International Influence in Lonesome Glory

[Wandering Eyes]

American steeplechasing increasingly is an international sport, with horses formerly based in England and Ireland filling the stables of U.S. owners.

While horses bred overseas have had an influence on the American sport for decades, the growing interest in finding the right horse for U.S. jump racing is evident in the field for Thursday’s $175,000 G1 Lonesome Glory Handicap at Belmont Park.

Of eight entrants, six were bred outside the United States, and the favorites most likely will have country codes after their names. (It’s hardly an anomaly. The preceding race on Belmont’s card, the William Entenmann Memorial Novice Hurdle, also will have six overseas-born horses from nine entrants.)

The big-money American races, notably the Far Hills Races’ $450,000 G1 Grand National in New Jersey Oct. 20, are the principal magnet, and leading Irish trainer Gordon Elliott has felt the pull. He will have one starter in the 2 1/2-mile Lonesome Glory, Clarcam (Fr) (Califet {Fr}), now owned by Rosbrian Farm and Wendy and Ben Griswold.

The County Meath horseman was also responsible for developing another favorite for the Lonesome Glory, Zanjabeel (GB) (Aussie Rules), who visited Far Hills last October and romped to an easy victory in the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle for novices, or horses in their first seasons of racing over fences.

Purchased by the Griswolds and the Rosbrian operation of Marylanders Mandy and George Mahoney, the now 5-year-old has blossomed into a championship contender for Pennsylvania-based trainer Ricky Hendriks. Zanjabeel scored a five-length victory in the G1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois May 12 and was given the summer off to prepare for the Lonesome Glory and the Grand National.

Zanjabeel will be ridden by Irish-based jockey Jack Kennedy, who was in the irons for the Foxbrook victory last fall. Zanjabeel’s regular rider, Ross Geraghty, will stay on another member of Hendriks’ stable, Optimus Prime (Fr) (Deportivo {GB}), who scored a relatively easy 1 1/4-length victory in Saratoga Race Course’s G1 New York Turf Writers Cup H. Aug. 23 in his U.S. debut.

Clarcam, who also made his U.S. bow in the New York Turf Writers, stumbled on landing after Saratoga’s Clubhouse fence, causing jockey Lisa O’Neill to lose her left iron. She stayed in the saddle and regained the iron, but by then Clarcam had lost all chance.

Still, Clarcam is a legitimate threat in the Lonesome Glory. The 8-year-old has won more than $600,000 in 48 career starts, and he arrived in America off a free-running victory in the €250,000 thetote.com Galway Plate Steeplechase Aug. 1. He will be ridden by Jack Doyle, who currently leads the jockey standings by wins. (Geraghty leads by earnings.)

Clarcam and Optimus Prime share the 158-pound highweight assignment in the Lonesome Glory, and Zanjabeel is next in the weights at 156.

Another overseas-bred horse, Show Court (Ire) (Vinnie Roe {Ire}), accounted for Saratoga’s other major steeplechase race, the G1 A. P. Smithwick Memorial H. July 30. Trained by Arch Kingsley Jr., Mark W. Buyck’s Show Court finished fourth in the New York Turf Writers.

 

View the full article