Peter Leone and My Pleasure Win the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix presented by Zoetis, Kicking off HITS Saugerties 2014 Competition and Festivities

SAUGERTIES, NY (May 24, 2014) – Peter Leone put the antics of nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, My Pleasure, to good use on Friday when he jumped to win the first of 16 grand prix offered during the 2014 HITS Saugerties Spring Circuit – the  $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis.

“My Pleasure is a character,” said Leone. “He preserves his energy and when it’s time for him to do his job, he is full of it.”

My Pleasure, sired by For Pleasure – the mount of Germany's Lars Nieberg in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics – came alive at the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, according to Leone. While still an inexperienced jumper, Leone introduced My Pleasure to the top tier of the sport this winter, competing him in the debut of the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix. Despite being out of the money, Leone recognized the foreshadowing of a bright future.

“I jumped against For Pleasure in the 1996 games and this horse’s technique is just like his father’s,” said Leone. “This is his first year jumping consistently at the grand prix level and he's turned many impressive corners lately, winning two of the last three grand prix he jumped in.” 

Leone was eighth in the order of 32, and returned fourth in a 14-horse jump-off. Marina Azevedo of Campinas, Brazil set a technical track of 13 obstacles and 16 jumping efforts, including a one-stride double combination, long triple combination line across the center of the ring and vertical-oxer bending line for the last two fences.

Ten double-clear rounds left the final results to the clock. Darragh Kenny of Wellington, Florida pocketed a clear round as the first go in the original order and was first to return on Hyperion Stud, LLC’s Imothep. The pair set an early Great American Time to Beat at 40.44 seconds.

Two trips later, Leone was the first, and eventually last, to best his time with 38.73 seconds on the clock in a clear effort. Ten more tried to best Leone and My Pleasure, but couldn’t touch their time.

Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, Florida was second and third after piloting Quality Group’s Quality Girl to 38.88 seconds and Arino Du Rouet, owned by Two Swans Farm, to 39.13 seconds. Adam Prudent of Middleburg, Virginia rode to fourth aboard Patrick Flin & Plain Bay’s Vasco with a time of 39.80 seconds, while Kenny and Imothep capped the top five.

The SmartPak Grand Prix kicked off qualifying for the Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix, which will return to the HITS Championship September 3-7 alongside a host of year-end finals.

“The success of the Winter Circuits is certainly carrying over to HITS Saugerties, coupled with the popularity of our Championship classes,” said President and CEO Tom Struzzieri. “As a result, HITS-on-the-Hudson II is already close to being sold out.”

Qualifying for the HITS Championship will continue throughout the HITS Saugerties Circuit and grand prix action continues Sunday with the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, in the Strongid® C 2X™ Grand Prix Stadium.

©ESI Photography
Peter Leone and My Pleasure may be a new partnership on the grand prix scene, but it didn’t show on Friday when they jumped to the top of the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis. The grand prix was the first of the HITS Saugerties Spring Circuit.

 
©ESI Photography
Asia Manning of HITS presented winner’s honors, including a Horze Equestrian cooler, to Peter Leone and My Pleasure after their win in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis.

 $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome
Ronan McGuigan and his own Capall Zidane started to appear in top grand prix placings this winter before kicking HITS Saugerties off to an exciting start with a win in the $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome on Wednesday. They topped a field of 24 and returned to familiar territory.

“Capall Zidane always jumps great here and he started his grand prix career here [in Saugerties],” said McGuigan who hails from Far Hills, New Jersey. “Nice to start the week off with a win and we are now focused on working up to Sunday’s grand prix.”

Prudent finished second in the irons of Henri Prudent’s Si Bella, and Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, New Jersey capped the top three with Mary Chapot’s Umberto. Chapot dominated the rest of the top five, finishing fourth with Mary Chapot’s Zealous and fifth on Quointreau Un Prince, owned by herself and McLain Ward.

Brook Ledge Horse Transportation will continue to present a weekly jumper class throughout HITS Saugerties. Aside from the winner’s purse, Brook Ledge Open Welcome riders also compete for the Brook Ledge Rider Bonus, which includes a $1,500 shipping credit for the rider who accumulates the most points in those classes throughout the HITS Saugerties circuit.

©ESI Photography
Ronan McGuigan and Capall Zidane on their way to a win in the $10,000 Brooke Ledge Open Welcome at HITS Saugerties.

About SmartPak
SmartPak powers healthy horses and happy riders. The patented SmartPak Supplement Feeding System™ makes it easy for riders across the country to take the best care of their horses. Founded in 1999, with the purpose of simplifying the administration of nutritional supplements and medications to horses, the system has been adopted by thousands of barns and horse owners across the country, who value knowing that their supplements will be fed correctly. For more information, visit SmartPak.com.

About Zoetis
Building on 60 years of experience as Pfizer Animal Health, Zoetis delivers quality medicines and vaccines, complemented by diagnostics products and genetics tests and supported by a range of services. They work every day to better understand and address the real-world challenges faced by those who raise and care for animals in ways they find truly relevant. Zoetis produces a comprehensive range of safe and effective products, including equine vaccines, dewormers and sedative analgesics, to help professionals and individual horse owners keep their animals healthy. Both veterinarians and horse owners know and trust the Zoetis will help their horses live longer, healthier lives. For more information, visit Zoetis.com.

$25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis
 

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize $	Rd 1 Faults	JO Faults	JO Time
1	Peter Leone	My Pleasure, LLC	My Pleasure	$7,500	0	0	38.73
2	Quality Girl	Quality Group	Todd Minikus	$5,500	0	0	38.88
3	Arino Du Rouet	Two Swans Farm	Todd Minikus	$3,250	0	0	39.13
4	Vasco	Patrick Flin & Plain Bay	Adam Prudent	$2,000	0	0	39.80
5	Imothep	Hyperion Stud, LLC	Darragh Kenny	$1,500	0	0	40.44
6	Zerro Leone	Darragh Kerins	Darragh Kerins	$1,250	0	0	41.60
7	Combina	Bellissimo, LLC	Candice King	$1,000	0	0	41.90
8	Wannick WH	Candy Tribble	Christine McCrea	$750	0	0	43.64
9	Quattro Queen	Juan Torres	Judy Garafalo Torres	$750	0	0	44.56
10	Brugal VDL	Candy Tribble	Jonathan McCrea	$500	0	0	47.94
11	Dulien Van De Smeets	Blue Chip Bloodstock	McLain Ward	$500	0	4	39.62
12	Czardas 30	Ilan Ferder	Kirsten Coe	$500	0	4	41.90