Hudson River Farms' L'Imperator will look to notch his second top-level victory as Grade 1 action for the Belmont at the Big A fall meet kicks off in Thursday's $150,000 Lonesome Glory, a 2 1/2-mile steeplechase handicap for older horses.
Trained by Arch Kingsley, Jr., L'Imperator seeks to return to the form that saw him capture his first Grade 1 over this course in June when taking the 2 3/8-mile $150,000 Beverly R. Steinman Handicap, where he stalked and pounced to the lead at the top of the lane and drew off strongly to win by two lengths over Grade 1-winner Rampoldi Plan.
L'Imperator stretches back out over hurdles after a last-out third in the 1 1/2-mile Colonial Cup over the flat on September 7 at Colonial Downs. The 7-year-old Holy Roman Emperor gelding tracked in last-of-4 in the first half of the race before making a mild bid and settling for show honors 11 3/4 lengths back of the victorious Truly Quality.
Kingsley, Jr. said he was pleased with the effort in a race he picked out as a prep for the Lonesome Glory.
"We just wanted to light the fire in him and he's come out of the race great," said Kingsley, Jr. "He's been training down at Delaware Park really well, so I'm looking forward to coming back to Aqueduct, where he has run well before."
While the Lonesome Glory comes on 12 days' rest from the Colonial Cup, Kingsley, Jr. said the latter race's considerably shorter distance over the flat made it a perfect place for L'Imperator to make his preparations.
"It wasn't a hard race for him, and let's just say I'm using a page out of Jonathan Sheppard's playbook," Kingsley, Jr. said of the late Hall of Fame trainer he worked for earlier in his career. "If I could have spaced it out, I might have put a few more days in between. But with the way he's acting, I don't think I could have kept him on the ground for a few more days."
L'Imperator's last hurdle start came with a dull fourth in the 2 3/8-mile Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial in July at Saratoga Race Course where he struggled over a few jumps and ran evenly. The effort prompted Kingsley, Jr. to skip the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard on August 14 at the Spa, a decision he said he is grateful to have made.
"I was perplexed by it," Kingsley, Jr. said of the Smithwick. "That was part of my thinking to skip the Sheppard. He just wasn't to my liking, and I wasn't happy with the way he was doing. I'm glad I skipped it. He seems to have bounced back.
"He can be a handful," Kingsley, Jr. added, with a laugh. "He's a very expressive, good-feeling horse and he lets you know when he's feeling good. He's acting out when he's feeling good, and he's back to being like that. I'm hoping that's what he's telling me."
The talented bay was a Grade 2-winner on the flat for conditioner Chad Brown and hit the board in two other graded tilts, but has found his best stride as a steeplechaser, hitting the board in 9-of-11 starts over jumps. He finished a narrow second in this event last year and has hit the board in 5-of-6 starts since, including another Grade 1 placing when third in the Commonwealth Cup won by Rampoldi Plan on May 4 at Great Meadow.
L'Imperator will race in rein to Gerard Galligan with a field-high weight assignment of 158 pounds.
Trainer Keri Brion saddles two in pursuit of a second win is this event, sending out Grade 1-placed contenders Freddy Flintshire [Stephen Mulqueen, 154 pounds] and Going Country [Parker Hendriks, 146 pounds].
Upland Flats Racing's Freddy Flintshire makes his fourth consecutive outing in Grade 1 company, entering from a third in the A.P. Smithwick on July 21 for the second year in a row. The 6-year-old Flintshire gelding boasts a 9-for-10 on-the-board record over jumps, including a 14 1/2-length trouncing of the Queens Cup last April at Charlotte.
Madaket Stables, Blue Streak Racing and The International Venture's Going Country was last seen completing a Brion-trained exacta when a well-beaten second to Jimmy P in the 2 3/8-mile Jonathan Sheppard. The 8-year-old Yeats gelding was second throughout and briefly lost position in the middle stages, but came back well to preserve place honors 9 1/2 lengths ahead of Abaan.
Despite being defeated 34 1/2 lengths, the effort marked his best result since October 2022 when finishing a game second to Down Royal in the Grade 2 David L. Ferguson Memorial Handicap at Great Meadow. Going Country has made each of his 17 lifetime starts over hurdles, and seeks his first stakes victory in his 13th attempt.
Upland Flats will also send out Hidden Path [Harrison Beswick, 140 pounds] off a good second to returning foe Evie's Prince in the Michael G. Walsh Novice on August 28 at Saratoga. Trained by Richard Hendriks, the 4-year-old Hard Spun gelding is the youngest competitor in the field and makes just his fourth start over hurdles. He moved to the Hendriks barn this winter after making his first seven starts for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
Harold Via, Jr.'s Welshman [Jamie Bargary, 152 pounds] makes his return from a four-month respite that came after a hard-trying runner-up effort to Rampoldi Plan in the May 4 Commonwealth Cup for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher.
Also a 6-year-old son of Flintshire, Welshman was an open-lengths winner of his hurdle debut in April 2022 at Foxfield, but struggled in his next four starts when defeated by double digit lengths. He rounded back into form that October with a handicap score and his first stakes win in the AFLAC Supreme Hurdle at Pine Mountain, and two starts later, his first graded win in the Grade 2 David Semmes Memorial last May at Great Meadow.
Welshman showed an impressive turn of foot last out to rally from 12 lengths off the pace from seventh-of-8 in the first half of the 2 1/8-mile Commonwealth Cup, and improved to be second at the stretch call. He kept on kindly under Graham Watters to land 2 1/2 lengths back of Rampoldi Plan while three-quarter lengths better than L'Imperator.
Shannon Hill Farm's Evie's Prince [Graham Watters, 144 pounds] looks to keep things rolling off back-to-back wins this summer for conditioner Neil Morris. The 7-year-old Animal Kingdom gelding arrives from a prominent score in the aforementioned 2 3/8-mile Michael G. Walsh Novice at Saratoga. That win built upon a 16 1/4-length romp in a 2 1/4-mile handicap on August 1 at Colonial where he showed a devastating turn of foot to win from 20 lengths off the pace.
Evie's Prince has won both on the flat and over hurdles since moving to the Morris barn last September. He has finished first or third in 5-of-7 steeplechase outings.
Completing the field is Irvin Naylor's Westerland [Bernard Dalton, 140 pounds], who is stakes-placed on the flat and seeks his first score against winners over hurdles. The 9-year-old Frankel gelding arrives from a third to Evie's Prince in the Walsh for conditioner Katherine Neilson.
The Lonesome Glory is slated as Race 1 on Thursday's nine-race program. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
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