Post-Race Analysis:
Saratoga Springs, New York - August 7, 2008: A determined High
Action won the 29th running of the $85,600 Grade II A.P. Smithwick
Memorial Hurdle at historic Saratoga Race Course, surging to the
lead shortly after landing over the last fence to win going away
by a 1 ½ -lengths. Dark Equation was up for second as the pace-setter
Salford City (Ire), who still lead at the last hurdle, faded to
third on the run-in. High Action completed the 2 1/16 mile test
over the firm course that included nine fences in 3:52.45 while
carrying 142 pounds, eight pounds less than the runner-up and 12
pounds fewer than Salford City, who was dispatched as the 5-2 favorite.
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High Action (right) defeating Dark Equation
(left) and Salford City at the finish of the Grade II A.P.
Smithwick.
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Owned by Carl D. Barnes and trained by Doug Fout, High Action raced
in mid-pack until the final turn when jockey Paddy Young asked High
Action for his beat run. The eight-year-old son of Theatrical (Ire)
advanced to second place at the top of the stretch and was moving
fastest of all as the field approached the last fence. The issue
was never in doubt once they laded over the last hurdle, as High
Action rallied up the rail while lengthening his advantage with
each stride. As they crossed the wire Young pumped his fist in celebration
of his first graded stakes victory at Saratoga.
"I told Paddy, `No matter what, stay inside and save ground. Don't
go wide. Wait until a hole opens,'" Fout told the New York Racing
Association (NYRA) after the race. "Paddy said (High Action) was
a little nervous, but he waited. It was good, because I wanted him
to relax and stay a little closer than he did in his last race at
Colonial Downs."
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(Left-to-right) High Action leads Dark
Equation, Spy in the Sky (partially obscured) and Meneef at
the 6th fence of the A.P. Smithwick.
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High Action won his American debut by 4 ½-length winner at Colonial
Downs on June 15th. He handled Saratoga's turf course with equal
aplomb despite heavy, yet brief, showers that pelted the Adirondack
track about an hour before the race.
"The only thing that worried me was the rain," Fout said. "This
horse hates soft ground. The owners flew in from England last night,
and unless the course was going to be hock-deep, we had to run.
About an hour before the race, I was having a bloody fit. I was
walking around the stall like you wouldn't believe. His class helped
him dramatically, especially at Saratoga."
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Salford City, shown here leading Guelph
at the 2nd hurdle, lead the entire race until he was passed
by High Action after the final fence of the A.P. Smithwick.
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Young was also pleased with High Action's professionalism.
"It rained today, so obviously the ground was a bit softer out
there," Young told NYRA. "I tried to hold on a little bit longer
before asking him. It went okay. He didn't go crazy. I just wanted
to save a little bit for after the last jump. He's a tough little
horse, and I got a run up the inside through the stretch. He jumped
the last fence great, and stuck his head out all the way down the
lane from there."
Bred in Kentucky by Harold Harrison, High Action is out of the
Secretariat mare Secret Imperatrice and is a half brother to stakes
winner Sudden Storm. Before launching a career as a steeplechaser,
High Action won eight of 32 starts on the flat in Great Britain
and competed in elite company on several occasions, including a
fourth-place finish to Yeats in the Group I Ascot Gold Cup in 2006.
Shipped to the United States in late 2006, High Action missed the
entire 2007 season with a tendon injury.
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Trainer Doug Fout congratulating Paddy
Young in the winner's circle.
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High Action, who will likely come back for the Grade 1, $150,000
New York Turf Writers' Cup Handicap Steeplechase on August 28th,
is the second Smithwick winner for trainer Doug Fout, who won this
race and the Turf Writers 'Cup in 2006 with 10-year-old champion
Hirapour (Ire).
Class Shadow and last year's Smithwick winner Mixed Up were both
scratched.
(Edited from NYRA press release).
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Paddy Young aboard High Action after
winning the A.P. Smithwick.
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Smithwick Biography: A. P. (Paddy) Smithwick rode 398 steeplechase
winners during his career, second only to Joe Aitcheson's total
of 440. Mr. Smithwick was the nations leading steeplechase jockey
in 1956, 1957, 1958, and again in 1962. He won the Temple Gwathmey,
at the time the country's most prestigious steeplechase race, run
in the late fall at Belmont Park, four times. He won the Meadow
Brook Handicap and the Georgetown Handicap six times each, the International
Handicap and the Beverwyck Handicap five times each, and the New
York Turf Writers and the Grand National three times each. Mr. Smithwick
said the greatest horse he ever rode was Mrs. Ogden Phipps three-time
champion Neji, who retired in 1960 as the leading steeplechase earner
of all time. In 1958 Mr. Smithwick was aboard Neji when he won the
Grand National carrying 173 pounds. Forced to retire from riding
in 1966 after a spill at Monmouth Park that left him partially paralyzed
in the left arm, Mr. Smithwick went on to train two stakes winners
on the flat including Bel Sheba, the dam of Kentucky Derby winner
Alysheba and a full sister to Wac, the dam of Campanile's sire,
Lear Fan. Mr. Smithwick died of cancer at the age of 46 in 1973,
shortly after he was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame.
The complete order of finish for the A.P. Smithwick Memorial is
set forth below.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
High Action |
142
|
Young |
Doug Fout |
Carl D. Barnes |
|
2
|
Dark Equation |
150
|
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
Beverly R. Steinman |
|
3
|
Salford City (Ire) |
154
|
Carberry |
Gordon Elliot |
Galvin & Lord |
|
4
|
Spy in the Sky |
135
|
McVicar |
James M. Day |
Randleston Farm |
|
5
|
Guelph |
142
|
Wheelen |
Thomas H. Voss |
The Fields Stable |
|
6
|
Duke of Earl (Ire) |
146
|
R. Walsh |
Jack Fisher |
Mrs. Henry F. Stern |
|
7
|
Orpington |
146
|
Dowling |
Jack Fisher |
Mrs. S.K. Johnston, Jr. |
|
8
|
Meneef (Aus) |
146
|
Rafter |
Katherine N. McKenna |
Calvin Houghland |
|
Scr
|
Class Shadow |
131
|
|
Lilith Boucher |
Mede Cahaba Stable |
|
Scr
|
Mixed Up |
158
|
|
Jonathan Sheppard |
William L. Pape |
back to top
Pedigree of Winner:
Click
here for High Action's 5-cross pedigree.
Pedigrees compliments of PedigreeQuery.com
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 1980 |
Cookie (5) |
Martin |
141 |
Coconut Creek (6) |
149 |
Pala Mountain (6) |
142 |
| 1981 |
Round the Bay (4) |
Cushman |
140 |
Hill Talk (4) |
136 |
Acromion (4) |
135 |
| 1983 |
Running Comment (9) |
McWade |
148 |
Census (5) |
151 |
Steve Canyon (3) |
147 |
| 1984 |
Double Reefed (8) |
Teter |
152 |
Twas Ever Thus (5) |
155 |
Steve Canyon (4) |
144 |
| 1985 |
Gateshead (6) |
Fishback |
155 |
Le Sauteur (6) |
155 |
Statesmanship (5) |
143 |
| 1986 |
Census (8) |
Teter |
156 |
Le Sauteur (7) |
156 |
Polar Parrallel (5) |
153 |
| 1987 |
Micky Free (4) |
Morris |
141 |
Gateshead (8) |
143 |
Chammsky (8) |
143 |
| 1988 |
Summer Colony (5) |
Smart |
146 |
Jive With Five (4) |
144 |
Rio Claro (5) |
150 |
| 1989 |
Uptown Swell (7) |
Lawrence |
149 |
Rio Claro (6) |
157 |
Double Bill (6) |
142 |
| 1990 |
Summer Colony (7) |
Smart |
158 |
French Hill (5) |
154 |
Victorian Hill (5) |
154 |
| 1991 |
Yaw (9) |
Smart |
143 |
Mihmaz (6) |
144 |
Three Bells For Me (4) |
136 |
| 1992 |
Master McGrath (5) |
Guessford |
139 |
Peer Prince (7) |
140 |
Double Bill (9) |
147 |
| 1993 |
Warm Spell (5) |
Lawrence |
158 |
Castleworth (7) |
140 |
Rolling Cart (8) |
145 |
| 1994 |
Warm Spell (6) |
Lawrence |
164 |
Mistico (8) |
168 |
Cheering News (7) |
146 |
| 1995 |
Lonesome Glory (7) |
B.Miller |
164 |
Irish Aproach (6) |
146 |
Mistico (9) |
160 |
| 1996 |
Cheering News (9) |
C.Miller |
158 |
Stop and Listen (6) |
144 |
Petroski (6) |
148 |
| 1997 |
Brigade of Guards (5) |
Kiser |
144 |
Water Skipper (7) |
140 |
Mario (6) |
156 |
| 1998 |
Romantic (6) |
Kingsley |
140 |
Brigade of Guards (6) |
156 |
Bisbalense (9) |
144 |
| 1999 |
Campanile (5) |
B. Miller |
142 |
Ninepins (10) |
144 |
Approaching Squall (5) |
150 |
| 2000 |
Campanile (6) |
B. Miller |
158 |
Golden Rule (GB) (5) |
154 |
Aggro Craig (8) |
146 |
| 2001 |
Praise The Prince (NZ) (6) |
Brown |
158 |
Aggro Crag (9) |
142 |
Spring Salute |
144 |
| 2002 |
It's A Giggle (8) |
Brown |
158 |
Tres Touche (5) |
154 |
Indispensable (8) |
150 |
| 2003 |
Anofferucantrefuse (6)
|
Murphy |
150 |
Praise The Prince (NZ) (8) |
150 |
Tres Touche (6) |
150 |
| 2004 |
Praise The Prince (NZ) (9) |
Massey |
154 |
Najjm |
142 |
Barzulu (NZ) |
142 |
| 2005 |
Paradise's Boss (5) |
Aizpuru |
150 |
Serazzo |
150 |
Hirapour (Ire)(9) |
158 |
| 2006 |
Hirapour (Ire)(10) |
Aizpuru |
158 |
Good Night Shirt |
150 |
Mauritania |
146 |
| 2007 |
Mixed Up (8) |
Hodsdon |
158 |
Preemptive Strike |
150 |
Sweet Shani |
146 |
Post-Race Analysis |Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
