American steeplechasing's spring season got underway March 20 with the Aiken Steeplechase in sunny Aiken, South Carolina. Change was in the air, what with richer purses and the advent of a new "triple crown" for novices. But the action began with all the ups and downs of a rollercoaster ride.

Aiken

The 1999 renewal of the popular Aiken meet showcased both the best and worst elements of this action-packed sport. The weather was clear, the flat, sandy course fast, and all eyes were on the finish of the $30,000 Regions Bank Imperial Cup, a Grade III hurdle handicap that had attracted 1998 race winner Smart Jaune (Craig Thornton), graded stakes winner Prime Legacy (Sean Clancy) and novice star Plumb Bob (Toby Edwards).

Dale Thiel's Plumb Bob (Toby Edwards) rose to the occasion, outrunning Just Oneof Theboys (Arch Kingsley Jr.) in his first start since last summer. The down side: Augustin Stables favorite Smart Jaune (Craig Thornton), in contention at the last, suffered a fatal fall there, nearly tripping up Just Oneof Theboys.

"It was long, and we had a moment's hesitation; and then he just kind of dove through (the fence)," an uninjured Thornton recalled. "He was not a champion, but he was a star," he said of the Sanna Neilson-trained 10-year-old, who was one of his favorites.

Safely clear of calamity, Plumb Bob romped home first by three lengths, in 4:30 3/5. "I can't tell you what sort of mistake (Smart Jaune) made, or why he fell," rider/trainer Toby Edwards said. "But after he fell, nobody was getting anywhere close to me."

The winning entry is a former national three-year-old Champion who possesses what the British-born Edwards terms a "… very strong character." This was his fourth career victory "under rules." Trainer Sanna Nielson -- who topped the charts in 1998 -- bounced back from Smart Jaune's tragic loss to claim two triumphs at Aiken. Her first came with her stepfather's Sovereign Key, in the W.C. Jackson training flat for amateur riders. The Pennsylvania horsewoman, an accomplished amateur rider, rode Sovereign Key herself. Then Neilson trainee Action Man, multiple champion Craig Thornton up, carried the Stewart family silks to his second Aiken score in the $20,000 Budweiser Cup allowance hurdle.

Also at Aiken, Neilson's sister Katherine saddled the winning entry (Panama Jay) in the $10,000 G.H. Bostwick maiden claimer; and John K. Griggs and his daughter Mary Laura Griggs-White both saddled winners (Electron, in the $10,000 Ford D. Conger open claimer; and Morning Mission, in the $15,000 James W. Maloney maiden).

Carolina Cup

Lonesome Glory winning the Carolina Cup

The "big guns" came out for the Grade I, $100,000 NationsBank Carolina Cup March 27 at Camden, South Carolina. But trainer F. Bruce Miller had the most powerful ammunition of all in Kay Jeffords' four-time Eclipse Award winner, Lonesome Glory. With Miller's daughter Blythe back from injury and at the helm, the 11-year-old homebred notched a 6 3/4-length victory over speedster Assurance (Andy Wilson) and a late-closing Romantic (Arch Kingsley Jr.). A record crowd of 69,300 was on hand to witness the fastest Carolina Cup since 1995 (4:22 4/5).

The 2 1/4-mile score reportedly boosted Lonesome Glory's career earnings to over $1.2 million, a mark unmatched in American steeplechasing. If a fifth Eclipse Award isn't in the works, a spot in racing's Hall of Fame might well be. "Lonesome" enjoys an ongoing love affair with Springdale Race Course; besides this year's Carolina Cup, he's claimed three Colonial Cups on the flat, sandy oval, and in 1997 earned a $250,000 NationsBank bonus for winning both the Carolina and Colonial Cups in the same year. "He's got class, and he ran a great race today," Blythe Miller noted.

Presentation to Lonesome Glory's connections

At first, the two-time champion rider let "Lonesome" call the shots. "It doesn't matter where he is, as long as he's happy and jumping well," she explained. The race came down to the final sweeping turn, where Lonesome Glory swooped down on frontrunner Assurance, just in time to do battle with Romantic. "I wasn't confident that anything was going to work out to my benefit -- but I was confident that I had enough to get home, and it was time to get going," Miller said. True to form, "Lonesome" found another gear and burst clear after the last hurdle. Next stop: Kentucky's Keeneland Racecourse, and the Grade I, $175,000 Royal Chase, where Lonesome Glory is expected to meet 1998 Eclipse Award winner Flat Top.

"Team Neilson" continued their winning ways at Camden, with scores in the Grade III, $35,000 Carolina Ford Dealers Woodward-Kirkover Cup (a Sport of Kings novice hurdle) and the $25,000 WIS-TV Springdale Cup over timber. Henares was the come-from-behind winner in the Woodward-Kirkover Cup, while Brankman followed suit in the timber contest. Both horses were owned by Augustin Stables, trained by Sanna Neilson and ridden by Craig Thornton. Also at Camden, locally-based Little Caveat won his debut in the $25,000 U.S. Cellular Cup Maiden Hurdle for the Sport of Kings; Welcome Parade marched home first in the $15,000 Baron DeKalb open claimer; and Bridget McFadden lost her maiden aboard Double Leaf in the Camden Plate training flat.

My Lady's Manor

The Maryland timber season started April 10 with the My Lady's Manor meet near Monkton. Irvin Naylor's Proud Dawg came from behind to steal the featured $17,500 My Lady's Manor Steeplechase, giving trainer Lisa Parker her first sanctioned win and amateur jockey Joe Gillet his third Manor victory. It was also the third time that timber titan Saluter (Jack Fisher) had failed to figure in the 3-mile open race, which is run over a rolling cross-country course with several changes of direction.

A traditional prep for both the Maryland Hunt Cup and the Virginia Gold Cup, the Manor is also a preliminary race for the Holland and Holland World Timber Championship. For Gillet, who commutes from California on racing weekends, the key to riding Proud Dawg was to figure out his jumping style. "I don't know him well, and when I got to the second fence and asked for a big one, he put down … and put in two more strides," he explained. "He doesn't look brilliant, but he's darned clever, and he's got the experience now that he can get away with it." Turning uphill to the second-last, Proud Dawg moved alongside Pennsylvania Hunt Cup winner Ninewa and an aggressive Lexington Ball. Saluter advanced here, but couldn't quite get there. Proud Dawg seized control and shut Ninewa down by 1 1/2 lengths; Saluter was third.

Owner Naylor was proud of his "Dawg," who was returning from an injury and a bout with EPM. "He's had a lot of problems," he explained. "But he really looks good, and Lisa's really done a super job with him." Next stop: the Virginia Gold Cup, where Proud Dawg is expected to renew his acquaintance with Saluter (who will be going for his sixth win on that flat, fast course).

Warner-Hall Stable's Bit of Scotch showed in the way in the day's second race, the $10,000 John Rush Streett Memorial maiden timber. The British-bred speedster, who is trained by Virginian Doug Fout, gave rider Ellen Horner -- who grew up in Monkton -- her first victory "under rules."

Atlanta and Strawberry Hill

Sanna Neilson and company -- successful at Aiken and Camden -- hit their stride at Atlanta, a rich southern meet run near Kingston, Georgia on April 10. Their horse du jour: Augustin's Dalton River, who achieved his "personal best" in the Grade I, $100,000 Coca-Cola/UPS Atlanta Cup. With Craig Thornton in the irons, the 11-year-old gelding came on like gangbusters on the final turn, overtaking pacesetter Darn Tipalarm (Sean Clancy) and nosing out a late-closing Rowdy Irishman (Vincent Marzullo). Then the Neilson-trained Action Man did it again, besting Pinkie Swear (JW Delozier III) with a late bid in the $40,000 Beaulieu of America Spring novice for the Sport of Kings. Craig Thornton rode the winner.

Other winners at Atlanta included: Moshe (Toby Edwards), in the $25,000 NationsBank Maiden Hurdle for the Sport of Kings; Indispensable (Sean Clancy) in the $25,000 Delta Airlines Maiden Hurdle for the Sport of Kings; and the aptly-named Atlanta (Arch Kingsley Jr.), who took the $15,000 Chubb Insurance Maiden Hurdle by virtue of disqualification.

"If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again." That was the story in the featured $20,000 Strawberry Hill Classic at the Strawberry Hill Races near Richmond, Virginia. Al Skywalker, who lost rider Petra Kappel in his season debut at Aiken, kept her in the saddle long enough to outrun Smart N True (Jody Petty) in this optional claiming hurdle. Trained by Jennifer Majette, Al Skywalker is owned by Hall of Fame jockey Frank "Dooley" Adams, who accounted for 301 wins between 1941 and 1956.

Brankman and Prenuptial

Also successful at Richmond were: Prenuptial (Michael Traurig), in the $10,000 Deep Run Hunt Cup; Foul Fight (Ted Thompson), in the first division of the $10,000 conditioned claimer; Haveplanwilltravel (Andy Wilson), in the second division of the $10,000 conditioned claimer; and Geewhillikins (Garet Winants) in the $7,500 maiden claimer. Five meets into the season, Sanna Neilson was ranked as the leading trainer and her stable jockey, Craig Thornton, sat atop the riders' charts. Stay tuned as the timber fences get bigger (in the Maryland Hunt Cup) and the hurdle action heats up (in the Grade I Royal Chase and the new novice triple crown).

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