Post-Race Analysis:
Lexington, Kentucky - April 20, 2007: Mixed Up won the $150,000
Grade I Royal Chase at Keeneland in an exciting three-horse photo
finish, inching away from Paradise's Boss after the last fence and
then holding the fast-closing Good Night Shirt safe at the wire.
Carrying second high weight of 150 pounds, the 8-year-old son of
Carnivalay ran the 2 ½ miles over a firm turf course that included
13 fences in 4:42.95, well off the course record of 4:34.40 set
by Pompeyo (Chi) in 2001.
Mixed Up rated toward the back of the 11-horse field for the first
nine fences and before moving into a striking position outside the
leaders on the final run down the backside. Fourth entering the
final turn, Mixed Up circled Riddle and Paradise's Boss and challenged
for the lead at the top of the stretch. Paradise's Boss landed with
a slight advantage over the last fence, but was passed in the shadow
of the wire by Mixed Up and Good Night Shirt.
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Mixed Up, left, and Paradise's Boss jumping
the last fence of the Grade I Royal Chase together.
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William L. Pape's Mixed Up improved his record to
seven wins in 15 starts over the hurdles and gave Pape and Hall
of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard their second win in the Royal
Chase, the first one having come in 2002 with It's A Giggle. Bred
in Pennsylvania by Pape and Sheppard, Mixed Up pocketed $95,475
for his Royal Chase win and increased his lifetime steeplechase
earnings to $381,310. The Royal Chase was his second career Grade
I victory; his other Grade I score came in the New York Turf Writers'
Cup at Saratoga last summer.
"I was a little nervous he was a bit far back early, because they
weren't going all that quick in front," Sheppard told the NSA after
the race. "When he suddenly moved up on the backside and got into
a nice position behind the leaders, fairly easily, I was happier.
He was a minor stakes winner on the flat, so he's at an advantage
on a racetrack like this."
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Danielle Hodsdon, shown here at Saratoga,
earned her second career Grade I victory when Mixed Up won
the Royal Chase.
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Sheppard credited winning jockey Danielle Hodsdon for knowing Mixed
Up's idiosyncrasies: "Mixed Up is a very kind of proud, cocky little
horse, always full of himself," Sheppard said. "Danielle made
him a special project and spent a lot of time with him. The two
of them have quite a rapport going with each other."
Jumping Around: Preemptive Strike fell while at the
race's eighth fence, and Racey Dreamer fell at the 11th. The latter
was euthanized with a broken leg. Neither Chip Miller (Preemptive
Strike) nor Matt McCarron (Racey Dreamer) was injured . . . . Jack
Fisher trained the second- and third-place finishers . . . .McDynamo
and Sur La Tete are expected to square-off in the May 12 Iroquois
Steeplechase at Nashville, Tennessee. The $150,000 Iroquois is run
at weight-for-age conditions as opposed to the Royal Chase's handicap
. . . In its nine previous runnings, the Royal Chase has been won
by eight horses -- including five Eclipse Award winners.
Edited from NSA press release.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Mixed Up |
150 |
Hodsdon |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Bill Pape |
|
2
|
Good Night Shirt |
146 |
Dowling |
Jack Fisher |
Ann and Sonny Via |
|
3
|
Paradise's Boss |
148 |
Aizpuru |
Jack Fisher |
Ann and Henry Stern |
|
4
|
Riddle |
148 |
Petty |
Arch Kingsley |
High Hope Stable |
|
5
|
Feeling So Pretty |
139 |
R. Walsh |
Lee McKinney |
Lee McKinney |
|
6
|
Chivite |
142 |
Young |
Bruce Miller |
Calvin Houghland |
|
7
|
Class Vantage |
140 |
Boucher |
Lilith Boucher |
Mede Cahaba Stable |
|
PU
|
Mauritania |
146 |
Massey |
Richard Valentine |
Whitewood Stable |
|
F
|
Racey Dreamer |
148 |
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
EMO Stable |
|
F
|
Preemptive Strike |
152 |
Miller |
Sanna Hendriks |
Polaris Stable |
|
PU
|
Party Airs |
146 |
Murphy |
Tom Voss |
Ken and Sarah Ramsey |
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Pedigree of Winner:
Click
here for Mixed Up's 5-cross pedigree.
Pedigrees compliments of PedigreeQuery.com
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2006 |
Sur La Tete (8) |
Read |
158 |
Mauritania |
138 |
Feeling So Pretty |
135 |
| 2005 |
Hirapour (Ire) (9) |
McCarron |
160 |
Sur La Tete (7) |
156 |
McDynamo (8) |
162 |
| 2004 |
Hirapour (Ire) (8) |
Chipperfield |
148 |
Lord Zada |
158 |
Preemptive Strike |
150 |
| 2003 |
McDynamo (6) |
Thornton |
158 |
Shamrock Isle (8) |
158 |
Praise The Prince |
158 |
| 2002 |
It's A Giggle (7) |
B. Miller |
158 |
Al Skywalker |
158 |
Flat Top |
158 |
| 2001 |
Pompeyo (Chi) (7) |
Brown |
154 |
All Gong (GB) (7) |
154 |
Rand (NZ) (7) |
154 |
| 2000 |
Flat Top (6) |
B. Miller |
154 |
Campanile (6) |
154 |
Pinkie Swear (6) |
154 |
| 1999 |
Lonesome Glory |
B. Miller |
154 |
Dalton River (11) |
154 |
Master McGrath (12) |
154 |
| 1998 |
Clearance Code (6) |
Petty |
154 |
Master McGrath (11) |
154 |
Cofidente (9) |
154 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
