechase
earner. With the $30,000 first-place check, Sur La Tete pushed his
career steeplechase bankroll to $314,560 with six wins from 14 career
starts over fences.
|
|
|
Preemptive Strike and jockey Robbie Walsh
could not duplicate last year's success in the Carolina Cup.
|
Eldon Farm Racing Stable's Hirapour finished first or second in
all four of his starts last year while earning $199,625. Bred in
Ireland by the Aga Khan Stud, the 9-year-old son of Kahyasi (by
Ile de Bourbone) was imported by Eldon Farm's proprietor, Atlanta
resident Ken Luke, in 2003 after winning five times in England.
The Irish-bred was ridden by last year's champion steeplechase jockey
Matt McCarron, and is trained by Doug Fout.
“Maybe it’s an omen,” said Fout after the race. “We finished second
by about the same margin in this race last year, and we came back
to win the horse-of-the-year award." Fout indicated that Hirapour's
next start would be in the Grade I Royal Chase on April 22nd. "We’ll
go to Keeneland and give that a whirl," he said.
Polaris Stable's Preemptive Strike had a solid year in 2004 that
saw him finish first or second in five of his six trips to the post,
including three stakes victories and a pair of second-place finishes
at the hands of Hirapour the only two times Preemptive Strike tried
Grade I competition. The 7-year-old son of Roanoke (by Pleasant
Colony) won last year's Carolina Cup in thrilling fashion, coming
on again to catch Hirapour in the final yards after being passed
late. He is trained by Paul Rowland.
|
|
|
Jockey Chris Read is congratulated by
winning owner Zohar Ben-Dov after Sur La Tete won the Grade
I Meadow Brook last year.
|
Feeling So Pretty finished fourth and last in the Carolina Cup.
The 11-year-old daughter of Nordic Legend won the Sport of Queens
Filly and Mare Hurdles last November over the Springdale Race Course,
her second start following a year-long layoff. The 2003 filly and
mare steeplechase champion has notched five wins from 20 career
starts over hurdles for owner/trainer Lee McKinney. Her regular
rider Michael Traurig was in the irons.
Class Yankee and Il Capitano both scratched.
In other races Saturday, trainer Lilth Boucher saddled two winners,
Why Not Baby in the Camden Plate and Class Yankee in the Woodward-Kirkover
Cup. The Jonathan Sheppard-trained Mixed Up won the first race,
the Kershaw; Orchid Princess, owned and trained by Linda Klein,
captured the Sport of Queens Filly and Mare Maiden Hurdle; and Miles
Ahead, trained by Morris, claimed the C.P. and Edith DuBose Cup.
Danielle Hodsdon, this year’s leading steeplechase jockey, who rode
the winner in the first race, suffered a concussion after Three
Carat fell in the fourth race. She was taken to the hospital for
observation.
The complete order of finish for the Carolina Cup is set forth
below.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Sur La Tete |
154 |
Read |
Neil Morris |
Kinross Farm |
|
2
|
Hirapour (Ire) |
158 |
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
Eldon Farm Racing Stable |
|
3
|
Preemptive Strike (S) |
158 |
Walsh |
Paul Rowland |
Polaris Stable |
|
4
|
Feeling So Pretty |
138 |
Traurig |
F. Lee McKinney |
F. Lee McKinney |
|
Scr
|
Il Capitano (GB) |
142 |
|
Doug Fout |
Eldon Farm Racing Stable |
|
Scr
|
Class Yankee |
134 |
|
Lilth Boucher |
Mede Cohaba Stable |
back to top
Pedigree of Winner:
Click here for
to view the five-cross pedigree of Sur La Tete.
Pedigrees compliments of Thoroughbred
Pedigree Query
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
|
2004
|
Preemptive Strike (6) |
Walsh |
146 |
Hirapour (8) |
146 |
Al Skywalker (11) |
158 |
|
2003
|
Al Skywalker (10) |
Foley |
150 |
Tres Touche (6) |
142 |
Turkish Corner (7) |
142 |
|
2002
|
Canta Ke Brave (6) |
Massey |
146 |
Al Skywalker (9) |
154 |
Lord Zada (9) |
154 |
|
2001
|
Al Skywalker (8) |
Foley |
142 |
Campanile (7) |
150 |
Assurance (9) |
146 |
|
2000
|
Invest West (6) |
Kingsley |
154 |
Snuggle (NZ) (8) |
142 |
Darn Tipalarm (7) |
146 |
|
1999
|
Lonesome Glory (11) |
B. Miller |
154 |
Assurance (7) |
154 |
Romantic (7) |
154 |
|
1998
|
Master McGrath (11) |
Kingsley |
146 |
Brigade of Guards (6) |
146 |
Fifth Creek (8) |
142 |
|
1997
|
Lonesome Glory (9) |
B. Miller |
154 |
Hudson Bay (7) |
154 |
Prime Legacy (8) |
154 |
|
1996
|
To Ridley (6) |
Clancy |
146 |
Eskimo Cove (8) |
146 |
Leandro (7) |
140 |
|
1995
|
Mr. Yankee (8) |
Delozier |
140 |
Mistico (9) |
166 |
Victorian Hill (10) |
154 |
|
1994
|
Moonstruck (11) |
Thornton |
151 |
Castleworth (8) |
144 |
Victorian Hill (9) |
156 |
|
1993
|
Mistico (7) |
Thornton |
160 |
Victorian Hill (8) |
158 |
Woodlast (8) |
145 |
|
1992
|
Castleworth (6) |
Clancy |
139 |
Timely Encounter (9) |
141 |
Moonstruck (9) |
154 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
