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.