Post-Race Analysis:
Elmont, New York - September 21, 2008: Defending steeplechase
Eclipse Award winner Good Night Shirt took another step toward defending
his championship title as he won $150,000 Grade I Lonesome Glory
Stakes at Belmont Park for the second year in a row. The 7-year-old
son of Concern took over at the top of the stretch and drew off
late to win by 3 3/4 lengths under jockey Willie Dowling. Sermon
Of Love rallied late for second with Red Letter Day a neck back
in third. The winner covered the 2 1/2 miles and 12 fences in a
course record 4:24.88, smashing the previous record of 4:33.95 established
by Paradise’s Boss in 2005 by almost ten seconds.
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Good Night Shirt won the Grade I Lonesome
Glory for the second year in a row.
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Idle since May, Good Night Shirt broke sharply but settled behind
early leader Red Letter Day through the race's early stages. Duke
Of Earl found a spot in third with Irish invader Dalucci fourth
early. Second choice Dark Equation relaxed near the back of the
field. With a circuit remaining, Red Letter Day still controlled
the pace with Good Night Shirt pulling Dowling out of the saddle.
The winner surged at the eighth fence, diving through and landing
awkwardly but got back to running with no effect. Finally given
some rein on the final turn, Good Night Shirt passed Red Letter
Day, flew the final two fences and won easily.
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Sermon of Love (right) edged Red Letter
Day by a neck for second in the Lonesome Glory with Duke of
Earl (left) another neck back in fourth.
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"He normally goes out to the front but with five months off we
decided not to be the lead horse, with all that weight," said Dowling
after the race. "He kind of took off and dove at the first fence,
and I was able to get him back. He's an impressive horse. I've waited
a lifetime for one like him."
"That was a pretty impressive performance," Dowling continued.
"Going into today I thought we were vulnerable with top weight and
not running for four months. I thought today was the day for people
to beat us, but that was great. He was so good out there today.
I cannot believe a horse can go that fast from start to finish and
not give up."
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Good Night Shirt (second from right)
jumped poorly at the 6th fence of the Lonesome Glory but recovered
to win his fourth Grade I race in a row.
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Good Night Shirt was dispatched as the 2/5 odds-on choice in the
field of eight despite spotting his rivals from four to 20 pounds
as the 158-pound high weight.
"Any idiot could train him," said winning trainer Jack Fisher.
"He does everything right. Today he was giving away 20 pounds to
just about everybody. Big Brown can't do that. It's a lot of weight.
But he's such a classy horse. I've been riding and working him to
get him used to it - I'm 155 pounds, so with the tack and everything
it's about 170 pounds. His works have been lackadaisical but you
find that in older horses."
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Red Letter Day led Good Night Shirt
and Dalucci (center) at the first fence of the Lonesome Glory.
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Owned by Harold A. Via Jr., Good Night Shirt closed out last year
with a victory in the Grade I Colonial Cup and set a record for
yearly steeplechase earnings when he bankrolled $314,163. This year
Good Night Shirt picked up right where he left off and is undefeated
in three starts, having won the Grade I Georgia Cup and the Grade
I Iroquois; the Lonesome Glory his fourth straight grade I victory
and increased his career earnings to $730,563.
Fisher indicated that Good Night Shirt will make his next start
in the $250,000 Grade I Grand National at Far Hills on October 18th
and that he will also be pointed to the $150,000 Grade I Colonial
Cup on November 16th.
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Good Night Shirt and jockey William Dowling
in the paddock at Belmont Park before the start of the Lonesome
Glory
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Jumping Around: Fisher completed a weekend double,
adding the Lonesome Glory to a win with Seer in the Grade II Monmouth
County Hunt at Monmouth Park yesterday..... The champion trainer
of 2007 has now won three steeplechase stakes races this month and
is now tied Tom Voss atop the National Steeplechase Association
trainer standings; each conditioner has15 wins so far this year.
Edited from National Steeplechaase Association and New York
Racing Association press releases.
The complete order of finish for the Lonesome Glory is set forth
below.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Good Night Shirt |
154
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Dowling |
Jack Fisher |
Harold A. Via |
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2
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Sermon of Love |
138
|
Hodsdon |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Calvin Houghland |
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3
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Red Letter Day |
138
|
R. Walsh |
Janet Elliot |
Gregory D. Hawkins |
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4
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Duke of Earl (Ire) |
138
|
Aizpuru |
Jack Fisher |
Mrs. Henry F. Stern |
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5
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Dark Equation |
154
|
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
Beverly R. Steinman |
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6
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Dalucci (Ire) |
138
|
Casey |
Charlie Swan |
EMO Stables |
|
7
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Best Attack |
146
|
Young |
F. Bruce Miller |
Sarah Jeffords Radcliffe |
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PU
|
Mon Villez (Fr) |
146
|
Petty |
F. Bruce Miller |
Calvin Houghland |
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Pedigree of Winner:
Click
here for Good Night Shirt's 5-cross pedigree.
Pedigrees compliments of PedigreeQuery.com
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2007 |
Good Night Shirt (6) |
Dowling |
154 |
Orison |
146 |
Preemptive Strike |
146 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
