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Fisher saddles two in search of fifth G1 A.P. Smithwick score

by Mary Eddy

Steeplechase racing at the 2023 Saratoga Race Course meet kicks off with Grade 1 action in Wednesday’s $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial, a 2 1/16-mile test for older horses led by two contenders trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher.

Harold A. Via, Jr.’s newly-minted graded stakes-winner Welshman, a last-out winner of the Grade 2 David Semmes Memorial Handicap on May 6 at Great Meadow, leads the pair for Fisher, who seeks his fifth Smithwick triumph.

Welshman was part of a three-way battle for the lead in the David Semmes for the first mile in the 2 1/8-mile test before taking command and never looking back to score by three lengths in a final time of 4:02.60. He was piloted to victory by Graham Watters, who will ride again from post 8 [152 pounds] in the Smithwick.

“The thing with him is you can’t let his head go – you have to fight him,” said Fisher. “If you drop your hands on him, he’ll stop. He needs to be told to rate a bit.”

Fisher said Welshman has been a pleasant surprise since he was acquired privately in the summer of 2021 after starting off his career on the flat with trainer Barclay Tagg.

“He hasn’t always seemed like a graded horse,” said Fisher. “I bought him from Barclay and he’s grown a lot to be a bigger, stronger, massive horse. He’s matured.”

The 5-year-old gelding has won three of his last four outings, including the AFLAC Supreme Hurdle in November at Pine Mountain. He boasts an overall record of 15-5-3-1 for total purse earnings of $192,925.

Riverdee Stable’s Gordon’s Jet [post 7, Thomas Garner, 144 pounds] finished second to Welshman in the David Semmes after a prominent trip throughout under Jamie Bargary. He kept on well down the lane to earn his first graded placing, which came on the heels of a strong 3 1/2-length allowance triumph at Tryon in his first outing for Fisher.

“I’ve always loved that horse,” said Fisher. “I have been prepping him for Saratoga and that was always the plan. He’s a nice type of horse for what we want. He’s always been that way. I actually expected him to beat Welshman last time.”

Trainer Keri Brion, who won this event with Baltimore Bucko in 2021, also sends out two contenders in Freddy Flintshire and Historic Heart in hopes of starting off the summer meet on a high note. Her Smithwick win in 2021 was part of a breakout year that saw her sweep all three of NYRA’s Grade 1 steeplechase events, earning wins in two of them with eventual Champion Steeplechaser The Mean Queen.

Upland Flats Racing’s Freddy Flintshire finished second to runaway winner Cool Jets last out in the Green Pastures at Percy Warner, defeated seven lengths after making up moderate ground from third position throughout.

The talented Flintshire gelding has never finished off the board in seven starts for Brion, including three wins that were topped by a 14 1/2-length romp to win the Queen’s Cup MPC Chase in April at Charlotte where he rallied from 12 lengths off the pace.

Parker Hendriks [148 pounds] will guide Freddy Flintshire from post 1.
Atlantic Friends Racing’s Historic Heart will make his second start off a year-long layoff that followed a fourth-place finish in last year’s Smithwick. The chestnut Fracas gelding’s lone start since was a last-out fourth on the flat in a 1 3/8-mile maiden special weight on July 1 at Delaware Park where he dueled for the early lead and faded in the stretch.

Historic Heart began his career in England with trainer Nigel Hawke and made 15 starts overseas before joining Brion’s barn in the fall of 2021. Since then, he has won twice, including the 2021 Harry E. Harris at Far Hills and last year’s Carolina Cup at Camden.

Danny Mullins [148 pounds] has been tasked with the ride from post 4.

Completing the field are the evergreen graded stakes-winner Redicean [post 2, Robert Dunne, 146 pounds] for trainer Leslie Young; Grade 1 Lonesome Glory-winner Noah and the Ark [post 3, Harrison Beswick, 158 pounds] for conditioner Todd McKenna; the Patrick Neville-trained Salvino [post 5, Gavin Sheehan, 140 pounds], who adds blinkers for his American debut; West Newton [post 6, Jack Kennedy, 144 pounds], who is undefeated in two starts this year for trainer Richard Hendriks; and the multiple graded stakes-placed Belfast Banter [post 9, Barry Foley, 144 pounds] for conditioner Cyril Murphy.

The A.P. Smithwick is slated as Race 1 on Wednesday’s 10-race card, which co-features the $150,000 NYSSS Statue of Liberty in Race 10. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.
 
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