Scorpiancer tops Lonesome Glory field

by NYRA Press Office

Scorpiancer, on the brink of a breakthrough victory all season, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite and will carry the 154-pound highweight in Thursday's Grade 1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap at Belmont Park.

Trained by Jack Fisher, the Irish-bred is winless this year after his victory in the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle for novices last October at the Far Hills Races in New Jersey. The Foxbrook was at the Lonesome Glory's distance of 2 1/2 miles.

Scorpiancer finished second in the Grade 1 A. P. Smithwick Memorial at Saratoga Race Course and third in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap. With regular jockey Connor Hankin joining the U.S. Marine Corps, Sean McDermott assumes the mount.

Fisher also will saddle Edith Dixon's Schoodic, fourth in the New York Turf Writers under McDermott. Alice Mills, newly arrived from England to ride for Fisher, takes over the mount on the Tiznow homebred, the second choice on the morning line at 4-1.

Rosbrian Farm will field a duo of Irish-bred imports Hisaabaat and Swansea Mile, both trained by Ricky Hendriks and both carrying the second-highweight of 152 pounds. Hisaabaat last raced in Ireland in August 2015, when he finished third in an allowance hurdle.

Swansea Mile finished second in a July allowance hurdle in England. He will be ridden by Bernie Dalton. Ross Geraghty will be aboard Hisaabaat.

Leading owner Irv Naylor will be represented by Charminster and Jamarjo. Trained by Cyril Murphy, Charminster won the Grade 2 David Semmes Memorial at the Virginia Gold Cup in May and most recently was fifth in the New York Turf Writers. Carol-Ann Sloan has the mount.

Jamarjo, trained by Leslie Young, will be ridden by her husband, reigning champion jockey Paddy Young. The Irish-bred most recently finished third in a Monmouth Park Ratings Handicap, beaten a head.

In the Lonesome Glory, the final two fences in the stretch will not be jumped, and the field will have a five-furlong run from the last of 10 fences.