by Don Clippinger
The Fields Stable's Bob Le Beau (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) will be attempting to sweep the New York Racing Association's three Grade 1 steeplechase races when he starts Thursday in the $125,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial.
The 9-year-old Irish-bred demonstrated how much he likes firm turf last year at race tracks by cruising to victories in Saratoga's New York Turf Writers Cup and the Lonesome Glory H. at Belmont Park. A victory in the 2 1/16-mile Smithwick, a race in which he finished fourth last summer, would give him an unprecedented 12-month hat trick in top-ranked NYRA jump races. Making his first start over fences in his second run this year, Elizabeth Voss-trained Bob Le Beau again will be ridden by Jack Doyle, a former top jump jockey in Ireland who has found a home in the U.S. and currently leads the National Steeplechase Association's rider standings by wins and earnings. Runner-up in 2015 Eclipse Award balloting, Bob Le Beau tuned up for the Smithwick with a victory in a July 10 flat race for hurdlers at Parx Racing and starts the 158-pound highweight for the race which honors the memory of Racing Hall of Fame jockey Paddy Smithwick.
Facing Bob Le Beau in the Smithwick will be formidable field of nine opponents that includes 2014 Eclipse Award winner Demonstrative (Elusive Quality), a two-time winner of the New York Turf Writers, in 2012 and his championship season. In his only start over fences this year, the Jacqueline Ohrstrom colorbearer finished fifth in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois in Nashville on May 14. Bernie Dalton will ride for trainer Richard Valentine.
Maserati (Brz) (Point Given) is riding a three-race winning streak over fences that reaches back to last fall. Most recently, the Brazilian-bred romped to victory in the $45,000 Valentine Memorial Ratings H. in Fair Hill, MD, on May 28. Gavin Sheehan, an emerging top jockey in England and Ireland, will ride for trainer Leslie Young.
Jack Fisher, the NSA's reigning champion trainer, entered a talented trio for the Smithwick over eight fences. Edith Dixon's Schoodic (Tiznow) comes into the Smithwick off a victory in the National Hunt Cup at the Radnor Hunt Races in Pennsylvania on May 21. Leading Irish jockey Danny Mullins visits Saratoga and has the mount.
Scorpiancer (Ire) (Scorpion {Ire}), second to Mazerati in the Valentine Memorial, will be ridden by Connor Hankin, while Sean McDermott has the mount on Woodslane Farm's Overwhelming (Hard Spun), a Saratoga allowance winner last summer who finished fifth in the National Hunt Cup. The 6-year-old is a Phipps-bred son of GISW Oh What a Windfall (Seeking the Gold).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
