Hudson River Farms’ L’Imperator will be aiming for his second win at the top level when the Grade 1 Belmont at the Big A fall meet begins Thursday with the $150,000 Lonesome Glory, a 2 1/2-mile old-horse hurdle race.
Trained by Arch Kingsley, Jr., L’Imperator looked to recapture the form that earned him his first Grade 1 win at this track in June when he took the 2 3/8-mile, $150,000 Beverly R. Steinman Handicap, where he chased and took the lead at the start of the race and broke away strongly to win by two lengths over Grade 1 winner Rampoldi Plan.
L’Imperator clawed his way back over the hurdles after finishing third in the 1 1/2-mile Colonial Cup on the flat Sept. 7 at Colonial Downs. The 7-year-old Holy Roman Emperor stallion finished last of four horses in the first half of the race before making a light effort to win the showpiece title by 11 3/4 lengths over Truly Quality.
Kingsley, Jr. said he was pleased with the effort he put in in the race he chose to prepare for Lonesome Glory.
“We just wanted to spark the fire in him and he ran a great race,” said Kingsley, Jr. “He trained really well at Delaware Park, so I’m looking forward to getting back to Aqueduct where he’s run really well before.”
While Lonesome Glory comes after a 12-day break from the Colonial Cup, Kingsley, Jr. said the latter race’s significantly shorter flat course makes it the perfect venue for L’Imperator to prepare.
“It wasn’t a hard race for him, and I just want to say I was taking a page out of Jonathan Sheppard’s playbook,” Kingsley Jr. said of the late Hall of Fame trainer he worked with earlier in his career. “If I could have spaced him out, I could have added a few more days. But the way he was acting, I don’t think I could have kept him on the ground for a few more days.”
L’Imperator’s last start over hurdles came in a dismal fourth place in the 2 3/8-mile Grade 1 AP Smithwick Memorial in July at Saratoga Race Course, where he struggled with a few jumps and even running. That effort led Kingsley, Jr. to skip the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard race on August 14 at Spa, a decision he said he was grateful to have made.
“I was confused by that,” Kingsley Jr. said of Smithwick. “That was part of my thinking when I let Sheppard go. He wasn’t someone I liked, and I wasn’t happy with the way he was doing. I’m glad I let him go. He seems to be recovering.”
“He can be a difficult horse,” Kingsley, Jr. added with a laugh. “He’s a very expressive horse, he has good feelings, and he lets you know when he’s feeling good. He acts when he feels good, and he comes back the same way. I hope that’s what he’s telling me.”
The talented colt is a Grade 2 winner on the flat for the Chad Brown Conditioner and has been on the board in two other graded tilts, but has found his best stride as a hurdler, having been on the board in nine of his 11 starts over jumps. He finished second in this event last year and has been on the board in five of his six starts since, including another Grade 1 when he finished third in the Commonwealth Cup won by Rampoldi Plan on May 4 at Great Meadow.
L’Imperator will compete against Gerard Galligan in the top weight class of 158 pounds.
Trainer Keri Brion has saddled two horses in pursuit of a second win in the event, sending out top-ranked contender Freddy Flintshire. [Stephen Mulqueen, 154 pounds] and go to the countryside [Parker Hendriks, 146 pounds].
Upland Flats Racing’s Freddy Flintshire is in Grade 1 company for the fourth straight time, coming from third at the AP Smithwick on July 21 for the second year in a row. Flintshire’s 6-year-old gelding boasts a 9-of-10 record over hurdles, including a 14 1/2-length win in the Queens Cup last April at Charlotte.
Madaket Stables, Blue Streak Racing and The International Venture’s Going Country was last seen finishing a Brion-trained exacta when he finished second to Jimmy P in the 2 3/8-mile Jonathan Sheppard Race. The 8-year-old Yeats gelding was second throughout the race and briefly lost ground midway through the race but came back well to hold on to a 9 1/2-length lead over Abaan.
Despite being beaten 34 1/2 lengths, the effort marked his best result since October 2022 when he finished second to Down Royal in the Grade 2 David L. Ferguson Memorial Handicap at Great Meadow. Going Country has made each of his 17 career starts over hurdles and is seeking his first win on his 13th attempt.
Upland Flats will also send Hidden Path [Harrison Beswick, 140 pounds] came off a strong second to returning rival Evie’s Prince in the Michael G. Walsh Novice on August 28 at Saratoga. Trained by Richard Hendriks, the 4-year-old gelding Hard Spun was the youngest competitor in the field and was only running his fourth time over fences. He moved to the Hendriks stable this winter after running his first seven times for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
The Welshman by Harold Via, Jr. [Jamie Bargary, 152 pounds] returned after a four-month break following a runner-up effort to Rampoldi Plan in the Commonwealth Cup on 4 May for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher.
Also a six-year-old son of Flintshire, Welshman was an open-distance winner on his hurdles debut in April 2022 at Foxfield, but struggled in his next four starts, beaten by double-digit margins. He returned to form in October that year with a handicap and his maiden win in the AFLAC Supreme Hurdle at Pine Mountain, and two starts later his first graded win in the Grade 2 David Semmes Memorial at Great Meadow last May.
The Welshman produced an impressive turnaround on his final outing to break from seventh of eight in the first half of the 2 1/8-mile Commonwealth Cup and improved to second at the finish. He continued to make good progress under Graham Watters to finish 2 1/2 lengths clear of Rampoldi Plan while three-quarters of a length clear of L’Imperator.
Evie’s Prince by Shannon Hill Farm [Graham Watters, 144 pounds] looks set to continue his winning streak this summer for conditioning mare Neil Morris. The 7-year-old gelding from Animal Kingdom scored a standout score in the aforementioned 2 3/8-mile Michael G. Walsh Novice at Saratoga. That win built on a 16 1/4-length win in the 2 1/4-mile handicap on Aug. 1 at Colonial, where he showed a devastating turn of foot to win by 20 lengths.
Evie’s Prince has won both the flat and hurdles since moving to the Morris stable last September. He has finished first or third in five of his seven races over hurdles.
Rounding out the field is Irvin Naylor’s Westerland. [Bernard Dalton, 140 pounds]The 9-year-old gelding Frankel came from third with Evie’s Prince in the Walsh for trainer Katherine Neilson.
Lonesome Glory is scheduled as Race 1 of Thursday’s nine-race program. First post is 1:05 p.m. ET.
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