American ’chasing started early this year, with a training race on the flat to prepare Lonesome Glory for England’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. After a mild winter here in the States, trainer F. Bruce Miller of Pennsylvania felt that Kay Jeffords’ flashy chestnut was primed and ready.

The 10-year-old veteran would be the Gold Cup’s lone American entry. But he’d left his mark at Cheltenham before, when he became the first American-trained horse to win a British jump race in 1992.

In the interim, he’s become one of only two ’chasers to win the coveted Eclipse Award four times. He’s also American steeplechasing’s first millionaire, by virtue of a stellar 1997 season.

MARCH 1: Staged at Great Meadow (an hourglass-shaped course near The Plains, Virginia), the two-mile “Lonesome Glory Challenge” showcased not only the “big horse,” but a host of top stakes types prepping for big money later in the season.

The turf was soft from recent rains, but the late-afternoon sun smiled on Lonesome Glory (No.4) as he exploded from mid-pack to best Smart Jaune (Craig Thornton) by a length.

“It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful course,” recalled “Lonesome”’s rider, Blythe Miller. The former champion jockey felt “Lonesome” had prepped well. “We finished up good,” she said, her father Bruce adding, “We’ll probably give him one long gallop in about six days, and a serious work on the 11th. We fly out of Toronto on the 12th.”

But “Team Miller” awoke to disappointment on the morning of March 5, when “Lonesome” turned up with a vague off-hind injury. “We had schooled him (the day before) over quite good-sized fences, and we don’t know whether he did it then or not,” said the veteran trainer.

Though Miller’s veterinarian suspected a bruised foot, both daughter Blythe and the horse’s massage therapist pointed at a possible pulled muscle in the pelvic area

The champion was sidelined for almost a month, missing the Carolina and Atlanta Cups before returning to training in early April. At press time, Miller was pointing for the Grade I, $100,000-added Hard Scuffle Stakes June 28 at Kentucky’s Churchill Downs. “We’re awfully lucky that we’ve never had this problem in all the years we’ve run him,” the trainer admitted.

MARCH 21 – Jump racing resumed its traditional schedule with the Aiken meet March 21 in sunny, sandy Aiken, South Carolina.

For the uninitiated, the American circuit winds its way north during the spring, each weekend bringing another National Steeplechase Association-sanctioned stop.

American ‘chasers generally compete over two kinds of obstacles: either the plastic National hurdles or the stiff post-and-rail timber fences, with a rare few clever enough to run over both (and a few unusual layouts designed for these versatile few.) The courses here are mostly lefthanded, ranging from flat, fast and tight to long, hilly and sweeping. This is a true hunt meet circuit, which paves the way for infield action at northern flat tracks (like Laurel, Delaware Park and Saratoga) come summer.

But one doesn’t have to be American-born to excel over such courses. Just ask Craig Thornton, a former champion jockey both here and his native New Zealand. Though he once rode for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard – himself an English export – Thornton hit his stride when he joined trainer Sanna Neilson several years ago. The daughter of noted timber rider/trainer Louis “Paddy” Neilson III, Sanna is also the stepdaughter of respected owner/rider George Strawbridge Jr. and an accomplished rider in her own right.

Working from Neilson’s Pennsylvania farm, the pair sent three horses to Aiken’s winner’s circle, two of them owned by her stepfather’s powerhouse Augustin Stables. Chief among the three was Smart Jaune, a winner of $160,000 on the flat. The 9-year-old son of Smarten -- second in the Lonesome Glory Challenge -- romped home first in the Grade III, $30,000 Palmetto Federal Imperial Cup.

MARCH 28 – He’s affectionately called “Master Blaster” at home, and William Lickle’s Master McGrath did indeed blast the competition away in the Grade I, $100,000 NationsBank Carolina Cup. (Master McGrath is shown on the right with Lonesome Glory on the left jumping the last in the 1997 Colonial Cup).The rich hurdle stake is the showpiece of the gala Carolina Cup Races, a harbinger of spring that always draws festive crowds to the speed-loving Springdale Course at Camden, South Carolina.

Ridden by top jock Arch Kinsgley Jr., the New York-bred gelding led every step of the way, turning back a late assault from A.P. Smithwick winner Brigade of Guards (ridden by 1997 co-champion rider Jonathan Kiser). “He was awesome,” Kingsley later reflected.

Master McGrath is conditioned by Irish-born Janet Elliot, the first female trainer to win an Eclipse Award in steeplechasing (with Correggio, in 1996). Like many of her peers, Elliot lives and works in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Neilson and Thornton extended their streak at Camden, recording another three wins in the novice handicap (Dictador), the open claimer (Dalton River); and the open timber (Brankman, who actually dead-heated with Talkin Butter for that honor). All three horses were entries of George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stables.

The secret to the duo’s success: good horses and hard work. “The mild winter has also helped us, and a lot of our horses have been foxhunting and doing paper chases,” said Thornton.

APRIL 11 – Jump racing heated up all over the map during the second weekend in April. Top trainer Tom Voss took his big guns to Atlanta, Georgia, and they fired well. Returning champion Correggio (Arch Kingsley Jr.) was favored to win the $100,000 Robinson-Humphrey Coca-Cola Atlanta Cup, but his freak fall at the first paved the way for the Voss-trained Soaringoverseattle (Jonathan Kiser) to steal the 2 3/8-mile, Grade I stake.

Voss knew his Saratoga winner was fit; he said that a flat race at a point-to-point the week before had been “… nothing more than a breeze for him.”

Voss and Kiser teamed up for another win with Uncle Albie, in Atlanta’s maiden hurdle for the Sport of Kings. Both Soaringoverseattle and Uncle Albie are owned by Warren Dempsey, who like Voss is based in Monkton, Maryland.

The Maryland timber season got underway April 11 at My Lady’s Manor near Monkton. It was a day for firsts, with rider Colvin “Gregg” Ryan steering Clarke Ohrstrom’s Irish- bred Hopewell (just approaching the fence with Dusty Corners{3rd} just ahead and Thor Thors{2nd} on the right) to his first win in the 3-mile, $17,500 open timber, the first leg of Maryland’s “Triple Crown of Timber.”

Look for this horse in the Virginia Gold Cup and England’s Marlborough Cup come May. Said Ryan: “He’s going for the World Timber Championship – he’s already got points from his second place in the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup last fall.”

Then E. Burling Cocks, grandson of the late Hall of Fame trainer W. Burling Cocks, rode Kinkajou to a thrilling victory in the maiden timber. Not only was it the horse’s first sanctioned win over “the sticks,” it was a first for young Cocks and trainer Nicholas Schweizer as well.

The Strawberry Hill Races near Richmond, Virginia, marked the return of Maryland trainer Jack Fisher to the fray. Best known for World Timber Champion Saluter, he’s also accounted for several major hurdle wins. His horse du jour on Strawberry Hill’s fast oval was Ann Stern’s Assurance, who came, saw and conquered in the 2 ½-mile, $25,000 Strawberry Hill Classic optional claimer.

Assurance was one of three wins on the card for Andrew Wilson, who also prevailed with Pepper Ridge, in the maiden hurdle; and Psychotherapy, in the conditioned claimer.

Strawberry Hill’s open timber contest went to Sean Clancy and Randolph Rouse’s Haygormay.

APRIL 18 – Jack Fisher continued his winning ways on April 18, taking both the timber and hurdle features at Virginia’s popular Middleburg Spring Races.

First, the Fisher-trained To Ridley (Sean Clancy) came back from a layoff to trounce 1996 Eclipse Award winner Correggio by nine lengths in the Grade II, $50,000 Temple Gwathmey handicap.

An entry of Mrs. F. Eugene Dixon Jr., To Ridley had a 10-pound weight advantage over Correggio, who was also coming back from a layoff. “We looked at it as a two-horse race,” Fisher noted. “I didn’t know if we could beat Correggio, but I was confident he’d do well,” said rider Sean Clancy, adding, “He never got tired. He’s so good, he’s scary.”

The two horses are slated to meet again May 9, in the rich Iroquois Steeplechase. Both horses have won that stakes before, To Ridley in 1996 and Correggio in 1997

Fisher’s streak continued in the 3 ¼-mile, $20,000 Middleburg Hunt Cup, where World Timber Champion Saluter simply outclassed the field in his first season outing. Fisher’s ultimate goal: an unprecedented fifth victory in the May 2 Virginia Gold Cup (and perhaps another World Timber Championship). The 9-year-old veteran – who is always ridden by Fisher -- is also owned by the horseman, in conjunction with Ann and Henry Stern.

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Eben Sutton and Classy Ivor logged an emotional victory in Middleburg’s Alfred M. Hunt, a turn-filled test over 2 5/8 miles’ worth of varied obstacles. Trainer Bay Cockburn – who usually rides the horse himself -- had been critically injured schooling him the previous day.

Buck Jakes, back from a lackluster English campaign, returned to his home turf for the historic Grand National Steeplechase April 18 near Butler, Maryland. In a near-repeat of last year’s race, Arcadia Stable’s giant grey outran Welter Weight in the second leg of Maryland’s Triple Crown of Timber.

Irish-born Anne Moran was back in the irons; trainer Charles Fenwick Jr. is hoping for a third win in the grueling Maryland Hunt Cup April 25.

The Grand National’s “little” race – actually an allowance timber – fell to Joe Gillet and Floating Interest, yet another Augustin-owned Sanna Neilson trainee.

Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard has 21 national titles to his name. But the dean of American ’chasing has kept a low profile this season. In fact, it wasn’t until the April 18 Block House Races that he hit the spotlight.

A southern gem, this Tryon, North Carolina meet has the distinction of being located in no less than three counties and two states!

The Sheppard-trained Ninepins was the horse to beat in the Grade III, $30,000 Block House stakes. Ridden by Michael Traurig, the Hudson River Farms entry came from nowhere to storm past Hudson Bay (Vincent

Marzullo) in the 2 ½-mile event. Traurig recorded a second victory in Block House’s allowance hurdle with the aptly- named Mr. Jumps. A winner in Atlanta’s maiden claimer the week before, Mr. Jumps is trained by Sanna Neilson’s sister Katherine.

At press time, Soaringoverseattle led the national money-won list, while perennial chart- topper William Lickle was the leading owner. Sanna Neilson topped the trainer’s standings in races won, while Tom Voss dominated the money-won charts.

Craig Thornton was the rider with the most wins to his credit, but Jonathan Kiser had earned the most purse money.

These rankings stand to change with the inaugural running of the Royal Chase April 24 at Lexington, Kentucky’s Keeneland Race Course. Blessed with a $150,000-added purse, the 2 ¼-mile, Grade I stake is the first open event co-sponsored by the Sport of Kings, the 11-year-old group behind the Sport of Kings Challenge international novice series and its related maiden program.

The race has drawn one foreign entry, the Irish mare Lady Daisy. She is owned by Patrick Kehoe and trained by Anthony Mullins, the same team that sent Grabel to an historic win at Dueling Grounds, Kentucky in 1990.

HRH Princess Anne – one of the Sport of King’s original patrons -- is scheduled to make an appearance at the race, traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina the next day to witness the $35,000 NationsBank Queen’s Cup for the Sport of Kings.

Late Update - A relative unknown named Clearance Code upset a field of hard-hitters to take the inaugural Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings April 24 at Kentucky’s Keeneland Racecourse. Rider Jody Petty brought the 6-year- old gelding from off the pace to overtake frontrunner Master McGrath (Arch Kingsley Jr.) by 1 ¼ lengths on the outside. The winning time for the 2 ¼-mile, $150,000-added hurdle race was 4:04 3/5.

This was the first Grade I stakes score for Clearance Code, who is owned by Gregory Bentley and trained by Russell “Rusty” Carrier Jr. It was also a first for Petty, who, like Carrier, is based in Pennsylvania. “It was unbelievable! He was fifth coming to the last, and he was going so well that I thought I was going to get up for fourth,” Petty recalled. “Two other horses were actually catching up to Arch. But then we were third, second, and we won!”

Petty chatted with HRH Princess Anne of Great Britain, both before and after the race. A guest of honor at Keeneland, she presented the award and “talked shop” with the jump jockeys. “She asked if any of us had previous riding experience, and I told her that I’d evented,” he recalled. “She said, ‘That’s great! How far did you get?’ And I said, `Oh, only to Intermediate level.’ And she said, `Oh, that’s nothing to be ashamed of!’”

Footnote: Patricia Daniels, Lonesome Glory's groom was killed in a tragic accident on April 26. Click here for more information. She will be sorely missed by us all.

Laurel Scott is an award-winning freelance turf writer who covers the American steeplechase scene for such publications as SPUR Magazine, The Chronicle of the Horse and The Horse of Delaware Valley. A Virginian by birth and a horsewoman since childhood, Scott also breeds Thoroughbreds and dabbles in photography. She is based near the sport's American hub in southeastern Pennsylvania.

She can be contacted for any freelance journalistic or photographic assigments at: Epona Productions, 668 Bell Rd. #1, Kirkwood, PA 17536, phone/fax: (717) 529-2239, and e-mail: schaser@bigfoot.com or Click Here to do so.