Hall of Fame Profile: Leap of Faith

Original article written by Dan Kauffman posted 8 years 3 weeks ago

Leap of Faith embodied the saying that good things come to those who wait. The chestnut colt got better in each of his four steeplechasing seasons, capping his career with Champion Male Steeplechaser honors as a 7-year-old in Year 28.

Owned and bred by Susie Rydell, Leap of Faith was sired by dirt route legend Royal Moment, who was 13-for-13 lifetime with earnings of more than $2.4 million, including a victory in the Grade 1, $2 million UAE Derby in Year 8. While all of his own racing success came on flat tracks, his best offspring were all steeplechasers, including Unlikely Heir, Royal Reflect and Puerto Azul. Leap of Faith was the first foal born out of Get Busy Child, a three-time steeplechase stakes winner.

It was apparent early on that a flat track would not be the road to success for Leap of Faith -- as Rydell surely knew when she named the colt to begin with. Workouts on dirt and all-weather as a juvenile and 3-year-old failed to impress, as did two all-weather miler outings at the end of Year 24 as a 3-year-old. He finished fourth (and last) in his debut at Plastics Park in Canada, then was eighth in a 10-horse field three weeks later at Artificial Arena in Illinois.

None of that mattered once hurdles were put in Leap of Faith's path. He showed right away, in his first outing of Year 25, that he would have to be reckoned with. In a 2-mile maiden special weight race at Chaser Downs in Maryland -- where he'd remain for the rest of his racing career -- he blew away 11 other hopefuls with a scintillating final four furlongs, winning by almost 11 lengths with the first of what would be many 100 speed figures.

Leap of Faith returned three weeks later for a 2 5/8-mile allowance race that also featured 11 challengers, including Smoke Screen I -- a winner of two previous allowance races with 95 speed figures -- and Bling Bling, coming off his own allowance victory with a 93. Smoke Screen I led from the start, while Leap of Faith stumbled over a jump and found himself in sixth place more than 15 lengths behind at the third call. Leap of Faith unleashed a furious rally late while Smoke Screen I suffered a stumble of his own, but Leap of Faith's rally fell a length short as Smoke Screen I held on for the win with another 95.

There would be no such near-miss in Week 7, as Leap of Faith was part of another 12-horse field in a 2-mile allowance race. The lineup of maiden winners were no match for Leap of Faith, who overcame one minor bobble to take the lead with about five furlongs to go and pulled away easily to win by more than six lengths with a second 100 in three starts.

Leap of Faith was ready for his first stakes outing, and it would come in Week 10 in the Associated Press Challenge, a 2 1/8-mile test. The 12-horse field included eight-time stakes winner American Pie, three-time stakes winner Strong Voice, two-time stakes winner Blue Lava and Moltisanti, who was coming off a win in the Grade 1 Australian Grand National. American Pie bolted to a lead of almost 12 lengths at the halfway point before a blunder allowed Leap of Faith to start closing ground. Leap of Faith's own stumble hurt his rally effort, and American Pie held on to win by just over a length with a 100, with Leap of Faith settling for a close second with a 98.

His first Grade 1 outing would follow in Week 13, in the 2 3/4-mile La Revoluntione Cup. The 12-horse field included multiple graded stakes winners The Matador and Lost In The Nut, along with Strong Voice and stakes winner Market Flow. Leap of Faith chased down Lost In The Nut late, then held off a final charge by The Matador -- who blundered the final jump -- to win by a length with another 100.

Leap of Faith would cap his 4-year-old season -- and his debut steeplechasing campaign -- with his toughest challenge yet in the Grade 1, $200,000 Goodbye Shakes Marathon, a 4-mile beast of a race. The seven-horse field featured the legendary Shakespeare -- a future Hall of Famer who was a three-time Imperial Empire champion and (not coincidentally) would finish as a three-time Champion Male Steeplechaser -- as well as future Champion Male Steeplechaser Cowboy Mac, a Grade 1 winner at the 4-mile distance the previous year. Shakespeare, racing for the final time, helped set the pace out front, while Leap of Faith and Cowboy Mac unleashed late runs over the final mile. At the end, Cowboy Mac capitalized on a blundered final jump by Shakespeare to notch a one-length victory with a 94. Leap of Faith settled for third with an 89, a half-length behind Shakespeare.

In all, Leap of Faith went 3-for-6 in Year 25, with one Grade 1 stakes win and almost $130,000 in earnings. It was a solid start to his steeplechasing career.

Leap of Faith's 5-year-old campaign started in Year 26, Week 3 with a 3 1/2-mile allowance race in which he was a heavy favorite. But it would not be a stroll in the park, as stakes winner Foreveramax and allowance winner Siege Perilous made the star of the show work for the winner's share of the purse. But down the stretch, Leap of Faith surged past Siege Perilous before holding off Foreveramax by a little more than a length for the expected victory.

Next up was the Grade 2 Choctaw Challenge Cup over 3 miles on a yielding track -- the first off-track challenge for Leap of Faith. The eight-horse field included four-time stakes winner Splendours Of Peru, coming off a win in the Grade 3, 2-mile South Carolina Cup at Sycamore Downs. However, Splendours Of Peru had an off-day, finishing fourth, while Leap of Faith overcame a blunder on the final jump to beat Dauphin County by 2 1/2 lengths with a 99.

Two weeks later, Leap of Faith took on seven challengers in the Grade 1, 3-mile Yankee Hurdle Cup. The field was headlined by Year 25 Steward's Cup Steeplechase champion and Female Steeplechaser of the Year Esplanade, who would set the tone up front from the beginning and held a 16-length lead over Leap of Faith -- running in fourth -- with six furlongs to go. Esplande was clean over all the jumps while Leap of Faith blundered multiple hurdles, but it didn't matter as Leap of Faith's late turn of foot overcame the mistakes as he surged past Esplande in the final furlong to win by more than a length with a 100 -- the biggest win of his career considering the horse he beat.

Leap of Faith was now a two-time Grade 1 stakes winner generating buzz as a contender for the Year 26 SC Steeplechase. In Week 11, he would try to make it three Grade 1 wins in the Dead Poets Challenge, covering 2 3/8 miles. Esplande returned as part of the seven-horse field, along with fast-rising star False Summit, a winner of five straight stakes outings dating to late in Year 25. False Summit and Esplante locked horns for the first two miles before Esplande faded. Leap of Faith was in sixth, more than 13 lengths back, with half a mile left before unloading his by-now trademarked stretch drive. However, Leap of Faith's blunder on the final jump helped False Summit hold on for a 1 1/2-length victory -- his sixth straight -- as he posted a 100 to Leap of Faith's 93.

In Week 13, Leap of Faith did battle with False Summit and Splendours of Peru as the defending champion in the La Revoluntione Cup. False Summit set the pace up front and had the lead with six furlongs to go, but his winning streak would come to an end as a stumble helped Splendours of Peru take the lead with two furlongs left. However, Leap of Faith -- 12 lengths back at third call -- once again came roaring, and had plenty to pass Splendours of Peru and hit the wire with a 1 1/2-length victory, repeating as the event's champion with a 100.

The stage was set for the Year 26 Steward's Cup Steeplechase, set for 2 5/8 miles. The 12-horse field included all of Leap of Faith's primary challengers during the year, as well as King's Fright (a winner of four straight stakes races), Blue Lava (a multiple stakes winner) and Inyourwildestdream, a winner of two straight stakes outings in Europe entering the SC. At third call, King's Fright had shaken off False Summit and built a four-length lead, with Leap of Faith sitting ninth, more than 16 lengths behind. Everyone watched for the inevitable charge from Leap of Faith, who rapidly cut into the lead. But a couple blunders over jumps could not be overcome -- even though King's Fright blundered the last hurdle himself -- and King's Fright prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths with a 100, while Leap of Faith settled for second with a 98 and False Summit was third with a 95. King's Fright also was crowned Male Steeplechaser of the Year.

Leap of Faith went 4-for-6 in Year 26 with three stakes wins (including two Grade 1 victories), a runner-up finish in the biggest race of the year, and earnings of just under $300,000. It was definitely an improvement from his rookie year going over the jumps.

Rydell went with a different strategy for Year 27, running Leap of Faith only four times -- perhaps in an effort to keep him fresher and thus make his performances a little more consistent, or even just to try to help him peak for his target race, the Steward's Cup Steeplechase.

Whatever the reasoning, Leap of Faith opened his 6-year-old campaign in Week 4 with the Stuck in the Middle Chase, covering 3 1/4 miles. The full 12-horse field included future stakes winners Chase After Me (still very early in her career), Make An Impact, Siege Perilous (who already had given Leap of Faith a good challenge once), Anthos and Serena's Maserati. Chase After Me lived up to his name by setting the pace, but this one was never really in doubt as Leap of Faith -- who was within 2 1/2 lengths with six furlongs left -- ran a clean race, turned it on and left every other horse well in her dust, winning by almost nine lengths with a 100.

Up next was the Grade 1, 3-mile Yankee Hurdle Cup in Week 8, with Leap of Faith entering as the defending champion. While eight challengers took the starting gate -- including Kouji Kabuto, already a stakes winner making only his third career start, and Manayunk, entering on a four-race winning streak, all of them stakes (he would finish his long career with 17 wins in 29 steeplechase starts) -- the race generated buzz mostly for the showdown between Leap of Faith and Cowboy Mac. And while Kouji Kabuto and Manayunk dominated the first 2 miles of the race, opening a six-length gap on the field, in the end the expected battle materialized ad Cowboy Mac and Leap of Faith ran flawlessly and roared from the back to contest the victory. They were side-by-side for the entire final mile as they sprinted for the wire, and Leap of Faith had a little extra in the tank to defend his title by a half-length as both horses posted 100s.

Leap of Faith was rewarded with a five-week break before returning to the track as the two-time defending champion and clear favorite in the Grade 1, 2 3/4-mile La Revoluntione Cup. The seven-horse field included two-time stakes winner Flezzy Flozzie -- who would set the early pace -- as well as three-time stakes winner Broadsword, who entered off two straight graded stakes triumphs. Future Steward's Cup Steeplechase and Champion Female Steeplechaser winner Mommy's Lil Angel also was in the field and already had won three stakes races (two of them Grade 1s) in her first year of steeplechasing. At the halfway point, Leap of Faith was a staggering 34 lengths back as Flezzy Flozzie and Mommy's Lil Angel were well out in front of everybody, with Broadsword alone in third 17 lengths behind the leaders and almost 15 ahead of the others. As if pulled by gravity, the contenders all came together over the final mile, and Leap of Faith blew past them all to assert his dominance with a 2 1/2-length victory with his third straight 100 for his third straight La Revoluntione Cup title. At this point, it sure looked like Rydell's strategy of more rest between events was paying off.

Of course, it all came down to Week 16 and the Steward's Cup Steeplechase, against at 2 5/8 miles, as Leap of Faith looked to finish one spot better than the previous year and engrave his name on the coveted list of SC champions. There were familiar faces (Cowboy Mac, Mommy's Lil Angel, Flezzy Flozzie) as well as several challengers in the 14-horse field that Leap of Faith had never run against:

• Steampunk Vixen, an undefeated steeplechase rookie with three straight stakes wins.

• Star Conquest, a seven-time stakes winner entering off two victories.

• Circe, a six-time stakes winner also entering off two wins.

• Goodnightnow, an eight-time stakes winner having the best year of her career (4-for-4, all graded stakes wins) on the way to Champion Female Steeplechaser honors.

With five furlongs to go, Leap of Faith sat in good position -- fifth place, nine lengths behind leader Goodnightnow. It was showtime, and Leap of Faith turned on the jets and erased the deficit with ease, taking the lead with two furlongs left and the wire in sight. But it wasn't to be, as Cowboy Mac -- who sat in 10th with five furlongs left, about three more lengths behind Leap of Faith -- followed Leap of Faith's charge to the front, then had enough to pass him in the final furlong to win by a half-length as both posted 100s. It was a great effort with an unsatisfying ending for Rydell and Leap of Faith.

Nonetheless, it had been a fantastic Year 27 for Leap of Faith, going 3-for-4 with two Grade 1 wins and posting 100s in all four outings. He added more than $250,000 to his career earnings.

Leap of Faith had one more year left in his stellar racing career. He opened his 7-year-old campaign in Year 28 with the Grade 1, 2-mile Peaches and Pines Chase. Steampunk Vixen -- who finished third in the Steward's Cup Steeplechase -- was the top challenger in the eight-horse field, which also included multiple stakes winner Smash Into Me and Citygrl Countryboy, coming off her first stakes victory. With four furlongs left, Citygrl Countryboy held a five-length lead over Smash Into Me, with Leap of Faith another half-length back in third and Steampunk Vixen another 1 1/2 lengths back. Citygrl Countryboy suffered a bobble and faded to fourth, while the other three contenders all ran clean. But Leap of Faith's trademark finishing kick was too much for everyone as he beat Steampunk Vixen by more than two lengths with his fifth straight 100.

Four weeks later, Leap of Faith's goal was to produce a three-peat in the Yankee Hurdle Cup against a full and talented field featuring some familiar rivals (Mommy's Lil Angel, Steampunk Vixen) as well as some new challengers. They included Scientist (coming off his first of what would be six stakes victories in his career), Gnashing (5-for-6 in stakes races the previous year) and Thames (undefeated in four career steeplechase races, including three straight stakes). Leap of Faith found himself more than 13 lengths behind leader Mommy's Lil Angel with six furlongs to go before unloading his ferocious final surge. He got help from Mommy's Lil Angel's blunder on the final jump and held off Scientist -- making a similar late surge on his heels -- to win by 1 1/2 lengths with another 100 to complete the Yankee Hurdle Cup trifecta.

At this point, Rydell switched gears from the previous year's strategy, deciding to give Leap of Faith one additional race and going with an 11-14-16 schedule over the second half of Year 28. The Week 11 outing was the Grade 1, 2 3/8-mile Dead Poets Challenge, which Leap of Faith had finished second in two years before. The race drew a full field that included Gnashing and Thames as the top challengers. At third call, Leap of Faith was seventh, 13 lengths behind pace-setter Thames. Making things tougher, Gnashing was two lengths ahead in sixth and making a hellacious charge of his own. They surged to the lead, then both made mistakes on the final jump. It was a thrilling final furlong, but Leap of Faith prevailed by a quarter-length with a seventh straight 100.

In Week 14, in a driving downpour, Leap of Faith took the starting gate with five challengers -- including Steward's Cup Steeplechase champion Cowboy Mac -- in the Grade 1, 4-mile East Coast Gold Cup. The field also included Yall, a six-time stakes winner who was victorious in The Imperial Empire at Hurdle Park in England earlier in the year, and half-brother Royal Reflect, a four-time stakes winner. Royal Reflect dominated the first three miles, building a six-length lead, while Leap of Faith, Yall and Cowboy Mac were close together in a pack in the middle of the field. Leap of Faith was the only one who ran a clean race, charging to the front in a superb performance (another 100) to beat Yall to the wire by more than a length, with Cowboy Mac third another two lengths behind.

The only two questions left for Leap of Faith to answer: Would the two-week break entering the Steward's Cup Steeplechase work out better than three weeks of rest had in the previous two years? And, of course, would the third time be the charm?

A full field took the gate, most of whom were well-known competitors, including defending champion Cowboy Mac (this wasn't his year, as he finished 10th and promptly retired), Star Conquest, Flezzy Flozzie, Mommy's Lil Angel, Konstantine's Bay and Gnashing. The top new contender was Pigeon Island, a future Champion Male Steeplechaser and SC Steeplechase champion who entered as a five-time stakes winner coming off two straight victories.

Flezzy Flozzie and Mommy's Lil Angel battled up front for the first two miles, while Star Conquest mounted a rally from fifth (15 lengths back) over the final six furlongs. Leap of Faith was even farther back (18 lengths behind) in seventh when he kicked into gear. Star Conquest took the lead from Flezzy Flozzie with the wire in sight, while the crowd stood to see if the hard-charging Leap of Faith would have enough. It came down to the final 100 meters, and a powerful final few strides propelled Leap of Faith to the wire a neck in front for a wildly popular victory, the final feather in his cap to complete a long and spectacular career.

Leap of Faith went 5-for-5 — all five Grade 1 wins, including the much-sought-after Steward's Cup Steeplechase title — with earnings of more than $500,000. He closed his racing career with a steeplechasing record of 21: 15-5-1, never finishing off the board, for earnings $300 shy of $1.2 million.

It was off to the breeding shed. To date, Leap of Faith's progeny have earned more than $23 million on the track, with three millionaires and 12 earning at least half a million. They include:

• Factious, 19-for-27 chasing, almost $1.8 million, The Imperial Empire, Steward's Cup Steeplechase and Cheshire Moon Chase winner, Champion Female Steeplechaser three times.

• Russian, 12-for-29 chasing, more than $1.25 million, Steward's Cup Steeplechase winner, Male Steeplechaser of the Year.

• Take the Leap, 14-for-25 chasing, more than $1.1 million, Steward's Cup Steeplechase and Cheshire Moon Chase winner, Male Steeplechaser of the Year.

• Dont Forget Tojump, 16-for-31 chasing, more than $950,000, Cheshire Moon Chase winner.

• Centauros, 15-for-26 chasing, more than $800,000, Steward's Cup Steeplechase winner, Champion Male Steeplechaser.

• Bay Bridge, 19-for-35 chasing, more than $800,000, East Coast Gold Cup winner, Steward's Cup Distaff Chase runner-up, Female Steeplechaser of the Year.

• Dzhigit, 11-for-32 chasing, more than $700,000, Steward's Cup Distaff Chase runner-up.

• I'll Leap for You, 10-for-22 chasing, more than $700,000, two-time East Coast Gold Cup winner, The Imperial Empire runner-up.

• Leap Leader, 14-for-36 chasing, almost $700,000, six graded stakes wins.

• Leap On Me, 14-for-31 chasing, more than $650,000, four graded stakes wins.

• Faith in the Child, 9-for-32 chasing, almost $600,000, Steward's Cup Steeplechase runner-up.

• Squirrel's Leap, 5-for-11 chasing, more than $550,000, Steward's Cup Steeplechase runner-up.

---

Back to Hall of Fame articles