Post-Race Analysis:
Kingston, Georgia - April 12, 2008: Defending steeplechase champion
Good Night Shirt served notice that he won't give up his title easily
with a convincing victory in his 2008 debut Saturday in the $100,000
Grade I Georgia Cup at the Atlanta Steeplechase.
Owned by Harold A. Via and trained by Jack Fisher, Good Night Shirt
caught Hip Hop after the last fence and won by 1 1/2 lengths under
regular jockey Willie Dowling. It was another 14 1/4 lengths back
to Mixed Up, who finished third.
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Good Night Shirt and jockey William Dowling
won the Georgia Cup.
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The winner, a chestnut son of Concern, covered the 2 miles and
12 fences in 3:45 4/5 while winning the fourth Grade I of his career.
The 7-year old collected $60,000 with the win and jumped to the
top of the 2008 National Steeplechase Association standings. But
he had to work to do it.
Ranging alongside Hip Hop after the second-last, Good Night Shirt
looked poised to claim an easy victory until he bungled the last
fence with a sloppy leap. Landing 2 lengths behind Hip Hop, Good
Night Shirt dug in again and closed the gap before drawing off at
the finish.
"There was a little bit of pressure today -- back over 2 miles
which he hasn't done for a while," said Dowling. "I got upsides
(Hip Hop) at the last, but we didn't jump it well. He galloped all
the way to the line. He doesn't know when he's beat. A lot of horses
if they make a mistake at a fence like he did today would quit.
He's got a lot of heart."
Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Good Night Shirt
won for the seventh time in his steeplechase career and pushed his
career jump earnings to $508,973. Fisher bypassed a potential start
in next week's Royal Chase (Gr. I) in favor of the Atlanta race
due to weight assignments and the moved paid off despite less than
ideal conditions.
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Jack Fisher, the leading steeplechase
trainer for the last three years in-a-row, sent Good Night
Shirt out to win the Georgia Cup.
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"It's not quite his distance, he'd rather go 3 miles, and the race
didn't set up for him at all," said Fisher. "He was done at the
last, or should have been but he's got heart. A lot of horses are
better than him probably, but they don't try like him. I didn't
go to Keeneland because of the weight – I can't give 20 pounds away
and feel confident. I could come here and feel more confident."
Good Night Shirt will aim next for the $150,000 Grade I Iroquois
at Nashville on May 10th. He won the 2007 running if the Iroquois
en route to garnering last year's steeplechase Eclipse Award.
(Edited from NSA press release)
The complete order of finish for the Georgia Cup is set forth below.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Good Night Shirt |
158 |
Dowling |
Jack Fisher |
Harold A. Via, Jr. |
|
2
|
Hip Hop |
142 |
Whelen |
John K. Griggs |
John K. Griggs |
| 3 |
Mixed Up |
158 |
Hodsdon |
Jonathan Sheppard |
William L. Pape |
| 4 |
Sound Blaster (Ire) |
142 |
Aizpuru |
Jack Fisher |
Bear Creek Stables |
| 5 |
Mon Villez (Fr) |
150 |
Rafter |
F. Bruce Miller |
Calvin Houghland |
| 6 |
Duke of Earl (Ire) |
142 |
Boucher |
Jack Fisher |
Kingfisher Farm |
|
Scr
|
Preemptive Strike |
156 |
|
Sanna Hendriks |
Polaris Stable |
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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. |
|
2006
|
Quem Se Atreve (6) |
Young |
142 |
Mixed Up (7) |
142 |
Mauritania (9) |
142 |
|
2005
|
Preemptive Strike (7) |
R. Walsh |
147 |
Understood (9) |
144 |
Najjm (8) |
142 |
|
2003
|
Shamrock Isle (8) |
Brown |
154 |
Snowball Flannagan (8) |
146 |
Anofferucantrefuse |
146 |
|
2002
|
Pinkie Swear (8) |
Delozier |
150 |
Teb's Bend |
150 |
Tres Touche (5) |
154 |
|
2001
|
Electron (8) |
Thornton |
142 |
All Gong (7) |
158 |
Masamadas (GB) |
142 |
|
2000
|
All Gong (6) |
B. Miller |
142 |
Allan Prell (6) |
142 |
Darn Tipalarm (7) |
151 |
|
1999
|
Dalton River (11) |
Brown |
150 |
Rowdy Irishman |
154 |
Darn Tipalarm (6) |
154 |
|
1998
|
Soaringoverseattle (5) |
Kiser |
142 |
Serenity Prayer (8) |
150 |
Prime Legacy (9) |
142 |
|
1997
|
Mario (6) |
Kingsley |
144 |
Anzac Cove (8) |
144 |
Petroski (7) |
156 |
|
1996
|
Irish Approach (7) |
B. Miller |
144 |
Mistiko (10) |
144 |
Confidente |
144 |
|
1995
|
Derby Sky (8) |
B. Miller |
156 |
Woody Boy Would (8) |
150 |
Mr. Yankee |
152 |
|
1994
|
Warm Spell {6) |
Lawrence |
164 |
Rolling Cart (9) |
142 |
Castleworth |
144 |
|
1993
|
Ninepins (6) |
Thornton |
150 |
Circuit Bar {6) |
149 |
Lexington Bail (5) |
138 |
|
1992
|
Double Bill (9) |
Thornton |
144 |
Victorian Hill (7} |
156 |
Nordic Surprise (5) |
146 |
|
1991
|
Declare YourWish (5) |
Teter |
148 |
Chief of the Clan (8} |
148 |
Pollar Parallel |
142 |
|
1990
|
Polar Pleasure (8) |
Ryan |
150 |
Highland Bud (5) |
162 |
Summer Colony (7) |
156 |
|
1989
|
Polar Pleasure (7) |
Teter |
148 |
Kesslin (9) |
156 |
Limaton (7) |
138 |
|
1988
|
Mickey Free (5) |
Lawrence |
148 |
Saffan (5) |
145 |
Pollar Parallel (7) |
152 |
|
1987
|
Polar Parallel {6) |
Morris |
145 |
Bold Movement (6) |
150 |
Eremite (7) |
148 |
|
1986
|
Flatterer (7) |
Fishback |
173 |
Steve Canyon (6) |
144 |
Chammsky (7) |
150 |
|
1985
|
Double Reefed (9) |
Hendriks |
153 |
The Hall of Famer (7) |
146 |
Double Wrapped (9) |
163 |
|
1984
|
Flatterer (5) |
Fishback |
160 |
Census (6) |
152 |
The Hall of Famer (6) |
143 |
|
1983
|
Netherby (5) |
Hendriks |
140 |
Dery Rumroe (5) |
147 |
Hypertrophic (6) |
142 |
|
1982
|
Double Reefed (6) |
Cushman |
146 |
Daddy Dumpling (11) |
146 |
Zaccio (6) |
159 |
|
1981
|
Daddy Dumpling (10) |
Maloney |
143 |
Two Few Stripes |
143 |
Leaping Frog (8) |
151 |
|
1980
|
Winigo (12) |
Cushman |
139 |
Martie's Anger (5) |
159 |
Archange d'Or (5) |
144 |
First run in 1966. Distance about 2 miles 1973-87;
about 2 1/8th miles 1988-95. Dead heat for second in 1990. Run as
the Atlanta Cup through 2003. Not run as an open stakes in 2004.
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
