Upland Flats Racing’s Freddy Flintshire notched his first graded stakes victory in Thursday’s Grade 1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory, a 2 1/2-mile steeplechase handicap for older horses, at Belmont on the Large A.
Skilled by Keri Brion and expertly piloted by Stephen Mulqueen, the son of Flintshire capitalized on the sustained battle between frontrunning stablemate Going Nation and Evie’s Prince, pouncing within the remaining flip whereas heading off the late rush of post-time favourite L’Imperator to land the one-length victory.
“He had a terrific journey – that was form of the plan as a result of Going Nation simply form of stays, he would not have an enormous flip of foot,” Brion stated. “Our thought was there’s not a lot tempo within the race, so simply exit to the entrance and we wished Freddy to take a seat in behind the place he was comfy. It simply labored out nicely that he was sitting in behind the tempo and had a pleasant lead the entire manner round.”
After two false begins, the sphere of 5 received off to a gradual starting over the agency footing as L’Imperator broke off tardily and Going Nation took cost. Evie’s Prince jumped the primary fence higher from second and took over from the latter, the primary of a number of exchanges of command as the 2 set a reasonable tempo with Freddy Flintshire in third and the Gerard Galligan-piloted L’Imperator simply forward of Hidden Path.
Approaching the third flip, Hidden Path was coaxed alongside the surface by Harrison Beswick to vary up into competition and go away behind L’Imperator in final. That transfer would see Hidden Path observe nicely in a large third over the remaining fences earlier than pouncing on Going Nation within the remaining flip to stay his head in entrance on the high of the house stretch.
Hidden Path’s lead wouldn’t final for lengthy as Mulqueen angled Freddy Flintshire widest of all from behind to take lifeless purpose on the high flight. A loaded L’Imperator gave robust chase behind, however was impeded by the wall of foes and couldn’t make a transfer across the subject till Freddy Flintshire accelerated to his outdoors.
“I used to be just a little nervous across the flip,” Brion stated. “He form of received shuffled again however Stephen stated he was by no means involved; he at all times had the perfect horse.”
L’Imperator was unleashed late within the stretch to make up floor with each stride, however there was no reeling in Freddy Flintshire as he ran clear down the lane to finish the course in 4:45.31. L’Imperator completed second two lengths higher than Hidden Path with Evie’s Prince and Going Nation finishing the order of end. Westerland and Welshman have been scratched.
Mulqueen stated the stalking journey labored out picture-perfect.
“It was beautiful, actually. I simply wished to comply with the tempo round. He jumped nice,” stated Mulqueen. “I received a bit crowded delivering for dwelling, however I’ve discovered right here it’s fairly a good distance dwelling. I knew if I simply waited till I straightened up that he had loads of flat pace, and he is quickened up by gears and put the race to mattress straightforward.”
Brion, who additionally received the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard in August with Jimmy P, stated she discovered a terrific deal concerning the Freddy Flintshire from his boring off-the-board effort in his seasonal bow within the Grade 1 Beverly R. Steinman in June right here.
“We have taken our time and let him mature. He had a while off for small, little points. We did not run him within the spring. I introduced him to the Steinman right here and I received all of it improper – he wasn’t match sufficient,” Brion stated. “Jimmy P additionally wasn’t match sufficient, so I do not suppose I skilled very nicely this spring [laughs]. However coming into the summer time, we had the plan to separate them up and attempt to make each of them a Grade 1-winner and we did that. So, for as soon as, mission achieved.”
Brion added that Jimmy P is prone to be the one to fly the barn’s flag within the Grade 1 Grand Nationwide on October 19 at Far Hills reasonably than Freddy Flintshire.
“I do not suppose he is a Grand Nationwide horse,” Brion stated of Freddy Flintshire. “I feel he enjoys a flat sort of observe, so we’ll see. I additionally did not know that he received 2 1/2-miles, however he does. So, we’ll need to have a suppose. It is a good drawback to have two Grade 1 winners within the barn, so I will not complain.”
Bred in Kentucky by AJ Suited, the 6-year-old gelding improved his lifetime document to 20-4-4-4 and banked $90,000 in victory whereas returning $10 on a $2 win ticket. He provides to a resume that features extra Grade 1 placings when third previously two runnings of the A.P. Smithwick Memorial at Saratoga Race Course.
Nice Meadow Course ‘In Disrepair,’ Worldwide Gold Cup moved to Glenwood Park
The Nationwide Steeplechase Affiliation (NSA), the nationwide governing physique for leap racing, has revoked the sanction for the operating of the 2024 Worldwide Gold Cup at Nice Meadow, scheduled to run on October 26. The NSA has deemed the Nice Meadow racecourse to be “in disrepair and unsafe.” With out the NSA sanction, the races can’t proceed at Nice Meadow.
The security of the horses and jockeys is the Virginia Gold Cup Affiliation’s high precedence as a race meet, and it is usually crucial duty and focus of the NSA. The NSA has been monitoring the situations intently at Nice Meadow for years and has now taken motion in step with its mandate to offer secure racing situations.
The Virginia Gold Cup Affiliation is a separate entity from Nice Meadow. The Affiliation leases the Nice Meadow racecourse for its two race meets—the Virginia Gold Cup (spring) and the Worldwide Gold Cup (fall.) Inside the lease contract, Nice Meadow bears the duty of sustaining the racecourse to NSA requirements.
Additionally recognizing the significance of the Worldwide Gold Cup to the horsemen and our company, the Virginia Gold Cup Affiliation has secured one other venue on its initially scheduled race date of October twenty sixth at Glenwood Park in Middleburg, Virginia.
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