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L’Imperator wins first Grade 1 in Beverly R. Steinman; Eclipse Award-winner Merry Maker pointed to G1 Lonesome Glory

by NYRA Press Ofiice

• L’Imperator wins first Grade 1 in Beverly R. Steinman; Eclipse Award-winner Merry Maker pointed to G1 Lonesome Glory
• G3 Gotham-winner Deterministic to try turf in G3 Manila
• Arnmore Thoroughbreds off to a hot start with 2-year-old fillies

Hudson River Farms’ L’Imperator was set to miss the inaugural running of the Grade 1, $150,000 Beverly R. Steinman, with a foot abscess before its original date of June 9, the final day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

The 2 3/8-mile route was rescheduled to Thursday at Belmont at the Big A after strong rains forced the cancellation of turf racing that day. The 7-year-old Holy Roman Emperor gelding made a quick recovery for trainer Archibald Kingsley, Jr., and the previously dual Grade 1-placed jumper earned a breakthrough score at the topflight.

Kingsley, Jr., who conditioned last year’s Eclipse Award-winning Steeplechaser Merry Maker, said this new Grade 1 will play a role for year-end honors, and the trail will likely include a trio of Grade 1 events in New York: the $150,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial on July 17 and the $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard on August 14 at Saratoga Race Course, as well as the Lonesome Glory in September at Aqueduct.

“The book ends are in New York with this, the two Saratoga Grade 1s, and then the finish again here with the Lonesome Glory. To me, the horse that makes the strongest showing over the next two months is your Eclipse Award finalist,” said Kingsley, Jr. “These are the races that I want to win most, and this horse is well-suited for the racetrack and that style of racing.”

L’Imperator entered the Steinman off four consecutive on-the-board finishes, including a last-out third at the Grade 1-level to the victorious Rampoldi Plan in the Commonwealth Cup on May 4 at Great Meadow. With a well-timed closing ride by Jordan Gainford Thursday, he turned the tables on that same foe, who battled on the front-end with Ziggle Pops for a large portion of the race.

“As a jockey, you have such a feel for how the other horses are going around you. The horse we were most concerned about, Rampoldi Plan, was trading punches with Ziggle Pops,” Kingsley, Jr. “He was just waiting to make a run at them. It was great the way it played out.”

Kingsley, Jr. confirmed L’Imperator, now 27-10-1-8 lifetime and 10-3-1-5 over the jumps, exited the victory in good order and will target the Grade 1 A. P. Smithwick. He added that Gainford, who rides in Ireland, would return to ride at The Spa.

“L’Imperator seems great. I mean you would mistake him for the track pony. You could let him graze outside the barn and just walk away, he knows he did something great yesterday,” Kingsley, Jr. said. “I said to Gainford, ‘I’m going to need you to come back and ride this horse for me.’ He said ‘You’d have to fight me to keep me from coming back.’”

Kingsley, Jr. said that the French-bred L’Imperator, who won the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on the flat in May 2022 at Belmont Park for trainer Chad Brown, has flourished with more experience over the jumps.

“He was performing at a high level for Chad, so I didn’t really turn anything around, just continued what he started. I’m grateful Chad is a horseman enough that he had so much left in the horse,” Kingsley, Jr. said. “He’ll get a little bit of rest and we will reload and do it again in a little over a month.”

Kingsley, Jr., provided an update on Hurricana Farm’s reigning Champion Steeplechaser Merry Maker, who hasn’t recorded any activity since a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Grand National Hurdle in October at Far Hills.

“Merry Maker is back in training, he suffered a little bit of a setback this spring but nothing serious. On the spectrum of injuries we deal with for steeplechasers, probably ranks a one out of 10. It’s pretty much a certainty he’ll be back in top form at some point,” said Kingsley, Jr. “I’m hoping by the end of the summer for the Lonesome Glory, but he won’t be back until he is absolutely 100 percent.”

Before his last effort, the Irish-bred 7-year-old Malinas gelding captured the Lonesome Glory by a half-length over L’Imperator, with the Kingsley, Jr-trained Barbados rounding out the trifecta.

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G3 Gotham-winner Deterministic to try turf in G3 Manila

St. Elias Stables, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable’s Grade 3 Gotham-winner Deterministic will make his turf debut in the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Manila on June 29 at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the Liam’s Map dark bay was on the Kentucky Derby trail earlier this year after a two-length score in the one-turn mile Gotham over sloppy and sealed footing on March 2 here. The impressive effort came from a nearly seven-month layoff following a sparkling debut maiden score in August at Saratoga Race Course where he overcame a troubled start to win by a half-length.

Deterministic finished off-the-board traveling nine furlongs over the Big A main track in his most recent two outings when eighth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 6 and fifth last out in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on May 11.

He worked five-eighths in 1:01.22 on June 14 over the Spa’s Oklahoma training turf.

“He worked well. I'm happy with him,” Clement. “He won the Gotham on a wet track and he was disappointing in the Wood. I've wanted to try him on the turf ever since and now we've had the chance to train there. He moves like a dream on the grass. He's a good horse and I have not given up on him.”

Deterministic followed up this morning with a five-eighths work in 1:03 flat over the Oklahoma dirt training track.

Bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms, Deterministic was a $625,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Speightstown mare Giulio’s Jewel. His third dam, the turf stakes-winning Amelia, produced graded stakes-winning turfers Rainha Da Bateria, Assateague and Kindergarden Kid.

West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey’s Grade 1-winner Carson’s Run has drawn post 6 for Sunday’s $100,000 Tale of the Cat, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for sophomores, at Monmouth Park.

The Cupid chestnut enjoyed a prosperous 2-year-old campaign, winning his July debut and running second in the Grade 3 With Anticipation last summer at Saratoga before shipping to Woodbine Racetrack to the win the Grade 1 Summer in September.

Carson’s Run was off-the-board in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Santa Anita. He made his seasonal debut in the Woodhaven last out on April 27 here and was steadied into the final turn and at the quarter-pole before bearing out sharply and carrying Elysian Meadows out several paths. Although he straightened up and crossed the wire fourth, Carson’s Run was disqualified and placed fifth for interference.

Carson’s Run has worked back consistently over the Belmont Park dirt training track, including a half-mile effort in 49.54 on June 17.

“He's doing well since. He had a mental issue - he tried to bore out on the turn, but he seems to be OK in the mornings, so it's time to run,” Clement said.

Clement also indicated that LSU Stables’ Far Bridge, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and recently third in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course, is likely to try the Spa’s 11-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green on July 28 or the Grade 2 United Nations at the same distance on July 20 at Monmouth Park.

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Arnmore Thoroughbreds off to a hot start with 2-year-old fillies

The members of Arnmore Thoroughbreds' past yearling class have made their debuts with some similarities: all have been chestnut fillies, in five-furlong tilts at Belmont at the Big A, and most importantly, they performed well.

Complexion and the New York-bred Phoebeinwonderland were victorious, and Magical Bette ran a strong third versus colts in a track-record setting race.

Complexion, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winner Jack Christopher, won her respective five-furlong maiden tilt by 6 1/2 lengths on June 14 for trainer Danny Gargan. The Complexity chestnut, who is out of the Half Ours mare Rushin No Blushin, was a $400,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Megan Jones, managing partner of Arnmore Thoroughbreds, who co-owns Complexion with Carl and Yurie Pascarella, said she is thankful for Gargan’s encouragement in the early stages of running her ownership and breeding operation.

“I’m just really excited we have a nice filly we purchased with Danny because he was the first person that believed I could pick out horses and encouraged me,” said Jones. “You can be around horses your whole life, but at the sales they are very intimidating, even if you know what you like. Danny really encouraged me for my first three years working the sale and picking out horses.”

Gargan said Jones has a keen eye at the sales and there is likely more success to come.

“Megan Jones bought Complexion, and she is on some run with her two-year-olds. She had a winner with Wesley [Ward, trainer of Phoebeinwonderland], and then my filly is a TDN [Thoroughbred Daily News] Rising Star,” said Gargan. “Her Good Magic filly was third [Magic Bette], so there is a lot of good in the pipeline of that outfit. All fillies, which is pretty neat.”

According to Gargan, Complexion will target the Listed $175,000 Schuylerville, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on Thursday, June 11 Opening Day of Saratoga Race Course, with the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on August 31 as a long-term goal.

The day after Complexion’s score, June 15, saw the Hall of Famer Bill Mott-conditioned Magical Bette finish third versus males in a local maiden won by Mentee in 56.97 seconds– a five-furlong track-record for the full-brother to reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fierceness.

Mentee held off Colloquial by a nose, 4 1/4 lengths ahead of Magical Bette with 5 3/4 lengths back to the rest of the seven-horse field.

“Bill just wanted to get a run into her and I was proud she ran third in that really fast race. She was up there early and never gave up. She was five and change lengths clear of the rest,” Jones said. “You can expect to see her back early in the meet at Saratoga, she should be very live.”

Campaigned in partnership with owners Carl and Yurie Pascarella, no official plans have been made for the Good Magic chestnut, but winning at The Spa is the goal. She earned a 77 Beyer for third, the same figure at the distance as Complexion.

Jones said that a little more patience with Magical Bette sums up her philosophy surrounding juvenile fillies.

“It’s really important for me to get them going, but also that they have good experiences. The girls internalize everything. You try to set them up for positive experiences so that they trust you and stay on your team,” said Jones. “I wouldn’t want to run her back too quickly, but I think you could see her in the first book at Saratoga, in a maiden.”

Jones credits Phoebeinwonderland, a New York-bred More Than Ready who was purchased for $100,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale, for kicking off the recent run of success.

The first foal out of the Palace Malice mare Nominate, Phoebeinwonderland got up in the final jumps to win a state-bred maiden here versus males on May 10 for trainer Wesley Ward.

“This year we have three fillies that we purchased as yearlings. The first, Phoebeinwonderland, beat the boys first out. Second was Complexion. Third was Magical Bette who ended up in a boys’ race because a race overfilled, and I was really proud of her,” said Jones. “That was my yearling class. They’ve been such good girls.”

On May 20, Jones made a late addition to the group with a $250,000 purchase at the Midlantic May Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training– another chestnut filly, by Volatile and out of the stakes-placed Exchange Cat mare Exchange Rate. She earned the bullet on the Tuesday of the Timonium, Maryland-sale with a one-furlong work in 10 seconds flat.

The promising newcomer is now named Gellhorn and is in training with Gargan.

“I’ve had luck with Violence. She is by Volatile, who is obviously a Violence. I love Danzig too, who is on the bottom side. I wasn’t even looking to buy a horse, I was down there working the sale for Danny,” Jones explained. “She just did everything well, and was so smart and sound.”

When asked about adding yet another chestnut, along with the graded stakes winning red Gala Brand entered Saturday at the Big A in the Listed Wild Applause for sophomore fillies, Jones clarified that the similar coats are simply coincidence.

“I look at their eye, more than their color. It is a funny coincidence,” Jones said, with a laugh. “When they run for you, they run for you. I won’t complain about that.”