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Champion Trainer - 2007
Jack Fisher lands third title in five years
(Reprinted from American Steeplechasing - 2007)  Jack Fisher with 2007 Champion Jockey Xavier Aizpuru The clash came quickly. At the last fence of the opener Fisher's Fantorini battled Sheppard's The Price Of Love. Finding something he couldn't in seven previous starts, Fantorini rallied past The Price Of Love to give Fisher a two-win cushion. After trading wins, Fisher still held a two-win lead with two races to go. Good Night Shirt staved off a two-pronged Sheppard attack in the Colonial Cup to give Fisher his first victory in the historic race, his first Eclipse Award winner, and his third National Steeplechase Association title; finishing the year with 24 wins from 102 starters. Celebrating his 21st season as a trainer, Fisher won his first championship since back-to-back victories in 2003-2004 and his stable earned $916,628 in the process. Many times quality and quantity don't mix, but for Fisher in 2007, the feuding elements jelled like ice and cream. Fisher won the Imperial Cup, Grand National, Virginia Gold Cup, Marcellus Frost, Iroquois, Radnor Hunt Cup, Lonesome Glory, International Gold Cup and Colonial Cup, plus the feature at Charlotte, Willowdale, Philadelphia Park and the Jonathan Kiser Novice at Saratoga. He even gave up the Saratoga-bound Footlights, who ran in Roger Horgan's name and won twice, including the Grade I New York Turf Writers Cup. "This year was fun, it's not the pressure of trying to win it the first time," Fisher said. "The first time it meant a lot, this time it's nice, but it's nothing like winning it for the first time." Fisher began training a couple of family horses in the late 1980s and broke out in 1994 when he won 30 races, but fell short to a Sheppard tour de force. While Tom Voss, Sanna Hendriks and Bruce Miller took home their first championships, Fisher had to wait until 2003 to finally collect his.  Good Night Shirt "The thing you learn is that it all perpetuates itself, you keep doing the same stuff with the same kind of stock, you might have a bad year, but you keep doing it," Fisher said. "Maybe this year I learned a little bit, maybe I don't have to work them as hard - basically just seeing what you have on race day." Good Night Shirt had plenty on race day, though the 6-year-old was one dull race away from becoming a timber horse at the beginning of the year. He won the Iroquois, the Lonesome Glory and Colonial Cup, finished second in the Royal Chase and fourth in the Breeders' Cup-all Grade I's, while setting a single-season earnings mark with $314,163. Timber is on hold. "I'm most proud of Good Night Shirt, he kept surprising me all year long-I just didn't think he was that good," Fisher said. "I would say the Colonial Cup was my favorite moment because we beat McDynamo and it put us to a new level." And back on top.
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