Bruton Street-US's Snap Decision, with Willie McCarthy in the saddle, won a Saratoga allowance hurdle by 38 1/2 lengths on Aug. 14. (Tod Marks photo)
A field of young, fresh horses will line up Wednesday for a highly competitive edition of Belmont Park’s $75,000 William Entenmann Memorial Novice Stakes. Post time is 3 p.m. at the Long Island track.
The Entenmann’s oldest competitors are five-year-olds, and three of its eight entrants are four-year-olds.
Jack Fisher, all but assured the year’s training titles with 27 wins already in the hopper and more than $1-million in purse earnings, will field three contenders for the 2 1/4-mile Entenmann.
Michael Mitchell, currently leading the jockey standings, will be aboard Hyggelig Haven’s four-year-old Cracker Factory, who finished 13th in the Cheltenham Festival’s Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle in March before being shipped to the U.S.
Fisher named Sean McDermott will ride Riverdee Stable’s City Dreamer, who won the Iroquois Steeplechase’s Marcellus Frost Champion Hurdle in May.
Completing the Fisher trio is Bruton Street-US’s Snap Decision, a 38½-length winner in a Saratoga Race Course allowance hurdle on Aug. 14. Willie McCarthy, who had four wins over the summer season, will ride.
Also coming out of the Marcellus Frost is Irv Naylor’s Chief Justice, who finished fourth, beaten 1¼ lengths, in his U.S. debut. He finished 12th in the Fred Winter and won an Aintree handicap hurdle before arriving in time for the Nashville race. Trainer Cyril Murphy named Graham Watters to ride the four-year-old.
Trainer Richard Valentine will saddle Jacqueline Ohrstrom’s Arch My Boy, who finished a good second in Saratoga’s Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes, his U.S. debut, in July. Before arriving in the U.S., Arch My Boy had scored two easy victories in England. Kieran Norris will ride.
KMSN Stable’s Sportswear very likely would have been the favorite in the Kiser, but he developed a fleeting episode of lameness and was scratched. Trained by Jonathan Sheppard, the four-year-old Frankel gelding will be ridden by Gerard Galligan.
Ricky Hendriks, who finished second to Fisher in last year’s trainer standings, will field two Rosbrian Farm contenders. Teodoro flashed to a 33¾-length win at Saratoga on Aug. 28, and the speedy front-runner will again be ridden by Ross Geraghty.
Jack Doyle, who moved into second place in the jockey standings with four summer wins, will ride Rosbrian’s Veneer of Charm, who was unplaced in his only jumps start this year, the Queen’s Cup MPC ’Chase for novices on April 27.
Here is the field for Wednesday’s $75,000 William Entenmann Memorial Novice Stakes in post-position order. The horses’ National Steeplechase Association ratings are in parentheses at the end of their profiles.
Chief Justice (GB). 2015 b. g., Acclamation—Freedom Pass, by Gulch. Owner: Irvin S. Naylor. Trainer: Cyril Murphy. Jockey: Graham Watters. Breeder: G. B. Partnership (GB). 2019 NSA record: 1-0-0-0, $5,000. In U.S. debut for former trainer Gordon Elliott, closed well to be fourth in Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2019 Marcellus Frost Novice Stakes. Won his send-off race, a quality handicap race at Aintree on Grand National day. Tested at Cheltenham in Fred Winter Handicap and finished in midpack. Won three straight races as a three-year-old in 2018. (133)
Sportswear (GB). 2015 b. g., Fankel (GB)—Casual Look, by Red Ransom. Owner: KNSN Stable. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Jockey: Gerard Galligan. Breeder: W. S. Farish (GB). 2019 record: 2-2-0-0, $48,000. Undefeated over fences after maiden score at 2019 Middleburg Spring and allowance victory at Iroquois. Failed as a flat horse for top trainers Chad Brown and Neil Howard. (121)
Arch My Boy (GB). 2014 b. g., Archipenko—Fairy Slipper (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). Owner: Jacqueline Ohrstrom. Trainer: Richard Valentine. Jockey: Kieran Norris. Breeder: Wood Farm Stud (GB). 2019 NSA record: 1-0-1-0, $27,000. Came on late to be second in Saratoga’s 2019 Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes, his U.S. debut. Won his final two starts in England by a combined 39 lengths. Scored maiden hurdle victory at Fakenham by nine lengths and then won off by 30 in an allowance hurdle at Huntingdon in April. (141)
Teodoro (Ire). 2014 ch. g., Teofilo (Ire)—Altesse Imperiale, by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). Owner: Rosbrian Farm. Trainer: Ricky Hendriks. Ross Geraghty. Breeder: John Connaughton (Ire). 2019 NSA record: 3-2-1-0, $62,400. Won 2019 Saratoga allowance hurdle by 33¾ lengths. Won maiden hurdle at Fair Hill by 14 lengths after second in Middleburg Spring maiden. Won Haydock’s Rose of Lancaster Stakes (Eng-G3) on flat in 2018. (127)
Veneer of Charm (Ire). 2014 b. g., Fast Company (Ire)—Nova Tor (Ire), by Trans Island (GB). Owner: Rosbrian Farm. Trainer: Ricky Hendriks. Jockey: Jack Doyle. Breeder: P. Burns (Ire). 2019 NSA record: 1-0-0-0, $0. 2018 NSA record: 2-0-0-0, $6,750. Opened 2019 with eighth in Queen’s Cup MPC ’Chase. Finished sixth in Far Hills’ 2018 Foxbrook Champion Hurdle division, then was fifth in Aflac Supreme Hurdle at Steeplechase at Callaway. Scored 33-1 upset victory in 2018 Cheltenham Festival handicap hurdle but failed to retain that form and finished well-beaten sixth in an allowance hurdle in his final overseas start. (123)
City Dreamer (Ire). 2014 ch. g., Casamento—Cadesia, by Cadeaux Genereux (GB). Owner: Riverdee Stable. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Sean McDermott. Breeder: Redpender Stud (Ire). 2019 record: 2-1-0-0, $65,000. 2018 NSA record: 2-0-0-0, $9,250. Won Iroquois Steeplechase’s 2019 Marcellus Frost Champion Hurdle after fourth in Queen’s Cup MPC ’Chase. Finished fifth in Belmont Park’s 2018 William Entenmann Memorial Novice Stakes, his U.S. debut, then was fourth in Far Hills’ Foxbrook Champion Hurdle division. Won two English juvenile hurdles in September 2017 and had been competitive in modest handicap company before joining Fisher stable in summer 2018. (133)
Cracker Factory (GB). 2015 b. g., Poet’s Voice—Pure Song, by Singspiel (Ire). Owner: Hyggelg Haven. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Michael Mitchell. Breeder: W. & R. Barnett Ltd. (GB). 2019 NSA record: No starts. Looking for first victory since last November. Raced at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival and finished 13th in the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle, his last start before export. (135)
Snap Decision. 2014 b. g., Hard Spun—Salute, by Unbridled. Owner: Bruton Street-US. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Willie McCarthy. Breeder: Phipps Stable (Ky.) 2019 record: 4-2-2-0, $71,400. Drew away impressively to win 2019 Saratoga allowance hurdle by 38½ lengths. Secured maiden win at Monmouth Park in July 2019 after second-place finishes at Queen’s Cup and Iroquois. Previously trained by Shug McGaughey and had two wins on the flat. (125)