Hudson River Farms' Winston C, shown winning Saratoga's New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap (Gr. 1), will carry the 160-pound highweight in Thursday's Lonesome Glory Handicap (Gr. 1) at Belmont Park. (Tod Marks photo)
Hudson River Farms’ Winston C, invincible at Saratoga Race Course this summer, will take on many of steeplechasing’s leading competitors in Thursday’s $150,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap (Gr. 1). Among his opponents is Eclipse Award winner Scorpiancer, also a Grade 1 race winner this season.
Trained by Racing Hall of Fame member Jonathan Sheppard, Irish-bred Winston C thrashed his competition at Saratoga, winning the A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. 1) by 3½ lengths and the New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap (Gr. 1) by 8¾ lengths.
Ridden by Thomas Garner, who touted the five-year-old to the Sheppard camp last spring, Winston C will be asked to extend to 2½ miles from the New York Turf Writers’ 2 3/8 miles, but he was pulling away in both Saratoga races. Those two victories earned him the 160-pound highweight in the Lonesome Glory.
Two pounds below him is Bruton Street-US’s Scorpiancer, the 2017 Eclipse winner who won the Lonesome Glory in 2016. Scorpiancer skipped the summer’s races after winning the Calvin Houghland Iroquois (Gr. 1) for a second time in May.
The 10-year-old Irish-bred is trained by Jack Fisher and again will have Sean McDermott in the saddle. Fisher also will saddle two other starters, Bruton Street-US’s Moscato and Sonny Via’s Hinterland.
Moscato won the Temple Gwathmey Handicap (Gr. 2) in April before finishing third in the Iroquois, beaten a length. He locked up the 2017 novice championship with a victory in Belmont Park’s William Entenmann Memorial Novice Stakes. Current leading jockey Michael Mitchell will ride the eight-year-old, who carries 148 pounds.
Willie McCarthy will be aboard Hinterland, who finished third in the Smithwick and fourth in the New York Turf Writers. The French-bred 11-year-old was assigned 142 pounds.
Trainer Leslie Young will have a strong hand for the Lonesome Glory with Irv Naylor’s Bedrock and Sharon Sheppard’s Redicean. Third in the weights at 152 pounds, Bedrock tired to finish sixth in the Smithwick, his U.S. debut. He will be reunited with Rachael Blackmore, who rode him to two victories in Ireland last fall.
Jack Doyle, now second in the jockey standings after a four-win summer season, takes over the mount on Redicean, who graduated from the novice ranks with a victory in Saratoga’s Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes under Garner. After his Kiser win, Redicean finished a distant fourth in the John’s Call Stakes on the flat at Saratoga. He carries 148 pounds for the Lonesome Glory.
Wendy Hendriks’ Surprising Soul, assigned 114 pounds, will be making his first start since finishing second in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois, a length behind Scorpiancer and a head in front of Moscato. Ross Geraghty rides the Ontario-bred for trainer Ricky Hendriks, the owner’s son.
In addition to Winston C, Sheppard will saddle Buttonwood Farm’s All the Way Jose, winner of the 2017 Lonesome Glory. The 9-year-old Sheppard-bred finished fourth in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois and fifth in both Saratoga Grade 1 races. He carries 142.
Completing the field and also carrying 142 pounds is Belisarius, who finished third in the New York Turf Writers. Owned by Gary Barber, Brous Racing Stable, and Wachtel Stable, Belisarius is trained by Kate Dalton and will be ridden by her husband, Bernie Dalton.
Here is the field for the $150,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap (Gr. 1) in post-position order. The horses’ handicap weights are in parentheses at the end of their profiles.
Scorpiancer (Ire). 2009 b. g., Scorpion (Ire)—Janebailey, By Silver Patriarch. Owner: Bruton Street-US. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Sean McDermott. Breeder: Mary O’Connor (Ire). 2019 record: 2-1-0-0, $90,000. 2018 record: No starts. 2017 record: 2-2-0-0, $150,000. Won Calvin Houghland Iroquois (Gr. 1) for a second time in 2019. Missed 2018 season and was pulled up in his first 2019 start, the Temple Gwathmey Handicap (Gr. 2). Claimed 2017 Eclipse Award with victories in Calvin Houghland Iroquois and Temple Gwathmey. Won Belmont Park’s 2016 Lonesome Glory Handicap (Gr. 1). (158)
Moscato (GB). 2011 gr. or ro. g., Hernando (Fr)—Alba Stella, by Nashwan. Owner: Bruton Street-US. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Michael Mitchell. Breeder: Miss K. Rausing (GB). 2019 record: 2-1-0-1, $60,000. 2018 record: No starts. 2017 record: 6-4-2-0, $156,000. Novice champion of 2017 returned from a year on the sidelines and won the 2019 Temple Gwathmey Handicap (Gr. 2), then was third in Calvin Houghland Iroquois (Gr. 1). Won Belmont Park’s 2017 William Entenmann Novice Stakes and Saratoga’s Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes impressively after strong closing second in Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes. (148)
Surprising Soul. 2012 b. g., Perfect Soul (Ire)—Elusive Srprise, by Elusive Quality. Owner: Wendy W. Hendriks. Trainer: Ricky Hendriks. Jockey: Ross Geraghty. Breeder: Charles Fipke (Ont.) 2019 record: 2-0-1-0, $29,500. 2018 record: 3-2-1-0, $97,500. 2017 record: 7-3-0-1, $106,500. Finished second in 2019 Calvin Houghland Iroquois (Gr 1) after fourth in Carolina Cup Handicap. Won Saratoga’s 2018 Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes, then was second in a Far Hills’ Foxbrook Champion Hurdle division. Opened 2018 with dominant victory in Radnor’s National Hunt Cup (Gr. 3). (144)
Bedrock (GB). 2013 b. g., Fastnet Rock (Aus)—Gemstone, by Galileo (Ire). Owner: Irvin S. Naylor. Trainer: Leslie Young. Jockey: Rachael Blackmore. Breeders: Highclere Stud and ORS Bloodstock (GB). 2019 NSA record: 1-0-0-0, $4,500. Made late bid in Saratoga’s 2019 A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. 1) and tired to finish sixth. Began his U.S. career after two victories in Irish hurdle stakes at Tipperary and Down Royal in fall of 2018. (152)
Hinterland (Fr). 2008 b. g., Poliglote (GB)—Queen’s Place, by Diamond Prospect. Owner: Harold A. “Sonny” Via Jr. Trainer: Jack Fisher. Jockey: Willie McCarthy. Breeder: Eric Aubree and Christian Bresson (Fr). 2019 record: 5-0-1-1, $35,450. 2018 record: 4-0-1-0, $63,750. 2017 record: 2-0-1-0, $36,000. Ran evenly to be third in Saratoga’s 2019 A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. 1) and fourth in the New York Turf Writers Cup (Gr. 1). Finished second in 2019 Valentine Handicap after fourth in Virginia Gold Cup’s David Semmes Memorial (Gr. 2) and fifth in Carolina Cup. Finished closing second in Belmont Park’s 2018 Lonesome Glory Handicap (Gr. 1), then was fourth in Far Hills’ Grand National (Gr. 1). (142)
Redicean (GB). 2014 b. g., Medicean (GB)—Red Halo, by Galileo (Ire). Owner: Sharon E. Sheppard. Trainer: Leslie Young. Jockey: Jack Doyle. Breeder: Cheveley Park Stud (GB). 2019 NSA record: 1-0-0-0, $45,000. Graduated from novice ranks with victory in Saratoga’s 2019 Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes, his first U.S. start after respectable career in England. Departed with 11th in Scottish Champion Hurdle in April. (148)
All the Way Jose. 2010 b. g., Senor Swinger—Maternity Leave, by Northern Baby. Owner: Buttonwood Farm. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Jockey: Gerard Galligan. Breeder: Jonathan Sheppard (Pa.) 2019 record: 4-0-0-0, $23,250. 2018 record: 6-0-1-1, $ 68,200. 2017 record: 7-2-1-3, $179,300. Finished fifth in Saratoga’s 2019 A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. 1) and New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap (Gr. 1). In 2019 debut, finished fourth in the Temple Gwathmey Handicap (Gr. 2), then was fourth in Calvin Houghland Iroquois (Gr. 1). Finished second in 2018 Noel Laing Handicap at Montpelier Hunt Races. Finished third in 2018 Grand National Gr. 1) for second straight year, after fifth in A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. 1) and sixth in New York Turf Writers Cup (Gr. 1) at Saratoga. Won 2017 Lonesome Glory Handicap (Gr. 1). (142)
Belisarius (Ire). 2011 b. g., Montjeu—Lasting Chance, by American Chance. Owner: Gary Barber, Brous Stable, and Wachtel Racing Stable. Trainer: Kate Dalton. Jockey: Bernie Dalton. Breeders: Lynch Bages Ltd. And Camas Park Stud (Ire). 2019 NSA record: 4-0-1-1, $28,500. 2018 NSA record: 6-2-1-2, $106,200. Finished third in Saratoga’s 2019 New York Turf Writers Cup (Gr. 1) after 10th in A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. 1). In 2019 debut, finished second in Temple Gwathmey Handicap (Gr. 2), then was ninth in Iroquois’ Marcellus Frost Champion Hurdle for novices. Won 2018 Foxbrook Champion Hurdle by 6¼ lengths. Set all the pace and won 2018 Monmouth Park maiden hurdle by two lengths. (142)
Winston C (Ire). 2014 b. g., Rip Van Winkle (Ire)—Pitirizza, by Machiavellian. Owner: Hudson River Farms. Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard. Jockey: Thomas Garner. Breeder: Patrick F. Kelly (Ire). 2019 NSA record: 3-2-0-1, $100,000. Won the 2019 A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. 1) by a widening 3½ lengths and then won New York Turf Writers Cup (Gr. 1) by 8¾ lengths. Opened his U.S. career with third in 2019 Marcellus Frost Champion Hurdle for novices. Won three straight starts in winter-spring season in England before fifth in Betway Top Hurdle. (160)