Winston C Prevails in A. P. Smithwick

[Wandering Eyes]

Hudson River Farms’ Winston C (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) has talent, but he appeared to be in deep water Thursday in Saratoga Race Course’s $150,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase S. After all, the 5-year-old had begun the year as a maiden over fences, and he was lining up against 11 formidable contenders, including two horses making their first starts in the U.S.

In his favor, and a positive in the eyes of Saratoga bettors, was his trainer, Racing Hall of Fame member Jonathan Sheppard. The renowned horseman, now 78, had had his streak of 47 years with at least one Saratoga victory end in 2015, but the bettors know that he can strike at any time.

And strike he did, with a horse coming into his own and a young jockey, Thomas Garner, who helped Winston C to overcome early difficulties. With a steady move down Saratoga’s backstretch, Winston C drew into contention entering the final turn, grabbed the lead early in the stretch, and won by a widening 3 1/2 lengths.

Foxtrot NH Racing Partnership’s Vosne Romanee (GB) (Arakan), making his first run in the U.S., kept pace with Winston C into midstretch and finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Harold A. Via Jr.’s longshot Hinterland (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}). Riverdee Stable’s Gibralfaro (Ire) (Dakakhani {Ire}) finished fourth, another 4 1/2 lengths farther back. All three are trained by Jack Fisher.

Winston C represented a hometown win for Hudson River Farms, which is owned by Edward Swyer, an Albany developer and longtime steeplechase owner. Mostly, though, it was a tribute to Sheppard’s master touch. Justifiably pegged at 6–1 on the morning line, Winston C went off as the $3.35-to-1 second betting pick, a few dollars behind Irvin S. Naylor’s newcomer Bedrock (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who also was $3.35-to-1 and tired to finish sixth after contending at the top of the lane.

In his American debut, Winston C had finished a good third in the Iroquois Steeplechase’s Marcellus Frost Champion Hurdle for novices May 11, so he still had novice conditions and could have gone in Wednesday’s $75,000 Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes, which Garner won aboard Redicean (GB) (Medicean {GB}) for trainer Leslie Young.

But Sheppard decided to go for the brass ring and double the purse.

“He ran well in his last start at Iroquois in Tennessee, and I thought he was well enough to come back and enter here, and he showed it today,” Sheppard said.

Indeed, Winston C closed with a rush in the Nashville race after leaving himself with too much to do. Garner, who rode him in the Marcellus Frost, planned to be in midfield for the Smithwick. But Winston C broke slowly and wasn’t jumping well as Naylor’s Sempre Medici (Fr) (Medicean {GB}) set a vigorous pace on the front end. Garner took his mount back and let him settle.

“I just wanted to get him in rhythm and make sure he was doing his job properly, so I put a pull on him,” Garner said. “I got his confidence going and got him back jumping.”

Bedrock, ridden by Sean McDermott, made the first move on the final run down Saratoga’s backstretch, followed by Vosne Romanee and then Winston C. Sempre Medici led over the last fence and ran on into the final turn before beginning to tire.

Winston C and Vosne Romanee began to separate themselves from the rest of the field in midstretch, with Winston C leading by a length at the furlong pole and Vosne Romanee up by two lengths over Bedrock. Through the final 200 yards, Winston C proved to have the superior speed, much to trainer Sheppard’s delight.

“I’m not going to say I expected that flat run from him, but I hoped for it. He’s a little quicker than the average European steeplechase type,” he said.

Winston C ran the Smithwick’s 2 1/16 miles in 3:45.99 on a firm turf course before a deluge soaked the track and forced the cancellation of the program after the fourth race.

Thursday, Saratoga
A. P. SMITHWICK MEMORIAL STEEPLECHASE S., (NB) $150,000, Saratoga, 7-25, 4yo/up, 2 1/16mT, 3:45.99, fm.
1–WINSTON C (IRE), 144, g, 5, Rip Van Winkle (Ire)–
Pitrizza (Ire), by Machiavellian. (80,000gns Wlg ’14 TATFOA;
55,000gns Ylg ’15 TAOCT; 30,000gns 4yo ’18 TATFEB).
O-Hudson River Farms; B-Patrick F. Kelly (IRE); T-Jonathan E.
Sheppard; J-Thomas Garner. $90,000. Lifetime Record:
19-6-1-6, $187,893. *1/2 to Snow Watch (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}),
SW-Ire, Vilasol (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}), GSP-Ire.
2–Vosne Romanee (GB), 150, g, 8, Arakan–Vento Del Oreno
(Fr), by Lando (Ger). (800gns Ylg ’12 TATFEB; £4,500 Ylg ’12
DONNOV). O-Foxtrot NH Racing Partnership; B-Mrs L. M. G.
Walsh (GB); T-Jack O. Fisher. $27,000.
3–Hinterland (Fr), 142, g, 11, Poliglote (GB)–Queen Place (Fr),
by Diamond Prospect. O-Harold A. Via, Jr.; B-Eric Aubree &
Christian Bresson (FR); T-Jack O. Fisher. $15,000.
Margins: 3HF, 3/4, 4HF. Odds: 3.35, 5.50, 33.25.
Also Ran: Gibralfaro (Ire), All the Way Jose, Bedrock (GB), No Wunder (GB), Sempre Medici (Fr), Peppay Le Pugh (Ire), Belisarius (Ire), Modem (GB), Show Court (Ire). Scratched: Portrade (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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