by Myra Lewyn
Harold A. “Sonny” Via Jr.’s champion steeplechaser Good Night Shirt began the second half of his 2008 campaign with a display of prowess in the $150,000 Lonesome Glory Hurdle Stakes at Belmont Park, which he decisively captured in a romp that shaved nearly ten seconds off the course record.
Toting high weight of 158 pounds on firm turf, Good Night Shirt lowered the inner course record for 2½ miles to 4:24.88, eclipsing the previous record of 4:33.95 set in 2005 by Paradise’s Boss. Jack Fisher trains Good Night Shirt and also trained Paradise's Boss.
The seven-year-old Concern gelding won last year’s edition of the 2½-mile test in 4:42.45 en route to the Eclipse Award in his division. Good Night Shirt solidified his credentials for a second championship as powered from just off the pace to a 3¾-length victory over Sermon of Love.
Good Night Shirt was fresh from a layoff of more than four months. So rather than allowing his mount to set the pace as usual, jockey Willie Dowling settled him in second, where the long-striding chestnut gelding comfortably tracked Red Letter Day for more two miles.
Good Night Shirt launched his winning bid on the final turn and drove past Red Letter Day at the top of the stretch. He confidently cleared the final two fences and opened clear advantage once over the final jump. Under Dowling’s brisk encouragement, Good Night Shirt extended his lead and scored a dominant victory to remain unbeaten in three starts this year.
Sermon of Love finished a neck in front of Red Letter Day, who faded in the stretch to finish third of eight runners
“He normally goes out to the front, but with [more than four] months off we decided not to be the lead horse, with all that weight,” Dowling said Good Night Shirt, the 2-to-5 favorite. “He kind of took off and dove at the first fence, and I was able to get him back. He’s an impressive horse. I’ve waited a lifetime for that.”
The Lonesome Glory is considered a Grade 1 race by the National Steeplechase Association and followed Good Night Shirt’s wins this season in the Irongate Capital/W Hotel Georgia Cup Hurdle Stakes on April 12 at the Atlanta Steeplechase and the Iroquois Hurdle Stakes on May 10 at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, both considered Grade 1 events.
Good Night Shirt has won nine of 19 starts over the jumps, including last year’s Marion duPont Scott Colonial Cup Hurdle Stakes, and earned $685,973.
Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, he is out of the stakes-placed Two Punch mare Hot Story.
For the Equibase chart, click here.
Myra Lewyn in a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor