Chelsea Durand Photo

Fisher sends Scorpiancer, Moscato and Hinterland for G1 Lonesome Glory

by NYRA Press Office

Trainer Jack Fisher will saddle a trio of top contenders with Scorpiancer, Moscato and Hinterland in a contentious nine-horse field assembled for Thursday's Grade 1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory, a 2 1/2-mile jumps event at Belmont Park.

Scorpiancer, one of two entrants for owners Bruton Street-US, captured the 2016 Lonesome Glory to secure his first Grade 1 win. The now 10-year-old Scorpion gelding added a second Grade 1 win a year later when 16 lengths the best in the three-mile Iroquois at Percy Warner.

Following a year off, Scorpiancer returned to action in the spring and defended his Iroquois title in just his second start back, besting Lonesome Glory-rival Surprising Soul by a neck.

"Scorpiancer is a classy horse," said Fisher. "He came back off an injury this spring and we gave him a race at Temple Gwathmey, but the Iroquois is what we were aiming for and he won that."

Sean McDermott, aboard for the last six starts which includes four wins, has the call.

Fisher and Bruton Street-US will also send out the 8-year-old Hernando gelding Moscato. The talented Moscato captured the 2017 William Entenmann Memorial at Belmont but was off for all of 2018 before returning to capture the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap in April at Glenwood Park at Middleburg.

Last out, in the Iroquois, Moscato closed from last of six to finish third, just a length back of Scorpiancer.

"Moscato won the Temple Gwathmey and I think he probably should have won the Iroquois except he got blocked in the stretch," said Fisher. "He was a decent flat horse too. He won a race at Ascot (in 2015), so he does have some flat form which may help him here.

"Both Moscato and Scorpiancer are coming back off a couple months layoff and the bigger goal for them is the Grand National at Far Hills," added Fisher. "But, if they're right, they can go ahead and win this."

Michael Mitchell will ride Moscato.

Hinterland, to be piloted by William McCarthy, boasts a record of 5-8-3 from 29 jumps starts. The 11-year-old son of Poliglote has made nine Grade 1 starts, with his best result coming when second in the 2015 Lonesome Glory, defeated a half-length by Bob Le Beau.

"Hinterland's form may not look like much, until you look at his form at Belmont," said Fisher. "He was second in this race and he loves firm ground. I think it will be pretty firm up there and with the weight allowance he gets, that should help him."

Last out, Hinterland took a prominent position in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap at Saratoga, finishing fourth behind Lonesome Glory rival Winston C in the summer meet's steeplechase feature.

"We tried something new with him last time at Saratoga, letting him go a little early and I think that was a mistake. I think we want to hold him up and let him run at the end," said Fisher.

Fisher said he is looking forward to the first Grade 1 event of the Belmont fall meet.

"This is always one of the best races all year because you have the best horses from Saratoga, and then you have the new ones coming back for the fall, all meeting up at Belmont. It's always a great race," said Fisher.

Hudson River Farms Winston C will look for a third consecutive Grade 1 win as he makes his Belmont debut. Trained by Jonathan Sheppard, the 5-year-old Rip Van Winkle gelding boasts a record of five wins and two thirds from eight starts over the jumps.

Winston C swept both Grade 1 hurdle races at Saratoga this summer, rallying from last-of-12 to capture the A.P. Smithwick Memorial ahead of an 8 ¾-length score in the New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap.

Thomas Garner, aboard for both wins at Saratoga, retains the mount.

Irving Naylor's Bedrock, trained by Leslie Young, went to post as the 7-2 mutuel favorite in the A.P. Smithwick, but managed to only split the field when sixth defeated by 12 lengths.

A veteran of 12 starts over the jumps, the 6-year-old son of Fastnet Rock has five wins and three thirds with purse earnings of $141,906. Rachael Blackmore, who guided Bedrock to wins in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle in October at Tipperary and the WKD Hurdle in November at Down Royal, will have the call.

Rounding out the field are Redicean (Jack Doyle), All the Way Jose (Gerard Galligan), and Belisarius (Bernard Dalton).

The Lonesome Glory is slated as Race 1 on Thursday's 8-race card. First post is 3 p.m. Eastern.