Optimus Prime Best in NY Turf Writers

[Wandering Eyes]

George Mahoney Jr. is one of those rare owners who says that winning isn’t everything. And he means it.

But Mahoney, who owns Rosbrian Farm in Maryland with wife Mandy, has been winning a lot of late. Rosbrian currently leads the National Steeplechase Association owner standings by earnings and has the year’s leading earner, Zanjabeel (GB) (Aussie Rules), now resting up for the fall championship season, and in particular, the Far Hills Races’ G1 Grand National Oct. 20.

Rosbrian has another major contender for year-end honors after Optimus Prime (Fr) (Deportivo {GB}) provided plenty of reason for optimism with a highly professional victory in Saratoga Race Course’s G1 New York Turf Writers Cup H. Thursday.

Saratoga’s premier steeplechase race, the New York Turf Writers opens the competition at longer distances, and Optimus Prime made easy work of the Saratoga race’s 2 3/8 miles, winning by 1 1/4 lengths with another well-timed move under Ross Geraghty, who collected his 100th American victory.

With two Irish newcomers from Gordon Elliott’s stable in the race, Optimus Prime got away at a price, 7.20-1, despite a good recent racing record for Dan Skelton in England. In 2017-2018, he had three straight novice steeplechase victories and a second in a rich novice steeplechase in Ireland.

After a start in May, he was turned out, but his regular jockey, Noel Fehily, recommended him to trainer Ricky Hendriks, who in turn touted him to the Mahoneys. That was enough for the Mahoneys, who gave the thumbs up to the private purchase.

With 54 days to Optimus Prime’s Saratoga target race, Hendriks, assistant Eve Ledyard, and the barn’s staff worked seven days a week to get him ready. And was he ever ready. Hendriks worked him against the top horses in training for the summer races. “He has demolished all the horses we have at home,” he said.

That included Wendy Hendriks’ Surprising Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}), who won Saratoga’s Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes for Hendriks and Geraghty a day earlier.

Top-level competition is another matter, of course, but Optimus Prime was in prime condition for the test. Clarcam (Fr) (Califet {Fr}), one of Elliott’s pair and now owned by Rosbrian and Ben and Wendy Griswold, kept company with Hudson River Farms’ four-year-old Iranistan (Einstein {Brz}) through the New York Turf Writers’ initial 1 1/2 miles.

Optimus Prime loped along comfortably right behind the leaders. Iranistan, most recently second in Saratoga’s G1 A. P. Smithwick Memorial H. and favored at 9-5, had the lead to himself when Clarcam stumbled after the third from last fence and lost all chance.

Trainer Jonathan Sheppard’s promising youngster led by a length at the last fence, located at the end of Saratoga’s backstretch run, but Geraghty was ready to make his move. He tipped Optimus Prime to the outside, gained ground on the turn, took the lead early in the stretch, and maintained his advantage to the finish line. Optimus Prime “just came with a run and did it easy at the end,” Geraghty said. “He’s the real deal, that horse.”

Armata Stables’ New Member (Ire) (Alhaarth {Ire}), a Saratoga novice stakes winner in July, made a solid sustained move to be second under Willie McCarthy. Iranistan finished third, 3 1/4 lengths farther back.

Hendriks, who moved into the top spot in the trainer standings with his second win of the week, said Optimus Prime probably will be pointed toward Belmont Park’s G1 Lonesome Glory H. Sept. 20.

 

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