Brion holds strong hand in Jimmy P, The Insider for G1 Jonathan Sheppard H.

Trainer Keri Brion is often well-represented in top-level steeplechase races at Saratoga Race Course, and this Wednesday’s Grade 1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap is no exception with Jimmy P and The Insider ready for the 2 3/8-mile hurdle test for older horses.

Madaket Stables, Molly Willis and Paul Willis’ Jimmy P [Stephen Mulqueen, 154 pounds, blinkers OFF] seeks to successfully defend his title in this event after a 34 1/2-length stroll in last year’s running at 6-1, which was the Slumber gelding’s first graded stakes victory. There, heavy favorite and returning rival Zarak the Brave stumbled and fell at the second fence, while Jimmy P stalked in mid-pack through the first half of the race before coming into contention at the two-mile call. He drew clear with ease in the final turn and was never in doubt from there to the wire.

Jimmy P has not visited the winner’s circle in five starts since, his best finish a 3 1/4-length fourth in the 2 5/8-mile Grade 1 Colonial Cup in November at Camden. He was last seen finishing fifth in the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Handicap on July 23 here, giving chase in the final turn and making up mild ground along the inside in the lane to finish 6 1/4 lengths behind the Brion-trained winner Historic Heart, who was not entered in this event due to a minor injury.

“He’s doing great. I think he ran sneaky good in the Smithwick – he was running late and had a bad trip down on the inside where he didn’t want to be the whole way,” said Brion, who spent several years as an assistant to this race’s late namesake Hall of Famer.

Jimmy P added blinkers two starts back when fourth in the Grade 1 Iroquois in May at Percy Warner, but Brion said she will try him again without the equipment.

“I’m actually taking the blinkers off of him now to change it up. There will be plenty of pace in the race because my other horse is really fast, which should set up ideally,” Brion said. “I think you always have to think ahead of things and change things up. The blinkers initially put him on the bridle, but now he’s getting cute to them so, it’s just about outthinking him a little. I’m hoping he’ll do the same thing he did last year.”

The speedy The Insider [Bernard Dalton, 142 pounds] makes his graded bow on the heels of a sharp 4 1/2-length pacesetting victory going 2 1/4 miles on July 24 at Colonial Downs, where he was challenged at the eighth fence and even briefly lost the lead at that point, but regained control with ease and drew off down the lane to post the impressive victory.

“He’ll love the distance. Saratoga is a different kind of pace, and The Insider just went wire-to-wire at Colonial,” Brion said as The Insider faces his farthest test to date. “He was bought to be a very good horse early on and had some issues. He’s come back and I think he’s better than what we’ve seen of him. His last race was very good, and he could be lone pace and with a low weight, so we’ll see.”

Campaigned by Hudson River Farms and R and K Racing, the 6-year-old Elzaam bay made his first start for Brion in November 2022 and has two wins and a second from six efforts for the barn. He also won Aiken’s Imperial Cup going 2 1/16 miles in March 2023 and the Gladstone in 2022 at Far Hills, the latter effort a 17 1/4-length romp for trainer Gordon Elliott.

Steep opposition will be provided by Mrs. S.K. Johnston, Jr.’s Zarak the Brave [Evan Dwan, 158 pounds], who exits a third-place effort in the Smithwick 5 1/4 lengths behind Historic Heart.

Trained by Thomas Garner, Zarak the Brave seeks his first win since being transferred to Garner last year. His four starts since saw him stumble and fall in a pair of Grade 1s – including last year’s Sheppard – and finish fifth in the Grade 2 Temple Gwathmey in April two starts ahead of his Smithwick effort.

Zarak the Brave was a dual stakes-winner in Ireland, taking the Galway Handicap in 2023 at its namesake course and the Limestone Lad last January at Naas. His 18-4-4-5 record includes four other stakes placings, good for total lifetime earnings of $361,735.

Dual graded stakes-placed Who’s Counting was edged out of show honors by Zarak the Brave in the Smithwick when making his return to the jumps after a sixth-place finish on the flat in July at Delaware Park.

Trained by Sean McDermott, who also rides the gelding at 150 pounds, the son of Vancouver finished second in the Grade 3 Mariann De Tejeda Memorial in October at Foxfield, and added another graded placing to his ledger when third in the Temple Gwathmey in April.

Completing the field are Grade 1-placed Hidden Path [Conor Tierney, 150 pounds] for trainer Richard Hendriks; the stakes-placed pair of Givemefive [Gerard Galligan, 158 pounds] for trainer Cyril Murphy and Quick Master [Graham Watters, 144 pounds] for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher; and five-time winner Sweet Will [Freddie Procter, 142 pounds] for trainer Arch Kingsley, Jr.

The Sheppard is slated as Race 1 on Wednesday’s nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

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