Reigning steeplechase champion GOOD NIGHT SHIRT (Concern) made it look easy Saturday with a powerful tally in the
$250,000 Grand National Steeplechase (NSA-G1) at the Far Hills Races in New
Jersey.
Owned by Virginia resident Sonny Via and trained in Maryland by Jack Fisher,
the winner let Red Letter Day (Red Ransom) do most of the pace work while settling
comfortably in second. As the field headed down the backstretch, Good Night
Shirt ranged alongside the leader and took command at the 13th of 14 fences.
Motoring around the turn, the winner extended his lead, flew the last fence and
won by four lengths over Be Certain (Thunder Gulch) with Best Attack (Bahri)
third. Good Night Shirt covered the 2 5/8 miles in 4:54 1/5 over firm ground.
“He’s a machine and he’s getting better,” jockey Willie Dowling
said.
“He’s unbelievable, just one of those horses that can do it. I just sit on him
and he knows when we turn down the back that the pace is picking up and it’s
becoming a race. Around the bend, I could feel his hind legs — they were rolling
and he kept it going. Honestly, I didn’t even push him out.”
Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Tom Bowman, the winner earned $150,000 and
established a new single-season steeplechase earnings record of $395,520 with
four wins in as many starts this year. Fisher called his horse much improved
since his steeplechase debut in 2005.
“He was kind of a big, dumb kid and now he’s grown up,” Fisher said. “He
jumped well today and in the past he was kind of like ‘oh, here’s a fence.’ Now
he jumps them and that’s made him better. It didn’t look like they tested him
today.”
The seven-year-old Good Night Shirt has now won 10 of his 20 starts over
jumps with earnings of $844,493. He now stands third behind retired legends McDynamo and
Lonesome Glory on the National Steeplechase Association’s lifetime earnings
list.
McDynamo won the Grand National five consecutive times, including last year
over Good Night Shirt, but retired at the end of last season. The three-time
Eclipse Award winner was honored in a pre-race ceremony Saturday.
Good Night Shirt should easily claim a second consecutive Eclipse Award at the end
of 2008. He
will be heavily favored to win the $150,000 Colonial Cup (NSA-G1) November 16 at
the Springdale Race Course in Camden, South Carolina.