Experience Prevails in Star Studded 'Chase Season
By Laurel Scott-Duncan
Experience Prevails in Star Studded 'Chase Season
By Laurel Scott-Duncan
"I was just glad I found it before he ran," the Pennsylvania horseman said. "Lonesome" -- who came to Miller's farm as a headstrong, unraced 2-year-old -- will reportedly take up foxhunting once he's rested and recovered.
A flashy son of Transworld from the Green Dancer mare Stronghold, Lonesome Glory recorded 19 wins over fences, two of them in England. At the time of his retirement, he was American steeplechasing's all-time leading moneyearner (with $1,318,868 in earnings). He is expected to be nominated to American racing's Hall of Fame. Truly, it is the end of an era for "Team Miller," and for the sport as we know it. "What a ride it's been!" the trainer remarked.
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Top Novice: Muscle Car
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Other 1999 champions included Bayard Sharp's homebred Muscle Car, a Jonathan Sheppard trainee who took to the game like a fish to water. With several different riders on board, the son of A.P. Indy came, saw and conquered at Block House, Radnor, Far Hills and Callaway Gardens. Known for his "down and dirty" style, Muscle Car not only led all novice hurdlers in earnings, he came close to beating Ninepins in open company (in the Colonial Cup) and finished fourth in overall earnings behind Ninepins, Lonesome Glory and Campanile.
As rider Jonathan Kiser noted after his Radnor win, this "muscle-headed colt" has come a long way in a very short time. "They had some trouble with him on the flat track, at the gate," he explained. "And I think he was just very mis-managed as a younger horse. But Mr. Sheppard put some time into him, and really has him going nicely."
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Top Three-Year-Old: Addinson
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Just as talented was Muscle Car's stablemate Addinson, who dominated the 3-year-old division with a perfect 2-for-2 record over fences (winning decisively at both Far Hills and Camden). Like Horse of the Year Ninepins, this gorgeous son of Northern Baby is owned by Ed Swyer of New York-based Hudson River Farm. "He's a nice young horse, and we've had high hopes for him," said trainer Jonathan Sheppard.
Not to be outdone was the incredible Saluter, an entry of Ann and Henry Stern (in conjunction with rider/trainer Jack Fisher).
No stranger to national timber titles, the 10-year son of Salutely started five times in 1999, capturing his sixth consecutive Virginia Gold Cup, his second International Gold Cup and his fourth Virginia Hunt Cup for a new timber career record of $406,839. The year 1999 also saw him break Dosdi's old career record of 21 timber wins.
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Timber Horse Extraordinaire: Saluter
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Needless to say, Saluter was a shoo-in for Timber Horse of the Year -- for the fourth time. And, according to his connections, he shows no signs of slowing down. As acting race chairman Arthur Arundel noted after the Virginia Gold Cup, "Saluter's not older, but better!"
NSA Conference
Other national titlists in 1999 were:
Jonathan Kiser, champion jockey;
Augustin Stables, leading owner;
Neil Morris, top apprentice jockey;
Sanna Neilson, leading top amateur flat jockey;
Kinross Farm, leading timber owner;
Anne Hambleton, leading foxhunter timber rider.
The Woodville Award for dedication "behind the scenes" went to "Bobby" Simmons (who works for trainer Dorothy Smithwick) and "Bubba" Salmond (who once worked for the late Hall of Fame trainer W. Burling "Burley" Cocks).
Last year's champions were toasted at a gala awards dinner held in conjunction with the National Steeplechase Association's annual conference Jan. 14 in Reston, Virginia.
The conference was a first in American steeplechasing, and as panelist Tim Capps said, "…long overdue." The general theme: "Sharing Winning Ideas and Fostering Open Communication."
Over 150 owners, riders, trainers and officials gathered to trade ideas on marketing, publicizing and getting sponsors for their meets; attracting and keeping new owners and new horses; and making jump racing both safer and more lucrative. As conference director Miriam Nasuti noted, "This is a new and dynamic step for NSA, a step in the right direction!"
The event opened with a cocktail party the previous evening at the new National Sporting Library building in Middleburg, Virginia. The most eagerly-anticipated discussions began at lunch the following day, when the attendees split into separate rooms to address specific issues in an informal "table topic" format.
Among the topics: "New Racing Opportunities," chaired by International Steeplechase Group founder George Sloan; "Race Course Management and Safety," conducted by Far Hills co-chair Guy Torsilieri; "How to Increase Amateur Participation," led by amateur rider Jim Whitner; and "Horsemen's Issues," moderated by trainer Janet Elliot.
These discussions produced a wealth of ideas, including the need for racemeets to start pooling their marketing resources; a proposal for a new owner/rider timber series at the sanctioned level; and the need for NSA to standardize certain features at the hunt meets (like wings, beacons and flags) for safety purposes.
The conference concluded with a panel discussion entitled, "Strategies to Expand/Grow the Sport." Among the panelists were Donn McClean of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, who outlined ways in which his organization attempts to attract and keep new owners involved in racing; W. Cothran "Cot" Campbell, who pioneered the concept of Thoroughbred partnerships; and the Maryland Horse Breeders' Association's Tim Capps, who discussed potential targets for steeplechase marketing.
The husband-wife team of Toby and Laura Edwards had some exciting things to say about their unique lease-based syndicates of steeplechase horses. Trainer Jack Fisher, who is also president of the Steeplechase Owners and Trainer Association, spoke of the need to reduce the costs of keeping 'chasers as a way to keep their owners interested in the game. And trainer Janet Elliot noted that both education of the public and cooperation between professionals was necessary for the successful continuation of the sport.
No one was more excited about the conference and its implications than NSA president George Strawbridge Jr. "I don't know about you all, but I've been energized!" he proclaimed.
Next issue:
Steeplechasing comes to Florida's Tampa Bay Downs as the spring season gets underway.
Laurel Scott Duncan is an award-winning freelance turf writer and photographer who covers the American steeplechase scene for such publications as SPUR Magazine, The Chronicle of the Horse and The Horse of Delaware Valley. A Virginian by birth and a horsewoman since childhood, Laurel also breeds Thoroughbreds. She can be contacted for any freelance journalistic or photographic assignments at: 13920 Mantua Mill Rd. Glyndon, MD 21071 and e-mail: schaser@bigfoot.com or Click Here to do so.
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