Post-Race Analysis:
Dade City, Florida - March 6, 2005: Raise A Storm (Ire) won the
first steeplechase stakes race of the year when he captured the
fifth annual edition of the $35,000 Little Everglades Stakes by
a length over Little Hurt and Il Capitano. Snowball Flannagan finished
fourth while the 11-year-old mare Feeling So Pretty was fifth and
last. The winner covered the 2 1/8 mile course in 3:53.4 while carrying
146 pounds.
The field of five galloped along at a deliberate pace for the first
mile and a half of the race, as none of the riders were eager to
assume the lead. That changed when the tightly knit pack hit the
backstretch for the last time, as everyone stepped on the gas at
the same time in an effort to out sprint their rivals to the wire.
Il Capitano (GB) was the first to establish a clear lead, and the
7-year-old son of Be My Guest held that position until the last
fence, where Raise A Storm drew along side and then beat him to
the finish under the urging of winning jockey Robert Massey. Little
Hurt also passed Il Capitano on the run-in to secure the runner-up
position.
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Trainer Kathy Neilson McKenna, who was
married this winter, captured the Little Everglades Stakes
with Raise A Storm (Ire).
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"That was a great way to start the season," said winning
trainer Katherine Neilson McKenna after the race. "Hopefully
this will be a good omen for the rest of the year. I finally figured
him out towards the end of last season, and then he had throat surgery
over the winter. He's a tough little tiger." Mrs. McKenna indicated
that if all went according to plan, Raise A Storm would make his
next start in the stakes race at Aiken on March 26th.
Raise A Storm was imported from Ireland by his owner, William C.
Lickle, last year. While he placed in a novice stakes last year,
the Little Everglades was Raise A Storm's first stakes victory.
The 8-year-old is a son of recently deceased Fourstars Allstar,
who's racing career coincided with that of his millionaire full
brother Fourstardave. Leo O'Brien trained the two popular runners
in New York for breeder/owner Richard Bomze. Fourstars Allstar won
seven graded stakes in North America and was New York-bred Horse
of the Year in 1991 and '93. His biggest claim to fame, however,
came when he become the first American-trained horse to win a European
classic: the 1991 edition of the Group I Irish Two Thousand Guineas.
At Saratoga, where Fourstardave has a grade II turf stakes run in
his honor, Fourstars Allstar captured two runnings of the Bernard
Baruch Handicap and the Saratoga Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap,
both of which are Grade III events. Fourstars Allstar ended his
career in 1995 with 14 wins from 59 races and earnings of $1,596,760.
He was sent to Coolmore in Ireland for stud duty where he sired
English group II winner Jardines Lookout and two hurdle stakes winners.
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Robert Massey started the 2005 steeplechase
season on the right foot when he guided Raise A Storm to victory
in the Little Everglades Stakes.
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Hurricana Farm’s Little Hurt ran a huge race in the Little Everglades
Stakes to finish second in his first race back from a four-year
layoff. The 11-year-old son of Broad Brush was ridden by Calvin
McCormack and is trained by Richard Valentine.
Mrs. S.K. Johnston Jr.'s Snowball Flannagan carried high weight
of 154 pounds based on his victories last year in the Imperial Cup
at Aiken and the Temple Gwathmey at Middleburg. Bred in Kentucky
by Don Eberts, Snowball Flannagan has won eight races and more than
$140,000 in a jump career that began in 1999.
In other action at Little Everglades, Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan
Sheppard served notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with
this season as he won four of the seven races on the card, including
all three of the flat races. Sheppard sent out Birth Sign to annex
the maiden claiming hurdle, Admiral Slew captured the open flat
race, Bonfo took the Florida-bred flat race and Bon Fleur won the
highweight training flat race. The later two horses were both owned
by Florida-based Marablue Farm
SPRING 2005 CALENDAR INCLUDES $2.6 MILLION IN PURSES The National
Steeplechase Association’s 24-stop spring circuit will offer total
purses of $2.6 million. Highlights of the spring lineup are the
$150,000 Royal Chase (Gr. I) at Keeneland April 22 and the $150,000
Iroquois (Gr. I) at Nashville, Tenn. May 14. The two hurdle stakes
will surely attract championship hopefuls like Hirapour, McDynamo,
Preemptive Strike and Sur La Tete among others. The Iroquois increased
its purse $50,000 to reach a par with the Keeneland racing as the
second-richest races on the annual calendar.
“It’s encouraging to see a race step up like that,” said Bill Gallo,
NSA director of racing. “Keeneland has been a staple of the spring
calendar at that level for seven years, and now it’s got a worthy
companion at the highest level. The schedule sets up perfectly for
horses to run in both races, making for a more impactful stakes
lineup.”
Just under those two open stakes in importance are the Steeplechase
Triple Crown races for novice hurdle horses. The series gets a new
home for its first leg, the Temple Gwathmey at Middleburg April
23rd and will continue with the Mellon National Hunt Cup at Radnor
May 21st and the Meadow Brook June 12th at Belmont Park. Each race
will be worth $75,000 and carry Grade II status. The Meadow Brook
was moved to the day after the Belmont Stakes, the finale of flat
racing’s Triple Crown.
NEWS AND NOTES Trainer Kathy Neilson married Todd McKenna in the
off-season, and will be known as Katherine N. McKenna in the program
. . . Champion jockey Matt McCarron accepted a contract to ride
first-call for trainer Doug Fout in 2005. The duo teamed up for
major wins with Hirapour (the Eclipse champion) and Racey Dreamer
in 2004. “Doug has owners buying horses left and right so he’s going
to have horses, and he’s got some very nice horses in Hirapour,
Racey Dreamer and some others,” said McCarron, who rode first-call
for Kinross Farm for many years. “It was strictly a business decision
and a big part of me will always regret leaving Kinross, but hopefully
I can still ride for them as much as possible.” McCarron, who won
24 races last year, rides one for Fout, one for Jonathan Sheppard
and one for John Griggs at Little Everglades . . . Other jockey
partnerships include David Bentley riding for owner Gillian Johnston
and Rob Massey again riding for Kathy McKenna. Australian jockey
Clayton Chipperfield, who spent much of last spring in the U.S.,
has returned and rides at Little Everglades for Ricky Hendriks.
The complete order of finish for the Little Everglades Stakes is
set forth below.
Click
here for the results of all the 2005 Little Everglades races.
Results:
|
PP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Raise A Storm (Ire) |
146 |
Masey |
McKenna |
William C. Lickle |
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2
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Little Hurt |
146 |
McCormack |
Valentine |
Hurricana Farm |
|
3
|
Il Capitano (GB) |
150 |
McCarron |
Fout |
Eldon Farm Racing |
|
4
|
Snowball Flannagan |
154 |
Bentley |
Elliot |
Mrs. S.K. Johnston, Jr. |
|
5
|
Feeling So Pretty |
142 |
Traurig |
McKinney |
F. Lee McKinney |
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Pedigree of Winner:
Click here
for to view the five-cross pedigree of Raise A Storm.
Pedigrees compliments of Del
Mar Pedigree Query
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2001 |
War Talk (6) |
Kingsley |
148 |
Emancipate (6) |
148 |
Pelagos (6) |
151 |
| 2002 |
Tres Touche (5) |
Bentley |
158 |
Electron (9) |
154 |
Cold Cat (6) |
147 |
| 2003 |
Al Skywalker (10) |
Foley |
158 |
Swoop & Soar (6) |
142 |
Brown Lad (10) |
146 |
| 2004 |
Preemptive Strike |
Walsh |
146 |
El Guardaespalda (Chi) |
150 |
Raise A Storm (Ire) |
142 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
