NEWS
Good Night Shirt champion steeplechase horse
Posted: Monday, January 26, 2009 8:52 PM
GOOD NIGHT SHIRT
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Don Clippinger
Except for nearly giving trainer Jack Fisher a heart attack when he blows the occasional fence, Good Night Shirt was perfect in 2008, and his reward was a second consecutive Eclipse Award as champion steeplechaser.
He danced all the major dances—five races rated as Grade 1 by the National Steeplechase Association—and in the process set two course records and established a new single-season earnings record for owner Harold A. “Sonny” Via, who races the Concern gelding with his wife, Ann.
Looking back over the 2008 season, Fisher noted some differences from the 2007 season, in which Good Night Shirt won three of five starts.
“One big difference was not having to run against McDynamo,” said the Maryland-based trainer. Indeed, the all-time leading earner had handed Good Night Shirt one of his 2007 defeats.
Another difference for 2008 was that Good Night Shirt, then seven, matured and improved his jumping a bit.
“He doesn’t do anything wrong, but he keeps blowing one fence in each race,” Fisher said. “He’s getting better, but he just gets careless.”
After a season in which he picked up victories in the Irongate Capital/W Hotel Georgia Cup Hurdle Stakes in April, the Iroquois Hurdle Stakes in May, the Lonesome Glory Hurdle Stakes in September, the Grand National Hurdle Stakes in October, and the Marion duPont Scott Colonial Cup Hurdle Stakes in November, Fisher most likely will not feel the need to tinker with the horse’s 2009 schedule as he makes a bid for a third straight Eclipse Award.
Don Clippinger is Thoroughbred Times editorial director
| 2008 record |
|
|
|
|
| Starts |
Wins |
Second |
Third |
Earnings |
| 5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
$485,520 |
