Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher has joined a trio of contenders, led by Grade 1 winner and heavyweight Awakened, in Thursday’s rescheduled opening running of the Grade 1, worth $150,000 Beverly R. Steinman, 2 3/8 mile handicap for older steeplechasers , at Belmont at Big A.
The Steinman was originally scheduled for June 9 on the final day of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, but was rescheduled to Thursday at Aqueduct Raceway after heavy rains forcing the grass race that day to be canceled.
The race is named after Beverly R. “Peggy” Steinman, who successfully balanced ownership for decades in both the obstacle course and flat racing worlds with stars like Dark Equation, who won the 2008 Grade 1 New York Turf Writers’ Cup and Colstar, a multi-grade stakes-winning filly that won more than $1 million on the flat.
The most significant change from Sunday’s first bout was the withdrawal of formidable heavyweight Abaan. With his defection, the new high-profile contender is Riverdee Stable and Ten Strike Racing’s Awakened [Sean Flanagan, 158 pounds].
Awakened looks for its first win since taking the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard in August at Saratoga. Since then the Curlin gelding has been placed in two other rated events and finished third in the Grade 2 Temple Gwathmey Handicap in April at Middleburg before a fourth final in the Grade 1 1-furlong Commonwealth Cup /8 miles with good performance May 4 at Big Grass.
“He is doing very well and is a very trainable horse,” said Sean Clancy of Riverdee Stable. “He has a nice, easy-going demeanor. I am satisfied with [the Temple Gwathmey] and then we took him back to the Commonwealth Cup and it rained. I didn’t think it would be that soft, but it did. I wish I hadn’t pushed him there, but I hope it was just soft ground. He moves so smoothly and efficiently that sometimes horses running on soft ground can get stuck.”
Awakened is bred royally out of the multi-stakes-winning AP Indy mare Daydreaming, making him a half-brother to multi-stakes-winning millionaire Fantasy. Awakened began his career for owner/breeder Phipps Stable and Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey, then moved into the care of Reeve McGaughey. He graduated to 10th place with a rally win in his debut on a 10-furlong turf course in July 2021 at Ellis Park before being purchased privately by Sean and Anne Clancy’s Riverdee Stable.
Clancy said he has had his eye on the sports chestnut since the early days of his career.
“I was watching him and then he won against Ellis and I kept saying, ‘That’s a jumper,’” Clancy said. “Then Shug called me and said they were going to sell him, and he just had bruises on his bones. He just needed time, which was fine by me. We kicked him out and he survived.” [in a paddock] from August to January and still continuing. I respect Phipps and their approach in not taking this horse down [in claiming] and let him get on with something else.”
Awakened fulfilled his potential last summer at Saratoga when he took down the 2 3/8-mile Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap to give Riverdee Stable its first Grade 1 victory. significance for Clancy, who with his brother Joe, owns and operates ST Publishing, the parent company of the Saratoga Special newspaper.
“It was a thrill to do it there,” said Clancy, a retired Grade 1 steeplechase jockey. “The amount of Grade 1s I watched at Saratoga with tape recorders under their elbows, trying to get quotes and watching everyone else win Grade 1s – it was pretty special to do that at there with everyone there. It’s been amazing. He’s been an outstanding horse to see him go from being on the outside for six months to winning a Grade 1.”
Fisher and Riverdee Stable will also submit the #2 ranked Gordon’s Jet [Bernard Dalton, 146 pounds] as he looks for a fair chance to prove his talent after losing riders early in his last two outings, including the aforementioned Commonwealth Cup. Chestnut Jet Away was second in the Grade 2 David Semmes Memorial Handicap going 2 1/8 miles last May at Great Meadow. He looks to add to his 3 1/2-length handicap win last April at Tryon on his first American outing.
“He had a rough start to the season, even going back to last year,” Clancy said. “We had to beat him earlier this spring and he actually did quite well in the Commonwealth Cup and played better than Awakened, but I think he could be third or fourth. I think it’s worth trying him again and giving him a chance. If it doesn’t work, we can. [turn] He took the summer off and got a horse for the fall.”
Fisher’s third entry is Bruton Street-US’s Ziggle Pops [Graham Watters, 148 pounds], a 7-year-old Zoffany gelding who was a 10 1/2 furlong winner last won a 2 3/4 mile handicap on May 24 at Percy Warner. He made his first 11 outings in his native England for conditioner Richard Hannon, but hit his best stride in 2021 when he moved stateside with Fisher to graduate with a 6-length 3/4 in second place over hurdles at Camden. He made his Stakes debut in his third appearance this season.
Rampoldi Plan of Leipers Fork Steeplechasers [Jamie Bargary, 154 pounds] look set to double their number of Division 1 conquests after their Commonwealth Cup final victory. Trained by Leslie Young, the son of Florida-bred Hard Spun has two pairs of wins and a runner-up effort in six American outings, including an 8 1/4-length filly to graduate in May last year.
Trainer Keri Brion sends a strong pair into Upland Flats Racing’s Grade 1 Freddy Flintshire [152 pounds, Stephen Mulqueen] and Madaket Stables, Molly Willis and Paul Willis’ Jimmy P [Parker Hendriks, 152 pounds].
Freddy Flintshire returns after a break of nearly 11 months following a third-place effort in the Grade 1 AP Smithwick going 2 1/16 miles in July at Spa. The 6-year-old Flintshire Bay was 11 lengths behind throughout the first half mile and built up firmly on the ground under Parker Hendriks to land 9 1/2 lengths behind the winner of Belfast Banter.
“He created a lot of ground and I think if we could do it again, we would sit him closer,” Brion said. “He did the most of anyone in the race and the winner passed him. It was a huge effort to step up to Grade 1 company.”
Freddy Flintshire, who has outperformed in each of his eight jumping efforts, also boasts a win at this distance having posted a 14 and a half length walk in the Queen’s Cup MPC Chase in April last year in Charlotte after a seven-month break.
Brion will also take over for Grade 1 stand-in Jimmy P, whose only start this year was a distant finish in the three-mile Grade 1 Iroquois on May 11 at Percy Warner after seven months quit one’s job.
“This is his favorite distance and I would draw the line for his final race,” Brion said. “It was three miles away from the sack and of course it was a different kind of thing – it wasn’t his cup of tea.”
Jimmy P produced two strong efforts at longer distances last year when entered in the 2 3/4 mile handicap in May at Percy Warner before a brave runner-up effort at this distance in the Grade 1 Points Handicap Jonathan Sheppard is one length away from Awakened.
Hudson River Farms Grade 1 Double L’Imperator [Jordan Gainford, 152 pounds], a Grade 2 winner on the field, is looking for his first win in hurdles after a third-place effort behind Rampoldi Plan in the Commonwealth Cup. Trained by Arch Kingsley, Jr, the 7-year-old Holy Roman Emperor gelding has performed well in his last four starts, including a second-place finish to Merry Maker in the Glory Handicap Level 1 2 1/2 mile singles in September here .
Beverly R. Steinman is scheduled to race the first race on a nine-race card on Thursday. First post was 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
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