By Murray Evans
The Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Will Farish, the owner of Lane's End Farm in Versailles, became the third winner of the Keeneland gold pitcher when his horse Mineshaft captured the Ben Ali Stakes on Friday.

Lane's End Farm joins Claiborne Farm and Bwamazon as the only winners of the gold pitcher, now awarded to owners who have won 16 graded stakes races at Keeneland.

Claiborne Farm, located in Bourbon County near Paris, received the honor in 1968, while Bwamazon received its gold pitcher in 1983. Bwamazon, which no longer exists, was in Lexington.

"It's a terrific honor, something you don't shoot for but hope like heck that someday you will be able to do it," said Farish, the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. "It is a wonderful thing. We're very excited."

Keeneland awards a gold julep cup to the winning owner of each stakes race. After eight wins, an owner receives a gold tray. After eight more wins, the racetrack awards the gold pitcher.

Lane's End Farm has won only 14 graded stakes races at Keeneland, but its first win came in 1973, when Keeneland rules required only six such wins to earn a gold tray. The rules were changed in 1994 to require eight such wins for each step of the awards program, because of the increased number of stakes races at Keeneland.

Friday was a busy day for Farish and his wife Sarah. Princess Anne of Great Britain, who arrived in Kentucky on Thursday for a visit, is staying with the Farishes at Lane's End Farm. The princess will leave Kentucky on Sunday.

The Grade III Ben Ali was the last graded stakes race of Keeneland's spring season, which ended Friday. The race drew only four horses. Mineshaft, ridden by Robby Albarado, won the 1-1/8-mile race by nine lengths over American Style.

Albarado finished as the leader in the Keeneland spring jockey standings, with 17 wins, two more than Pat Day. D. Wayne Lukas finished atop the trainer standings with nine wins, three more than Thomas Amoss, Steven Asmussen and Ken McPeek.

McDynamo surges at end to win Royal Chase

McDynamo took the lead at the final hurdle and surged to a 7-1/2-length win over Shamrock Isle in the Grade I Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings on Friday, the final day of the spring racing season at Keeneland.

The 6-year-old son of Dynaformer took top honors in the $150,000-added race, one of the richest hurdle races in North America. McDynamo, who went off as the third favorite at 9-2, won for the eighth time in 17 lifetime starts and for the third time in a row.

Princess Anne of Great Britain, who is visiting Kentucky, presented the trophy in the winner's circle to McDynamo's owner, Michael J. Moran.

After the 2-1/2-mile race, All Gong, a 9-year-old British-bred gelding, collapsed and died on Keeneland's main track. State veterinarian Robert Lee Godman said a cause of death couldn't immediately be determined.

The favorite, Al Skywalker, entered on a two-race winning streak, including the Grade I Carolina Cup in South Carolina in impressive fashion on March 29. The 10-year-old California-bred gelding jumped to the lead at the start and held the advantage for the first two miles under jockey Tom Foley.

Shamrock Isle took the lead from Al Skywalker at the top of the stretch, but hard-charging McDynamo passed Shamrock Isle on the 13th hurdle and pulled away. McDynamo paid $11.20, $5.40 and $4.80.

McDynamo hadn't raced since Nov. 2, when he won the Grade I U.S. Championship Supreme novice hurdle stakes in Pine Mountain, Ga. Back under jockey Craig Thornton for the first time since June 6, McDynamo raced behind horses for much of the race before sweeping wide and making his move at the final turn.

"I flew in from New Zealand just to ride this horse," Thornton said. "He is a very special horse - worth making the trip for. He is a lot more mature than he was last year. He's done very well coming from novice to this company in such a short time."

Shamrock Isle paid $7.20 and $5.60. The 8-year-old Irish-bred gelding injured his left front suspensory ligament and was taken off the track by van after the race.

"I think the ground was stinging his feet a little bit," said Shamrock Isle's jockey, Gus Brown. "He had done enough for 2-1/2 miles. He didn't need to carry me back."

Praise the Prince, the second favorite at 4-1, paid $3.80 to show. Sanna Neilson Hendriks trains both McDynamo and Praise the Prince.

McDynamo "ran awesome, and did you see Praise the Prince?" Hendriks said. "... He wasn't going to be third."

Al Skywalker, who finished second in the Royal Chase last year, faded in the stretch and finished fifth.

Three horses didn't finish the race. Turkish Corner was distanced in the stretch. Anofferucantrefuse left the course and was pulled up just before the 11th fence. Quel Senor, the 2001 Breeders' Cup Steeplechase winner, landed badly after clearing the 10th fence and unseated rider Cyril Murphy. Murphy was uninjured.