'Jump': Exculpate crushes field in the $100,000 Randolph Rouse, Zarak the Brave Takes Center Stage + All the Colonial Results!
'Jump': Exculpate crushes field in the $100,000 Randolph Rouse, Zarak the Brave Takes Center Stage + All the Colonial Results!
Wednesday August 14th, Edition #45
In Case You Missed It: This Weeks Top 4 USA Jump Racing Stories
Contents
Saratoga - Zarak Unleashed: The French Bred, trained by Garner, makes his NSA debut!
Results - All This Week’s Results from Colonial
The $150,000 William H. Allison Stakes - Another Grade 1 added to the NSA calendar
Did you know? - The legendary Jonathan Sheppard
“The ‘Jump newsletter’ is an absolute boon to me. Now domiciled in the UK, it keeps me updated on US jump racing. Thank you.” - Barbara Shaw (Facebook)
Saratoga: Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Steeplechase
Garner saddles Zarak the Brave in search of first Sheppard win as trainer
Trainer Thomas Garner won the 2021 Jonathan Sheppard as a jockey aboard The Mean Queen.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – As a jockey, Thomas Garner has won four of the last five runnings of the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Steeplechase, renamed in 2021 from the New York Turf Writers Cup.
Wednesday, Garner will try to win his first Jonathan Sheppard as a trainer, when he sends out the French-bred Zarak the Brave in what appears to be a wide-open renewal of the 2 3/8-mile race over National Fences at Saratoga. The Sheppard, renamed for the Hall of Fame trainer who won the New York Turf Writers Cup 15 times, goes as the first of 10 races on Wednesday’s card.
Garner retired from full-time riding at the end of last year to go into training and bloodstock work. He said he’ll ride occasionally – he is 1 for 3 this year – when he or a fellow trainer can’t get the desired rider for a particular horse, but Garner prefers to keep his feet on the ground.
Zarak the Brave was eligible for the Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes, which was rained out both times it was scheduled at this meet. Garner believes Zarak the Brave, who is the 158-pound highweight, has credentials to run in this Grade 1 event.
At this time last year, Zarak the Brave, trained by Willie Mullins, won the highly rated Galway Hurdle in Ireland, where, in a field of 19, he made the lead in midstretch and held off a bevy of late challengers.
“That is probably his career-best performance,” Garner said. “It’s a very competitive race at the Galway Festival, and he won that as a 4-year-old. They stepped him up and he showed his class in the English Champion hurdle in March, where he finished fourth. He went to Fairyhouse and on slow, tacky ground he finished second to a nice horse in Brewin’upastorm.”
NYRA races are broadcast live on Fox2 TV, with replays available on NYRA website, https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/replays.
Read the full article at DRF.com
Monday’s Results:
Colonial
Colonial Downs Recap
Exculpate crushes field in $100,000 Randolph Rouse Memorial filly & mare stakes
Photo credit to Darrell Wood; Coady Media provided the race-action photo.
A recent convert to jump racing, Atsamy Racing Club's Exculpate ran her record to two wins and two seconds in four NSA starts since March. For good measure, Atsamy's Cainudothetwist finished second, giving trainer Arch Kingsley a day to savor.
After finishing second in her maiden debut, the daughter of Blame was second to powerhouse Right Tempo in the Margaret Currey Henley stakes at the Iroquois Races in May, then was a wire-to-wire winner back in maiden company at Colonial Downs last month.
Today, under Parker Hendriks, Exculpate raced to a wide advantage in the field of seven in the first half mile, with Afraid Not in second and Haint Blue in third. After struggling a bit over the third fence, Exculpate still maintained a sizeable advantage, repelled a brief challenge on the final turn by Haint Blue, and drew clear with authority. The winning margin was 15 1/2 lengths. Cainudothetwist and jockey Graham Watters, who won the first two races on the card, rallied for the place spot. Haint Blue and Bernie Dalton were third.
Before switching to jumps, Exculpate made 14 starts at Monmouth and Oaklawn parks, mostly in maiden claiming and claiming events.
Newcomer Palio romps by 14 to break maiden
Photo credit to Darrell Wood; Coady Media provided the race-action photo.
Coming off of a third in his U.S. debut, Riverdee Stables' Palio broke his maiden in runaway style in today's opener at Colonial, a $50,000 maiden special weights contest at 2 1/4 miles.
The Irish-bred four-year-old winner was ridden by leading NSA jockey Graham Watters and trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher.
Palio sat in second behind Gill Johnston's Anzio, who streaked to a big lead early, rallied going up the backside second time around the course, took charge heading around the final term, and drew off under wraps. Mathew T. Groff's Pavoni was second; Anzio, third.
Prior to coming stateside, Palio, whose sire Vadamos was a French-bred Grade 1 winner of nearly $1 million, made nine starts in England, most recently finishing second in a handicap hurdle at Ascot in March. He finished third to Walk the Warrior at Colonial in his first NSA start in July.
Watters, Fisher, Riverdee strike again in handicap
Photo credit to Darrell Wood; Coady Media provided the race-action photo.
Make it two straight wins on today's Colonial jump racing card for jockey Graham Watters, trainer Jack Fisher and owner Riverdee Stable (along with co-owner Ten Strike Racing).
This time the winner in the $35,000 handicap for horses rated at 115 or less was Jimmy Dan, a six-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Kitten's Joy.
Following a 27-race career on the flat, Jimmy Dan switched to hurdles in the spring and has now captured three of four outings. Today, Jimmy Dan sat back in fourth for the first two miles as Minella Plus set the pace in the field of five. He rallied leaving the final fence, wearing down Silverton Hill's favored Two Past Eight in the stretch to score by a length and a quarter. It was another 23 lengths back to Minella Plus in third.
Read the full reports at facebook.com/tod.marks.9
The $150,000 William H. Allison Stakes:
International Gold Cup adds another Grade 1 to NSA calendar
Dr. Will Allison at the Gold Cup Races
The Virginia Gold Cup Association revealed plans for its second new Grade 1 fixture of the year, to be run as part of the $410,000 card at Great Meadow Race Course in The Plains, Va., on Oct. 26.
The $150,000 William H. Allison Stakes, named in honor of the president of the Gold Cup Association and co-chair of both the Virginia Gold Cup Races in the spring and its fall counterpart, the International Gold Cup Races, will be contested as a handicap hurdle event for four-year-olds and up at 2 1/8 miles over a dozen national fences.
The Allison is the ninth Grade 1 on this year's National Steeplechase Association circuit, four more than the 2023 total and the most in the history of the NSA, according to Racing Director Bill Gallo.
"The Virginia Gold Cup board has been looking for a way to honor Will’s long-standing dedication and commitment to the Virginia Gold Cup Races," said Allison's co-chair Al Griffin, who also serves as NSA president. "He has followed the tradition of Warrenton Hunt masters who have also held the reins of the Virginia Gold Cup Races. (The Gold Cup Races were founded by the Warrenton Hunt.) Will led us through the effort to gain pari-mutuel wagering at Gold Cup, and serves as a board member of the Virginia Equine Alliance. I can think of no one who has done more to further the effort at Gold Cup than Dr. Will Allison.“
The Allison comes on the heels of the inaugural Grade 1 $150,000 Commonwealth Cup, which was carded as part of the Virginia Gold Cup program in May.
The Allison will take place a week after the Grade 1 $250,000 American Grand National at Far Hills in New Jersey, the seminal event on the NSA calendar. But whereas the Grand National is a weight-for-age contest at 2 5/8 miles, the Allison will be run under handicap conditions at 2 1/8 miles, thus making it an attractive option for horses who favor a shorter distance of ground.
By creating the new Grade 1, the Virginia Gold Cup Association is shifting the David "Zeke" Ferguson, previously a Grade 2 hurdle stakes, to the popular Steeplethon on the International Gold Cup card. The Steeplethon will now be run in memory of Ferguson, a local builder, developer, horseman and sportsman.
PICTURED: Dr. Will Allison at the Gold Cup Races
Read the full article at Facebook.com/tod.marks.9
Did you know....
Sheppard in the winners circle after Italian Wedding won the 2013 Turf Writers Cup, with Bernie Dalton in the saddle - Tod Marks
That the legendary Jonathan Sheppard won the G1 New York Turf Writers Cup -- the previous name of the stake named in his honor -- 15 times. Sheppard, of course, is THE towering figure in American steeplechasing history. His incredible list of accomplishments is jaw-dropping. To name a few:
● Won at least one race at Saratoga for 47 consecutive years, from 1969 to 2015.
● Captured the Breeders’ Cup Grand National four times, and Colonial Cup 11 times
● Amassed a record of 20,997 starters, who collectively posted
3,426 wins, 3,099 seconds, and 2,975 thirds. His total purse earnings: $88,679,925.
● Trained 15 Eclipse-Award champions: Athenian Idol (1973); Cafe Prince (1977-78): Martie’s Anger (1979); Flatterer (1983-86); Jimmy Lorenzo (1988); Highland Bud (1989); Forever Together (2008); Informed Decision (2009); Mixed Up (2009); Divine Fortune (2013); and Winston C (2019).
● Among his top flat horses were Forever Together, Informed Decision, and With Anticipation. He also trained Storm Cat, one of the most influential sires of all time. Sheppard cited Flatterer and Storm Cat as two of his personal favorites.
Read the full article at facebook.com/tod.marks.9
Share the Love for Jump!
Are you a fan of Jump? Know someone else who might enjoy our content? Don't hesitate to share! We cover everything from jockey profiles to race recaps, offering something for every jump racing enthusiast.
Sharing is simple and helps us grow - allowing us to keep delivering the content you love. So, spread the word about Jump and help us build a community that celebrates the thrill of jump racing. Thank you for your support!
If you have any articles or topics to share, send us a link at usasteeplechase@gmail.com.
Check back next week for more USA Steeplechase news and insights!
Steve
@USASteeplechase - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram