Field of 14 to line up for Grand National

In another wide-open year for the steeplechase set, it should not come as

much of a surprise that a large field of 14 was entered for Saturday's Grade 1

Grand National at Far Hills, New Jersey. Along with next month's Grade 1

Colonial Cup, the 2 5/8-mile Grand National should serve as one of the deciding

races for divisional honors, and its purse of $250,000 is the highest on offer

in North America for the jumping specialists.

Conducted at a non pari-mutuel hunt meet before a crowd that typically

numbers 50,000, the Grand National again figures to be a highly competitive

affair. This year's renewal has attracted the last two winners of the race,

Percussionist and Your Sum Man, as well most of the other major stakes winners

of 2011.

While Percussionist has shown little in two starts since his 2010 Grand

National upset in his U.S. debut, 2009 winner Your Sum Man has hit the board in

both starts this season, most recently finishing a close third in the Grade 3

Ferguson Memorial at Colonial Downs.

Mabou, who was racing for tags over the summer, was claimed by trainer David

Jacobsen for $30,000 early in the Saratoga meet, then promptly won the Grade 1

New York Turf Writers Cup by nearly six lengths for his new connections. The

eight-year-old prepped earlier this month in a starter handicap over the flat at

Belmont, where he finished sixth.

Tax Ruling was a distant third to Your Sum Man in the Grand National two

years ago, and then was pulled up during last year's race. However, the veteran

still merits respect as the two-time defending winner of the Grade 1 Iroquois,

contested over a grueling three miles each May in Nashville, Tennessee. Tax

Ruling has not started since taking the Iroquois for a second time by five

lengths on May 14.

Another leading winner this year is Divine Fortune, who successfully defended

his title in the Grade 2 A.P. Smithwick Memorial at Saratoga on August 4

following a layoff of nearly a year. He couldn't replicate that form in the New

York Turf Writers Cup, where he was demoted to sixth for bumping after crossing

the finish line in fourth.

One of last season's leading steeplechasers, Arcadius, will make a highly

anticipated return to action in Saturday's Grand National. The Jonathan Sheppard

trainee placed in the Iroquois, Smithwick Memorial and New York Turf Writers Cup

a year ago before taking the Grade 1 Helen Haskell Sampson at Monmouth Park over

eventual champion Slip Away. Unfortunately, the now seven-year-old was forced to

miss last year's Grand National and Colonial Cup after sustaining an injury that

has kept him out of action for the past 13 months.

Dirar, a promising second to Mabou in the New York Turf Writers Cup in his

U.S. debut, was a disappointing sixth in a restricted stakes at Middleburg,

Virginia, last time, but will add Lasix for the Grand National. The winner of

that stakes, Black Jack Blues, led throughout to score by 4 1/4 lengths and

could prove dangerous in only his second U.S. appearance. Others of note include

Pierrot Lunaire, who has largely disappointed since his massive upset of

multiple champion Good Night Shirt in the 2009 Iroquois in his U.S. debut., and

the multiple Grade 1-placed Dynaski.