Post-Race Analysis:
Lexington, Kentucky - April 17, 2008: Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan
Sheppard swept the first two placings in the $150,000 Grade I Royal
Chase at Keeneland, as Sovereign Duty's desperate late finish was
enough to secure a neck victory over Sweet Shani (NZ) in an exciting
photo finish. Best Attack finished another three-lengths back in
third. The winner, ridden by Danielle Hodsdon, covered the 2 1/2
miles over 13 fences in 4:58.13.
Sweet Shani (Xavier Aizpuru) set a tepid early pace and carried
the field for nearly every step as Sovereign Duty, Best Attack and
Orison settled some 10 lengths off the leader in the field of six.
Best Attack took up the chase on the final turn and got within a
length of the winner only to be turned aside. Third over the final
two fences, Sovereign Duty cut to the inside after the last hurdle
and collared Sweet Shani at the wire for his second victory in two
2008 starts.
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Sovereign Duty (inside) closed with a
rush to pass Sweet Shani (NZ) in the shadow of the wire to
win the Grade I Royal Chase. Pat Lang/Keeneland Photo.
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“He’s very, very tough that way,” Hodsdon said of the winner’s
closing kick. “He won his last race the same way. If he gets to
the last fence, he can lock on to the horse in front of him, and
he is not going to quit until he gets past.”
Even Sheppard wasn't sure which horse would win. "To be truthful,
(Sovereign Duty) kind snuck up on me, I had my eyes on the gray
mare," said the trainer. "All of a sudden, boom, here he comes.
It's kind of hard to watch two horses, even if they are leading
a Grade I stakes at Keeneland."
Sovereign Duty improved to 4-for-13 in a steeplechase career that
began in 2006. The $96,075 winner's share lifted his lifetime jump
earnings to $206,330. Bred in Kentucky by Will Farish, Sovereign
Duty completed a full circle as he sold at Keeneland as a yearling
in 2003. Purchased for $425,000 by Overbrook Farm, the son of Kingmambo
raced for flat trainer Jeff Thornbury, earning less than $2,000
in four starts.
"It's just another example, here's a horse who's bred in the purple
and was basically a complete flop," said Sheppard. "He was getting
beaten for maiden $25,000 at River Downs. It wasn't an immediate
turnaround -- it was a slow, uphill battle. He had some temperament
issues and just didn't seem to have it all together. He lacked confidence,
that would be the easiest way to explain it. As time has gone by,
he's gotten more confidence in himself and he's put it all together
now."
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Danielle Hodsdon was all smiles after
winning the Grade I Royal Chase for the second year in-a-row.
Pat Lang/Keeneland Photo.
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The win puts Sovereign Duty in the top spot on the National Steeplechase
Association's 2008 horse leaderboard with $114,075 and a 2-for-2
mark. Reigning steeplechase Eclipse Award winner Good Night Shirt
opened his season with a Grade I win (worth $60,000) at Atlanta
April 12. The latter points to the $150,000 Grade I Iroquois at
Nashvilleon May 10th. Sheppard will wait and see where his latest
Grade I winner goes next.
"I'm not going to talk about him in terms of the great horses in
the past, but he's certainly a useful horse," said the trainer.
"He stays well, he tries hard, he's game but I can't take anything
away from Sweet Shani either. She ran a tremendously game race and
never quit running."
The field for the Grade 1 event was reduced to six when morning
line favorite Preemptive Strike was scratched because of a tendon
injury. Trainer Sanna Hendriks said pre-race favorite Preemptive
Strike was ready to ship to Keeneland on Tuesday when an injury
was discovered.
“Late Tuesday morning, when he came in from the field, his leg
just didn’t look right and had a little heat in it,” Hendriks said.
“He never has any heat in his leg so that was strange. We ultrasounded
it and there’s a problem.”
Hendriks said Preemptive Strike will be out at least until autumn.
Jumping Around: Sheppard and Hodsdon also teamed
up to win the 2007 race, with Mixed Up, while the trainer also won
in 2002 with It's A Giggle . . . Sixth-place finisher Feeling So
Pretty was vanned off, but owner/trainer Lee McKinney said a veterinary
exam showed a muscle cramp and that the 14-year-old mare was OK.
Edited from Keeneland & NSA press releases.
Click
here for a video replay of the stretch run of the Grade I Royal
Chase.
Results:
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FP
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Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Sovereign Duty |
142 |
Hodsdon |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Hudson River Farms |
|
2
|
Sweet Shani (NZ) |
141 |
Aizpuru |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Calvin Houghland |
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3
|
Best Attack |
146 |
Rafter |
F. Bruce Miller |
Sarah J. Radcliffe |
|
4
|
Orison |
144 |
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
EMO Stables |
|
5
|
Swimming River |
138 |
R. Walsh |
Paul Rowland |
Long Lane Farm |
|
6
|
Feeling So Pretty |
135 |
Boucher |
Lee McKinney |
Lee McKinney |
|
Scr
|
Preemptive Strike |
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Sanna Hendriks |
Polaris Stable |
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Pedigree of Winner:
Click
here for Sovereign Duty's 5-cross pedigree.
Pedigrees compliments of PedigreeQuery.com
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2007 |
Mixed Up (8) |
Hodsdon |
150 |
Good Night Shirt |
146 |
Paradise's Boss |
148 |
| 2006 |
Sur La Tete (8) |
Read |
158 |
Mauritania |
138 |
Feeling So Pretty |
135 |
| 2005 |
Hirapour (Ire) (9) |
McCarron |
160 |
Sur La Tete (7) |
156 |
McDynamo (8) |
162 |
| 2004 |
Hirapour (Ire) (8) |
Chipperfield |
148 |
Lord Zada |
158 |
Preemptive Strike |
150 |
| 2003 |
McDynamo (6) |
Thornton |
158 |
Shamrock Isle (8) |
158 |
Praise The Prince |
158 |
| 2002 |
It's A Giggle (7) |
B. Miller |
158 |
Al Skywalker |
158 |
Flat Top |
158 |
| 2001 |
Pompeyo (Chi) (7) |
Brown |
154 |
All Gong (GB) (7) |
154 |
Rand (NZ) (7) |
154 |
| 2000 |
Flat Top (6) |
B. Miller |
154 |
Campanile (6) |
154 |
Pinkie Swear (6) |
154 |
| 1999 |
Lonesome Glory |
B. Miller |
154 |
Dalton River (11) |
154 |
Master McGrath (12) |
154 |
| 1998 |
Clearance Code (6) |
Petty |
154 |
Master McGrath (11) |
154 |
Cofidente (9) |
154 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
