Jimmy P all heart in G1 Beverly R. Steinman victory

Madaket Stables, Molly Willis and Paul Willis’ Jimmy P reaffirmed his affinity for Saratoga Race Course when digging in late and getting his neck down over Rocket One for the victory in Wednesday’s Grade 1, $150,000 Beverly R. Steinman, a 2 3/8-mile steeplechase handicap for older horses to open the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Trained by Keri Brion and piloted by Stephen Mulqueen, the 8-year-old son of Slumber is now 3-for-5 over the jumps at the Spa, adding to back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap in 2024-25. He entered from a fifth in the Grade 1 Commonwealth Cup on May 2 at Great Meadow, and earned his first win since a similarly gritty victory in the Sheppard on August 27.

"He’s a funny horse. All credit to Stephen there, he never gave up,” Brion said. “He is a horse who doesn’t really ever travel and you kind of saw that throughout the race. He was having to niggle him along. That’s just him. He never missed a fence and jumped for fun.”

In the Steinman, which was inaugurated in 2024, McTigue bobbled over the first hurdle and unseated jockey Harrison Beswick and ran off well clear of the field, leaving a rank Coutach to establish a large advantage through the first lap with Jimmy P tracking in mid-pack.

Coutach still was double-digit lengths in front heading into the stretch for the second time, but the makeup of the field changed when Grade 1-winner and race high-weight Ziggle Pops unseated jockey Jaime Bargary at the sixth fence while Coutach’s lead waned and Jimmy P inched up to third position on the flank of Rocket One.

Jimmy P dropped back after jumping the eighth fence on the backstretch for the last time, and a stubborn Coutach was now under threat with Rocket One looming large on his outside through the ninth and final fence and passing him with ease exiting the far turn. It looked to be Rocket One in a runaway performance down the lane, but a determined Jimmy P was in pursuit under a heady ride from Mulqueen, angling inside in the final eighth to will himself in front of Rocket One and score by a neck.

Coutach finished third with Little Trilby and We’re Back Again completing the order of finish. McTigue and Ziggle Pops were collared by the outriders and walked home. Both Harrison Beswick and Jaime Bargary visited onsite first aid and walked out under their own power. Hidden Path was scratched.

Mulqueen, who was aboard Jimmy P for his two Sheppard wins, said the gelding needs some reminders during his races.

“He loves Saratoga. He saves his best runs for here. He’s genuine, but he’s quirky,” he said. “You need to know him. He never really traveled in the race. With a full lap to go I gave him a reminder and I pulled him out wide, and he picked up, and once he passed a couple of horses I was happy. Then he came off it [the bridle] again down the back and the two horses in front of me got a couple lengths on me, so I just dropped him back in and I followed them and he picked up again. For as quirky as he is, when you let him down, he’s tough.”

Brion said Jimmy P relished the added distance from the 2 1/8-mile Commonwealth Cup last out.

“The farther along he goes, the better he gets and you kind of saw then when he jumped the last and came up on the heels of them,” Brion said. “[Stephen] said he always thought he had it down the lane, while I, on the other hand, was like ‘oh my God’ until the end. What a cool horse. He’s eight years old and loves Saratoga. I’m fortunate to train him for Sol [Kumin, Madaket Stables] and Paul Willis.” 

Over the jumps, Jimmy P now has six wins from 22 outings. He was bred in Kentucky by Head of Plains Partners and Madaket Stables, and is out of the Scat Daddy mare My Love Venezuela, making Jimmy P a full-brother to Grade 3-winner Sy Dog. He returned $10.06 on a $2 win wager.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with an 11-race card for Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, highlighted by the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup – a ‘Golden Ticket’ event offering the winner an automatic berth into the Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup – in Race 10, the Grade 2, $250,000 Intercontinental in Race 8, the Grade 3, $300,000 Pennine Ridge in Race 3 and the $175,000 Jersey Girl in Race 2. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern. 

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, and the best way to bet every race of the five-day meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.