Good Night Shirt takes Colonial Cup
From The Steeplechase Times
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McDynamo retired after finishing sixth |
By: Joe Clancy, 11-18-2007
jclancy@st-publishing.com |
Sonny Via's Good Night Shirt summoned bottomless stamina and courage late to win Sunday's Grade I Colonial Cup Steeplechase at Springdale Race Course, most likely clinching the 2007 Eclipse Award as champion steeplechaser.
Ridden by Willie Dowling, Good Night Shirt took the lead after less than a mile and simply refused to quit running -- he turned aside McDynamo's challenge on the sweeping final turn and then ran away from a gang of four in the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths for trainer Jack Fisher. The winner covered the 2 3/4 miles and 17 fences in 5:19. Three Carat finished second with Sovereign Duty third. McDynamo, bidding for a fourth win in the race and fourth Eclipse Award, faltered late to finish sixth in the final start of his stellar career.
Strong early, Good Night Shirt found a rhythm once he got in front.
“He went to the front and backed off, which made all the difference,” said Dowling. “He took a couple of chances at fences, but they didn’t seem to bother him. Turning for home, he still had some left. That’s a good feeling because they were right there. What a great horse. He just galloped all the way to the line.”
A 6-year-old son of Concern, Good Night Shirt won for the third time in five starts (all Grade I) this year. His $314,163 in earnings are a single-season National Steeplechase Association record. The Maryland-bred won two of three meetings with McDynamo, champion in 2003, 2005 and 2006, this year.
McDynamo retires sound with a record $1.3 million in career earnings from 15 wins in 25 lifetime starts over jumps for owner Michael Moran and trainer Sanna Hendriks. The 10-year-old won five consecutive Breeders' Cup Grand National steeplechase races.
“I’m happy to retire him, and proud to own him,” said Moran of the 10-year-old Thoroughbred. “There were so many years where we felt that degree of confidence because he’s so good but now as he’s gotten older it’s not that your not confident in the horse, but you’re not confident in the decision you’re making. It would be greedy to ask him to do more. He’s been so good to everybody that I wouldn’t want anything to happen to him.”
NOTES: Sunday wrapped up the NSA season with individual championships to trainer Jack Fisher (24 wins including a triple Sunday), jockey Xavier Aizpuru (22 wins, including two Sunday) and owner Sonny Via (who won two races Sunday to surpass Bill Pape's total by less than $1,500).
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