Mrs. Fitriani Hay's Fort George missed by the narrowest of margins in his stateside debut when second, by a nose, to Ole Crazy Bone in the $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes (G2) July 11 at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Ed Walker—who is based in England at the historic Kingsdown Stables in Upper Lambourn, Berkshire—the 4-year-old British-bred Territories gelding arrived at the Spa June 26 to the care of 24-year-old Hannah Smith, an assistant trainer and exercise rider.
Smith, who was aboard for a July 5 work over the Oklahoma training turf in his final prep for the Bowling Green, said she was pleased with the Bowling Green try.
"I thought he ran very well. I thought the horse that beat us would be very tough in the race," Smith said. "'George' has only been here two weeks and he's been training super and settled in well. We expected a good run.
"I was able to work him over the turf last Sunday, so he got a feel for some tighter turns going left handed. In the race, he was slow switching onto his right lead in the stretch, but that's something we can improve upon. Overall, he's adapted really well in the morning and gets his leads good."
READ: $100K Claim Ole Crazy Bone Hangs On in Bowling Green
Kieran Shoemark has piloted Fort George through his last five outings, which includes a nose win in the 1 1/4-mile Dubai Millennium Stakes (G3T) Jan. 30 at Meydan Racecourse.
"Kieran was happy with him yesterday and said he switched leads and steered well, so all was good," Smith said. "'George' came out of the race full of life. I think that race woke him up a little bit. He should come on a lot from that race."
Walker, reached by the New York Racing Association press office by phone after the race, said he was also pleased with the effort, despite the tough beat to the Flavien Prat-piloted Ole Crazy Bone.
"It was a big run, really happy," Walker said. "Obviously, when you're that close you're always gutted to get beaten. I think Prat just slowed the pace up enough to make it hard for us to reel him in. It was a really great run from Fort George, he's so tough and genuine. Very proud of him, it was a shame not to have won."
Walker indicated Fort George will stay in Saratoga and point to the 1 1/2-mile $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf Stakes (G1T) Aug. 15, offering a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) Oct. 31 at Keeneland through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
"Kieran, when he got off of him, said he thought he could go a little bit farther," Smith said. "I see a lot of these horses come over here and stretch out a bit, so I think the extra furlong could benefit him."
Smith, who has a background in show horses and eventing, started out on the track in 2023 and eventually found her way to a role in the barn of the late trainer Christophe Clement and subsequently Clement's son, Miguel.
"The first year I went to Kentucky and worked with some friends, after that I've only worked with Christophe and then Miguel. I've learned just about everything with them," Smith said. "It was quite an adjustment at first, but at the end of the day it's being on the back of a horse, knowing how to stay on and be 'sticky' and negotiate with them.
"I found riding racehorses and galloping came a bit more naturally," Smith added. "I loved it from Day One and never looked back. I sold my event horses and switched over. The horses are young and fresh, and you learn something new every day. I really enjoy the riding part of it. Being on and around the horses is my favorite part of it."
Smith, who continues to do administrative work for Clement and freelance rides for others at Saratoga in the morning, tabbed La Mehana, a now-retired French-bred daughter of Al Wukair, as one of her favorites. The talented bay, who raced for both Christophe and Miguel, rallied from last-of-6 to win the 2024 Waya Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"I was her regular rider, and she was a very important horse to me. I rode her the entire time I was working for Christophe," Smith said. "She was a bit tricky to train but we got along. She was French, very European, a little quirky and she took me to all the big days.
"She was my first graded stakes winner with the team that I rode regularly," Smith continued. "She took me to Pegasus Day and Fountain of Youth Day at Gulfstream, she just always showed up and tried so hard. I had a good bond with her. Every day after she trained, I'd take her on a super long walk around the backside to hang out. She was such a cool horse."
When Smith decided she wanted to travel and ply her trade on new frontiers, it was Charlotte Clement de Bona—Miguel's sister—that helped make the connection to Walker.
Smith noted that Christophe Clement and Walker both worked for Luca Cumani, which, in some ways, made the transition easier for her.
"I find that while some things are different there are a lot of similarities as well, which is cool," Smith said. "I'm so grateful to the Clement team. I went straight from high school to working full time with horses. I left for England in March to try riding somewhere new and I rode out a bit while I was traveling."
But now, Smith is back in Saratoga and dedicated to Fort George, who she hopes will take her on yet another great journey.
"For the time being, I'm following 'George.' He's a cool horse to be around, I got lucky. The plan will be to run again stateside and take it one race at a time. We'll hopefully stay here for the meet and then see where we go after that," Smith said.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
