Not only did McDynamo win an unprecedented sixth race and a fourth consecutive $250,000 Breeders’ Cup at the Far Hills Race Meet, Oct. 28, he also became one of the highest earning American steeplechasers. Having won maiden and novice races at Far Hills before contesting the feature, he’s never been beaten at this venue.

But this was not an easy race for the small field of five. Drenching rains on Friday and Saturday morning made the usually soft ground in Far Hills, N.J., something between yielding and quagmire.

The ground was getting so cut up, the National Steeplechase Association officials had the hurdles moved out for the feature, giving the field new ground. But even for McDynamo, who has traditionally excelled on softer going, it was much deeper than previous years.

At 10 a.m., trainer Doug Fout was prepared to take on McDynamo with Eldon Farm’s Hirapour over the 25/8-mile hurdle course, but after seeing horses struggle through the first three races, Fout scratched his horse, not wanting to risk re-injuring the 2004 Eclipse Award winner, who is recovering from a bone chip. He said they would see McDynamo and the rest of the field at the $150,000 Colonial Cup (S.C.) on Nov. 19.

And then there were five.

William Pape’s Mixed Up (Danielle Hodsdon) was next on the list of possible spoilers, along with Whitewood Stable’s Mauritania (Robert Massey), Calvin Houghland’s Chivite (Paddy Young) and Patrick Kehoe’s Irish stakes horse Kilbeggan Lad (Tom Foley).

Calm and nonchalant about all the hoopla, you might have thought the soon-to-be-crowned king of ‘chasing was not up to the task by looking at him in the paddock. While the other contenders were in need of steady handling, McDynamo seemed like a good nap might be in order.

But his attitude changed at flag fall. McDynamo (Jody Petty) set the pace, taking the lead, then just as quickly relinquishing it to Mauritania after the first fence. The 9-year-old seemed happy to follow along behind the big bay. Not far off the pace, Chivite and Mixed Up stayed within striking distance.

But the first 2 miles took its toll on the frontrunner, and Mauritania started to fade after about 10 fences. Petty realized it was time to take over, and he asked the champion to move along. McDynamo responded and took over the field with Chivite and Mixed Up in hot pursuit and Kilbeggan Lad trailing far behind.

As they turned for home, the deep going sucked the life out of the rest of the field, and McDynamo put even more daylight between the others. After the last fence, Petty looked back but could not see the field. He crossed the wire alone, 22 lengths ahead of Chivite in the time of 5:571/5, the slowest time recorded for the 14-year-old race. Mixed Up took third and Mauritania was fourth and last. Kilbeggan Lad was a pull up.

Petty was all smiles after the historic win. “He finished up stronger than he did last year,” Petty said. “I don’t know if that was because we were not leading the whole way this year, I can’t say. He kind of likes having a horse to pass. I was definitely concerned when Hirapour dropped out, but I did not really change my strategy at all.”

Trainer Sanna Hendriks said she was more nervous about this race than any of McDynamo’s other wins and could not even watch the last fence.

“Obviously the soft ground plays into our favor,” Hendriks said. “Hirapour is a bear so when you take him out of there I kind of thought we would not be on the lead. Last year we decided we would drag Hirapour around and it worked, but last year we also had nothing to lose. This year it was McDynamo’s race to lose.”

But there was one horse Hendriks was definitely worried about–Chivite.

“Chivite is a nice horse, and [trainer] Bruce [Miller] has been pretty high on the horse,” Hendriks said. “I told Jody to keep a little something up your sleeve, that Chivite could be the one to tangle with at the end.”

McDynamo’s earnings have now crossed the seven-figure mark at $1,028,104 in career jump purses. Owned by Michael Moran, the Kentucky- bred son of Dynaformer has surpassed the five-time Eclipse winner Kay Jefford’s Lonesome Glory, who had $965,809 in jump purses according to NSA records.

However, technically Lonesome Glory still has more money at $1,319,868 in career earnings. Trained by Miller, the late son of Transworld received $325,000 in bonuses and money made overseas, monies that the NSA does not recognize toward career earnings, so he is now second to McDynamo in the all-time leading earners category.

Moran can’t believe his fortune with this horse. “You just don’t get horses like this very often,” he said. “It was a fabulous race. I was scared to death. He just keeps winning and winning. You think one day, they have to stub their toe, and it definitely frightens you, but he didn’t today.”

But a third NSA horse of the year title and a third Eclipse Award is not a guarantee. McDynamo, who has $195,000 for the year, is second to Mixed Up, who currently has $197,580.

McDynamo must win the $150,000 Colonial Cup or place higher than Mixed Up to take home both awards. And a win by Hirapour or Mauritania at the South Carolina race meet could spoil either horse’s effort and put them solidly in the running for the choice awards.


Quick Thinking
Even though Hirapour was out of the meet, Matt McCarron did get to sit on a winner for Fout–Betsy Meade’s Kilbride Rd in the $100,000 Foxbrook Supreme Hurdle.

The 4-year-old son of Worldly Manner stalked the pace set by Sovereign Duty (Hodsdon), who soon faded. After about 12 fences, McCarron moved the little chestnut up, with Orsay (Cyril Murphy) and Top Of The Bill (Robert Walsh) close at hand.

As the threesome sped to the last fence, McCarron snaked up the inside, leaving Top Of The Bill and Orsay to make up too much ground. By the wire it was Kilbride Rd some 7 lengths ahead of Top Of The Bill and Orsay. Sovereign Duty was fourth and last.

“He just accelerated like he was shot out of a cannon,” McCarron said. “When you have enough horse it makes a big difference. He met the last perfectly and drew away. It was only then I realized how far in front I was.”

Murphy had better luck in the $75,000 Appleton Stakes with Kenneth Ramsey’s Party Airs for trainer Tom Voss.

Unlike most of the winners for the day, Murphy would win the race with hardly a mud splatter on his red-and-white silks. The 7-year-old front runner left the rest of the field some 18 lengths behind at the wire, which was impressive for a horse that at one time was basically finished.

Party Airs grew up running on Irish heavy going and at 3, he won the Denny Juvenile Hurdle in Ireland. Destined for the 2005 Breeders’ Cup at Far Hills, Party Airs had a horrible accident at the farm two weeks before the race.

“He ran into a wall and broke his hip,” Murphy said. “He broke a bone deep inside. The diagnosis was he was to be retired. There was nothing they could do for him because it was internal; he would have to heal on his own time.”

Murphy said the horse surprised everyone by healing quickly. “He won’t let you know he has been hurt,” Murphy said. “He basically trains himself. He can get himself fit in a month. I wouldn’t say he is crazy, but he does not have everything firing in his head. In his mind forward is the only [way]. We have got a serious bit in there and he is still getting out there, lugging you around. There was no stopping him today. He loved this stuff.”


Das Bomb
Not to be outdone by this year’s Maryland Hunt Cup and the timber stakes at Iroquois (Tenn.), Far Hills increased their timber purse to $75,000, making the race the third most expensive timber race of the year. A strong field of seven entered, but only three would finish in the grueling going.

Albert’s Crossing (Petty) set the slow pace early, wearing down the rest of the field. Soon Invest West (William Dowling), Te Akau Five (Massey), Loughbeg Rambler (Chip Miller) and Quaremba (Tom Foley) put on the brakes and pulled up, leaving Mr. Bombastic (Walsh) and Bubble Economy (Young) to chase Albert’s Crossing.

With five fences to go, Mr. Bombastic was on the lead and drawing away from Albert’s Crossing, who was jumping poorly. As they turned for home, the German-bred Mr. Bombastic was a good fence ahead of the others, and at the last he drew even further away to win by 48 lengths in the slow time of 8:12 2�5. Arcadia Stable’s Bubble Economy placed third, 68 lengths behind Albert’s Crossing.

Owned by Harold Via and trained by Jack Fisher, who personally rode him to third place at Genesee Valley (N.Y.), the 7-year-old Mr. Bombastic only has one sanctioned win to his name–the 2005 novice stakes at Fair Hill (Md.).

Fisher said his instructions were clear: “Sit and wait, wait, wait, until you jump the water jump, and as you can see, he didn’t listen.”

Walsh, who had never sat on the horse, said the timber course was very tiring. “He definitely handled it,” Walsh said. “But there were parts where it was soft on the backside and he really didn’t like it. But when he turned for home he really jumped his way clear. It’s Irish heavy, and horses here don’t usually like it no matter what.”

The day’s first race, the $50,000 Peapack fillies and mares race, probably had the best footing of all. Expected frontrunner Jodi Rowland’s Suntara took her place ahead of the pack, and the five-time second-placed finisher held them all off this time, easily winning the race by more than 18 lengths.

Young has been aboard the 5-year-old daughter of Tactical Advantage for most of her seven races this year, and the majority of them have not been in the filly/mare series.

“She has been great, every race. The first time I rode her at Middleburg [Va.] I kind of went easy on her because it was her first start,” Young said. “I didn’t want to knock the backside off her cause she was so green, and I have kind of regretted it ever since.”

Even though she won by many lengths, the conditions were not good. “She doesn’t like this ground,” Young said. “She hated the ground every step of the way today. She has been second to horses like Dark Equation and Dynaway so you know she is tough. You feel bad for them, but you can’t ease up on them in this kind of going; if you do they will stop and you won’t get them started again.”


Sarah L. Greenhalgh