Post-Race Analysis:
East Rutherford, New Jersey - September 21, 2007: Budding steeplechase
star Divine Fortune won the Grade II, $75,000 Somerset Medical Center
Novice Stakes at the Meadowlands, defeating Planets Aligned and
Dark Equation in a spill-marred race that saw three of the seven
starters part ways with their jockey.
Owned by William L. Pape, Divine Fortune sat well off the early
pace and began his winning rally on the far turn. He forged his
way to the lead while clearing the final fence and drew off to a
2 ¾-length win, taking the 2 ½-mile event in 4:28.31.
“It worked out perfectly for my horse,” said winning rider Danielle
Hodsdon. “I was able to stay out of the trouble [on the final fence].
He had a pretty good gallop and he was able to relax at the back
and then make a run. How good is this horse? I’m hoping really good.
We don’t know yet. He’s only four and, for a steeplechase horse,
that’s really young, so we’ll see what we have.”
Divine Fortune, trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Jonathan Sheppard,
now has three wins in five starts over jumps this season.
“I think he’s still young and kind of improving,” said Sheppard.
“This was a big test for him tonight, under the lights. This is
a real different setting than he’s had before. It was a bit of an
unlucky race because two horses went way out in the front and one
of them fell [Dr. Bloomer] - my other entry actually – luckily,
he was unhurt. Then there was a nasty spill at the last fence and
we were lucky to avoid that. It’s unfortunate because steeplechasing
is a pretty thrilling sport and we don’t expect that. We just went
through seven races at Saratoga without one fall and then all of
a sudden we have three in the same night."
“He’s got a lot to prove, but he’s definitely showed as much potential
as most of the others at this point and let’s hope he keeps going,”
Sheppard continued. “They have a big novice stake [at the Far Hills
meeting on Oct. 20 in N.J.] and that’s most likely where we’ll go
with him.”
Neither of the two spills during the race impacted Divine Fortune’s
journey. His stablemate Dr. Bloomer, who led the field in tandem
with Dynaway through the early fractions, stumbled and dumped rider
James Slater before the field reached the halfway point. On the
final fence, Gliding and rider William Dowling fell, causing Dynaway
and Cyril Murphy to trip over them and also hit the ground. All
three horses and riders escaped injury.
The Meadowlands hosts its third consecutive year of steeplechasing,
with all three races sponsored by Somerset -- the Somerville, N.J.
hospital that benefits from the Far Hills Races (also in New Jersey)
Oct. 20. Since the 1950s, the Far Hills Races (home of the Breeders’
Cup Steeplechase) have raised more than $16 million for the hospital,
which opened the Steeplechase Cancer Center last year.
The novice condition restricts the race to horses who have not
won over hurdles prior to June 1, 2006, and showcases the rising
stars of steeplechase racing.
Edited from Meadowlands press release.
The complete order of finish for the Somerset Medical Center Stakes
is set forth below.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Divine Fortune |
144 |
Hodsdon |
Jonathan Sheppard |
William L. Pape |
|
2
|
Planets Aligned |
155 |
C. Miller |
Thomas H. Voss |
Fox Ridge Farm |
|
3
|
Dark Equation |
158 |
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
Beverly R. Steinman |
|
4
|
Swimming River |
155 |
Young |
Paul Rowland |
Long Lane Farm |
|
F
|
Dynaway |
152 |
Murphy |
Thomas H. Voss |
Armata Stable |
|
F
|
Gliding |
158 |
Dowling |
Doug Fout |
Brigadoon Stables |
|
F
|
Dr. Bloomer |
152 |
Slater |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Calvin Houghland |
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Pedigree of Winner:
to follow.....
Pedigrees compliments of PedigreeQuery.com
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2006 |
McDynamo |
Petty |
162 |
Mixed Up |
152 |
Lone Arrow |
142 |
| 2005 |
Preemptive Strike |
Walsh |
152 |
McDynamo |
158 |
Three Carot |
144 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
