Show Court Proves He Belongs with Smithwick Upset

[Wandering Eyes]

Without exception, the horses in Monday’s G1 $175,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase H. had something to prove at they walked onto Saratoga Race Course’s inner turf course.

Foremost, Hudson River Farms’ Iranistan (Einstein {Brz}) was out to prove that he belonged in top company after a huge class jump from his first novice stakes victory. Trained by Hall of Fame member Jonathan Sheppard, 4-year-old Iranistan had not been headed in his three career jumps victories this year.

Robert A. Kinsley’s Modem (GB) (Motivator {GB}), the A. P. Smithwick’s 156-pound highweight, was seeking to prove that he could win after five straight second-place finishes, all in Grade 1 races. All the Way Jose (Senor Swinger), a Grade 1 winner trained by Sheppard, aimed to show he was coming back from two subpar races. Magalen O. Bryant’s Personal Start (Jump Start) sought to prove he could move up a class after a Grade 2 win in May.

And then there was Mark W. Buyck Jr.’s Show Court (Ire) (Vinnie Roe {Ire}), who was trying to prove that, at age nine, he belonged in top company at all. He had finally graduated from the novice ranks last July when winning Saratoga’s Jonathan Kiser Novice S. Since then, he had picked up two sixth-place purse payments in Grade 1 races.

His trainer, Arch Kingsley Jr., has had success at Saratoga both as a jump jockey and a trainer, and he turned the reins back to Michael Mitchell, who also has shown himself to have an affinity for Saratoga. Last year, he won the Kiser and Smithwick on consecutive days.

Saratoga’s bettors did not declare Show Court to be a no-chance, but he went off at 14.10-to-1, the longest odds except for overseas invader Oskar Denarius (Authorized {Ire}), who tentatively proved he did not belong in top American company.

Show Court, on the other hand, showed he belonged, and so did Iranistan. Ridden confidently by Mitchell, Show Court stalked the leaders from fourth position for 1 3/4 miles, joined the leaders leaving Saratoga’s backstretch the last time, sailed through on the inside to take the lead early in the stretch, and fought off a game Iranistan for a one-length victory.

Woodslane Farm’s Overwhelming (Hard Spun), looking to prove he is back after missing last year’s jump season, closed from last in the field of seven to finish third, six lengths behind Iranistan. Pacesetter Personal Start was fourth, another 12 3/4 lengths back.

All the Way Jose finished fifth, Modem was off the board for the first time in the U.S. when finishing sixth, and Oskar Denarius was eased.

Iranistan, ridden by Darren Nagle, shadowed Personal Start from the flag start and ran on gamely under vigorous urging from Nagle, made clear that he is a horse to watch in the coming months, but he clearly was second-best in the Smithwick, which was postponed for four days because of wet turf.

Now a four-time winner over fences, Show Court ran the A. P. Smithwick’s 2 1/16 miles in 3:49 flat on turf rated as good.

A.P SMITHWICK MEMORIAL H., (NB) $175,000, Saratoga, 7-30, 4yo/up, 2 1/16mT, 3:49.00, gd.
1–SHOW COURT (IRE), 144, g, 9, Vinnie Roe (Ire)–Sparkling
   Gem (Ire), by Revoque (Ire). O-Mark W. Buyck, Jr.; B-Grange
Stud (IRE); T-Archibald J. Kingsley, Jr.; J-Michael Mitchell.
$105,000. Lifetime Record: 33-6-4-4, $304,926.
2–Iranistan, 143, g, 4, Einstein (Brz)–Miss Vindictive, by
Stephen Got Even. O-Hudson River Farms; B-Crossed Sabres
Farm (KY); T-Jonathan E. Sheppard. $31,500.
3–Overwhelming, 141, g, 8, Hard Spun–Oh What a Windfall, by
Seeking the Gold. O-Woodslane Farm; B-Phipps Stable (KY);
T-Jack O. Fisher. $17,500.
Margins: 1, 6, 12 3/4. Odds: 14.10, 1.10, 10.60.
Also Ran: Personal Start, All the Way Jose, Modem (GB), Oskar Denarius (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton

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