NYRA/Coglianese Photo

Grade 1-winning duo Optimus Prime and Surprising Soul ready for battle in A.P. Smithwick (G1)

by Keith McCalmont

Trainer Richard Hendriks will roll out two formidable contenders with Optimus Prime joining Surprising Soul in Thursday's Grade 1, $100,000 A.P. Smithwick, a 2 1/16-mile steeplechase event at Saratoga Race Course.

Rosbrian Farm's Optimus Prime, whose form has been transformed since arriving in North America in the summer of 2018, brings a three-race win streak dating back to 2018 into Thursday's test.

The 8-year-old French-bred son of Deportivo won his North American debut in August 2018 when capturing the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Handicap at the Spa. Following a third in the 2018 Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Handicap at Belmont, Optimus Prime romped to an 18-length score in the Grade 2 David L. Ferguson Memorial Hurdle Handicap at Great Meadow to close out his campaign.

Optimus Prime won both his starts last season taking the Grade 2 David Semmes Memorial at Great Meadow and a 12-furlong allowance at Parx.

Darren Nagle has the call aboard the 158 pounds highweight.

Wendy Hendriks' Surprising Soul, an 8-year-old son of Perfect Soul, made the grade in the 2018 Grade 3 National Hunt Cup Hurdle Handicap at Malvern. Last year, Surprising Soul reached a new level when he followed up his good second in the Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle with a victory in the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Handicap in September at Belmont Park.

Surprising Soul enters Thursday off a fifth in the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap in June at Glenwood Park at Middleburg. Ross Geraghty retains the mount.

Trainer Jack Fisher will saddle a tough trio in Riverdee Stable's Gibralfaro and the Bruton Street duo of Moscato and Pravalaguna.

Gibralfaro, an 8-year-old Dalakhani gelding, captured the Grade 2 David L. Ferguson Memorial Hurdle Handicap to close out his 2019 campaign that also included a win in the Queen's Cup MPC Chase Hurdle at Charlotte.

A distant second in last year's Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Handicap, Gibralfaro will look to go one better under Sean McDermott.

The 9-year-old Moscato, by Hernando, made three attempts at a Grade 1 score last season finishing third in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle at Percy Warner and the Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills. He was off-the-board in the Lonesome Glory.

Moscato opened his 2020 campaign by defending his title in the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap and jockey Michael Mitchell retains the mount.

Pravalaguna, an 8-year-old Great Pretender mare, provided former trainer Willie Mullins a North American win in her stateside debut in the Peapack Hurdle in October at Far Hills. Her first start for Fisher will also mark her graded-stakes debut. Kieran Norris has the call for the first time.

Rounding out the field are Redicean [Thomas Garner], Chief Justice [Barry Foley], Belisarius [Bernard Dalton], and Winner Massagot [Gerard Galligan].

The Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick is slated as the opening race on Thursday's 10-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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