Good Night Shirt leaves no doubt at Belmont

Tag : Shirt

ELMONT, N.Y. Any questions?
Last year's steeplechase champion Good Night Shirt left no doubtabout his intentions for this year with a powerful victory inSunday's Grade 1 $150,000 Lonesome Glory at Belmont Park. Owned bySonny Via, the 7-year-old son of Concern improved to 3-for-3 thisyear by drawing away late to score by 3 3/4 lengths overlate-running Sermon Of Love and early leader Red Letter Day. Thewinner (ridden by Willie Dowling) covered the 2 1/2 miles and 12fences in a course-record 4:24.88 for trainer Jack Fisher.
Sent off as the overwhelming 2-5 favorite, Good Night Shirt satsecond behind Red Letter Day throughout the race and moved to theleader's shoulder on the final turn. Taking over at the top of thestretch, the Maryland-bred flew the final two fences and won easilywhile making his first start since May.
"That was a pretty impressive performance," said Dowling. "Goinginto today I thought we were vulnerable with top weight and notrunning for four months. I thought today was the day for people tobeat us, but that was great. He was so good out there today. Icannot believe a horse can go that fast from start to finish andnot give up."
Also the Lonesome Glory winner in 2007, he earned $95,520 for thewin to push his 2008 bankroll to $245,520 with Grade I wins in theGeorgia Cup, the Iroquois and now the Lonesome Glory. For hiscareer, Good Night Shirt moved into fourth on Americansteeplechasing's all-time earnings list with $694,493. The burlychestnut rides a four-race winning streak into the $250,000American Grand National at Far Hills, N.J. Oct. 18.
Fisher called his horse a confidence-builder.
"He's easy to train because you know which races to go in and youjust manage him," said the trainer. "He's not working as hard asother horses are out there. He lopes along, but the others arereally running to stay with him, and then he's got plenty left."
The winner paid $2.80 and keyed a $15.60 exacta with longshotSermon Of Love. Red Letter Day completed the $153.50 trifecta at34-1.
NOTES: Fisher won both jump stakes on the weekend, as Seer scoredat Monmouth the day before the Belmont race, and has won all threestakes in September. With 15 wins, the three-time champion trainermoved into a tie with Tom Voss atop the National SteeplechaseAssociation standings . . . Jump racing heads to suburbanBaltimore, Md. for the Shawan Downs Races Saturday andCharlottesville, Va. for the Foxfield Races Sunday.