Good Night Shirt named best of Maryland-breds

Good Night Shirt, who won his second straight Eclipse Award as the nation's champion steeplechaser this year, has been named the 2008 Maryland-bred horse of the year by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

A son of Concern, Good Night Shirt won five Grade 1 steeplechases last year at 7 and set a single-season record for earnings by a steeplechaser of $485,520. That was also the most money earned last year by a Maryland-bred horse.

Owned by Sonny and Ann Via and trained by Jack Fisher, Good Night Shirt has earned $969,083.

Good Night Shirt was one of four Maryland divisional champions bred solely or in partnership by Tom and Chris Bowman. The others are Peace Town (2-year-old male), Willsboro Point (3-year-old male), and Smart and Fancy (older female).

The other divisional winners are Miss Charm City (2-year-old filly), Sweet Goodbye (3-year-old filly), and Heros Reward (older male, sprinter, turf).