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Good Night Shirt repeats in Iroquois GOOD NIGHT SHIRT (Concern), the 2007 Eclipse Award winner as champion steeplechaser, put on a clinic to capture his second consecutive Iroquois Steeplechase (NSA-G1) on Saturday at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee. Going right to the front under regular jockey Willie Dowling, Good Night Shirt set a relaxed pace and turned aside several challenges to win by 4 1/2 lengths over Best Attack (Bahri) with Sweet Shani (NZ) (Kashani) third in 5:47 3/5 for the three miles and 18 jumps. Owned by Virginian Sonny Via and trained in Maryland by Jack Fisher, the winner improved to two-for-two this year and won for the fifth time in his last six starts. He leads all 2008 steeplechasers with $150,000 in earnings. "The boy became a man," Dowling said. "He was more professional today -- no mistakes, nothing sloppy. He's got an engine that just allows him to keep going. He's the best horse I've ever ridden." Good Night Shirt opened his 2008 campaign with a win in the April 12 Georgia Cup (NSA-G1) at Atlanta, but had to overcome a sloppy jump at the last fence to get the win. At Nashville, the seven-year-old gelding set a relaxed pace while getting pressure from Sweet Shani and Bow Strada (GB) (Rainbow Quest) early. Still in front on the final turn, Good Night Shirt got a brief breather which helped him hold off Best Attack in the stretch. Fisher joked that his horse would next take a trip "to Disney World," but will instead give the Maryland-bred an extended break before preparing for a fall campaign. Major goals will be the $300,000 Breeders' Cup Grand National (NSA-G1) in October and the $150,000 Colonial Cup (NSA-G1) in November. With the victory, Good Night Shirt increased his career steeplechase bankroll to $598,973, which places him sixth on the career earnings list. He also became the 13th horse to win back-to-back runnings of the race -- no one has ever won the Iroquois, run for the 67th time this year, in three consecutive years. Other stakes wins on the day came from ALLIMAC (Ire) (Alphabatim) in the $75,000 Mason Houghland timber stakes; GUELPH (Sky Classic) in the $50,000 Margaret Henley Memorial for fillies and mares; and DR. BLOOMER (Fantastic Fellow) in the $50,000 Marcellus Frost at two miles. Dreadnaught (Lac Ouimet), a multiple Grade 2 winner on the flat, broke his steeplechase maiden at Nashville for owner Trillium Stable and trainer Tom Voss.
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