Complimentary The Steeplechase A Publication of Vol. 18, No. 1 ST Publishing, Inc. Times Friday, March 18, 2011 Champion Slip Away searching for a repeat SEASON PREVIEW EDITION Trainers in the saddle • Detailed horse lists • Stakes division preview and more Queen’s Cup Steeplechase ® Saturday, April 30 Featuring Aggressive year-round turf maintenance program u In-ground Toro Irrigation System u Certified First Responders at every jump 3 on-premise ALS Ambulances u Running hot and cold water & ice in the stable area u Proper saddling stalls Cooling fans in stable area u Running water and ice at finish line and along stretch u Grooms’ breakfast & lunch $50 Grooms awards u Very jumpable and breakaway timber fences u 5/8 mile gallop for early morning training Considered one of the safest and finest race meets on the circuit u Consistently safe racecourse; year-after-year Great Southern Hospitality! $90,000 Purses Featuring $50,000 Queen’s Cup MPC Sport of Kings Novice Hudles Stakes u Sterling Silver trophies for all winners Three hurdle races u 3 mile timber race u 1¼ mile open flat u 7 furlong maiden flat Race Partners Course Partners Presented by Patents Pending Latest generation birch & fence; here-now! Taller, fuller birch branch - very durable Horse can not impact any part of the frame A ight fully assembles in 15 minutes TM Proudly made in the USA Birch branch adaptable to National Fence Designed by horsemen for horsemen 2 • Steeplechase Times www.st-publishing.com • [email protected] Friday, March 18, 2011 here&there... in Steeplechasing WEWEDDNESNESDDAAYY ISIS RRAACECE NNIIGHTGHT ATAT Post Time is 5 o’clock Tod Marks with replays Season’s Dawn. The 2011 steeplechase season awaits horses, players, fans, all. through the evening Take A Number “General Ledger is back in training. I ride him every day now. Looks great after a lengthy break. Who knows, maybe he turns up in the 175: First-place votes received by Slip Away in the 2010 Eclipse U.S. this year.” Awards balloting for champion steeplechaser to outdistance Arca- Grand National-winning owner Morten Buskop March 30 dius (25) and Percussionist (six). on 2009 Grand National runner-up General Ledger Aiken Spring 4: Victories jockey Matt McCarron needs to reach 200 for his ca- “Man, you block out the sun.” Cheshire reer. When he gets there, he will be just the ninth to do so. Former jockey Roger Horgan when seeing Point to Point a retired jump jockey (and ST editor) at Palm Meadows 2: Victories jockey Xavier Aizpuru needs to reach 100 for his Amer- k ican career. “That one is not going jumping. Even I can see that.” A portion of the Flat trainer Mark Hennig when seeing proceeds on March 30 0: Jockeys to win three consecutive NSA championships since a short, squat 2-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale John Cushman won four (1980-83). Paddy Young goes for the will benefit the three-peat this year. Since Cushman’s skein, Ricky Hendriks (1986- “I backed into it when I had the two good timber horses, Island 87), Jeff Teter (1990-91), Blythe Miller (1994-95), Gus Brown Stream and Landing Party, they were exceedingly good horses. It Jake Chalfin (2000-01), Dave Bentley (2002-03), Matt McCarron (2003-04) and looked like an easy game to me. My love has always been with the Beneficiary Trust. Xavier Aizpuru (2007-08) all came up short. jumpers, more excitement there.” Recently retired trainer Dr. John R. S. Fisher Please join us for Worth Repeating on why he became a trainer a great night. “Simba in leadline trot, owned by Eric Juvonen, ridden by Teddy. “Fritz gave him a B+.” k Cream in leadline trot, owned by Nancy H. Miller, ridden by Scarlet.” Owner/trainer/mother Chris Boniface Joe Davies’ response to a request for his 2011 horse roster after her son schooled her timber prospect at Bonita Farm April 6 Carolina Cup “I’m picking my spots this year.” “It is.” Jockey Jody Petty, while galloping horses J.W. Delozier’s text when asked Green Spring Valley for Graham Motion at Palm Meadows if rumor of his comeback was, indeed, true Point to Point “Somewhere in the powder.” “Right now, every frisky foxhunter is a timber horse. Come the third Brandywine Trainer Jack Fisher, describing the location Saturday in April, it’s a different story.” Point to Point of his cell phone after skiing in Jackson Hole Owner Bruce Fenwick discussing the spring horse inventory “I don’t know yet, I’ll see how I feel after the team chase. It’s up in “It’s a bit of a jigsaw puzzle right now. If you think you’re going to the air.” run one at Middleburg, there’s no sense being ready the second Open 11:00am ~ midnight Three-time Maryland Hunt Cup winning jockey week of March.” Closed Tuesday Billy Meister, when asked if he would ride this spring Trainer Jonathan Sheppard, on prepping horses for the season 1383 North Chatham Road “I am now Mr. F. Bruce “Chip” Miller Jr.” “You can rush, but you’ve got all year for goodness sake.” West Marlborough, Veteran steeplechase jockey Chip Miller after hearing Trainer Janet Elliot, on prepping horses for the season Pennsylvania 19320 that he is considered an amateur rider (look out Hunt Cup) 610.383.0600 “You need to put a fast work into it to make sure it’s on the mark.” “None of them are threats to Bubbles.” Elliot, giving advice to an ST editor trying thewhiptavern.com Trainer Paddy Neilson, describing his four timber horses to assess the readiness of a newspaper before the season “The only horse I ever schooled over the Hunt Cup was Happy Orphan “Is the traffic going to be bad?” and he fell at the third.” “What’s the weather going to be like?” Trainer Ann Stewart, after reading about Atlanta Steeplechase’s India Watson, on the list Best English Pub the Maryland Hunt Cup course being available for schooling of silly questions that come into her office this time of year Friday, March 18, 2011 www.st-publishing.com • [email protected] Steeplechase Times • 3 The Steeplechase Entries What’s Happening and Where To Find It imes Here’s your newspaper. We’re back for more in 2011 – the 18th year of Steeplechase Times. The new season T brings some changes in policy, planning and opportunity, while also carrying the usual plethora of renewed hope among the horses, owners, trainers and jockeys. And the fans get to watch it all. And make sure you ST Publishing, Inc. play the Pick Six game – see entry form on page 13. 364 Fair Hill Drive, Suite F, Elkton, MD 21921 PAGES 6-10 In the Heart of Fair Hill Horse Country Phone: (410) 392-5867 Fax: (410) 392-0170 High Stakes E-mail: [email protected] The top horses in the game take aim at a spring stakes calendar which includes On the Web: www.st-publishing.com one major goal – Iroquois Day. Slip Away, Tax Ruling, Percussionist and so on all try to get there one way or another. The novice crop includes autumn 2010 star All Together and a host of others. The Staff Editors/Publishers/Staff Writers: PAGES 12-14 Sean Clancy and Joe Clancy Advertising: Contact the office or call On The Shelf Kathy Rubin (203) 650-6815 ST checked up on some of those horses convalescing and otherwise out of action Jim McLaughlin (484) 888-0664 to start the spring season. Michelle Rosenkilde (410) 692-5977 Reney Stanley (804) 449-2388 Contributors: PAGES 17-23 Maggie Kimmitt, Jane Clark, Tod Marks, Barry Watson, Steve Graham, Sam Clancy, Anne Clancy, Joe Clancy Sr., Ruth Clancy, Ryan Clancy, Round Up Jack Clancy, Nolan Clancy, Miles Clancy. Jockey insurance, new fences (going in) at Charlotte, old fences (going away) at Camden, licensing changes, whip rules and more as the 2011 season comes to life. 2011 Publication Dates March 18 May 27 October 7 April 8 June 17 October 21 April 22 July 8 November 11 PAGES 24-27 May 6 September 16 December 9 *Subject to change Saddling Up Don’t Forget to Advertise! Trainers become riders in the mornings in steeplechase land. From Flatterer to Vic- torian Hill, McDynamo to Slip Away, we check in with the mounties about why they Member: American Horse Publications American Horse Publications is the nation’s only as- ride and what they get out of it. sociation of equine periodicals. AHP’s more than 200 members are dedicated to promoting better under- standing and communication within the equine publishing industry. PAGES 28-37 www.americanhorsepublications.org An AHP General Excellence Award Winner Pick List 1 to 288, A to Z. No matter how you choose to quantify it, this is some list. ST On the Cover combed the barns and corresponded with trainers from Pennsylvania to Tennessee. Trainer Tom Voss See who made our list. and Slip Away turn a corner at Atlanta Hall Farm while aiming The Steeplechase I PICKED UP THE TIMES AT: for a repeat of their ________________ 2010 championship. 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