OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Neil Morris was planning to run Evie’s Prince on Thursday at Aqueduct, he just wasn’t planning to do so in the Grade 1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory Steeplechase.
But Evie’s Prince, Hidden Path, and Westerland were redirected from the William Entenmann Novice Stakes – also scheduled for Thursday but not used – to help fill the Lonesome Glory, which ultimately went with seven horses.
Given his solid recent form and the fact Evie’s Prince gets a 14-pound weight concession from expected favorite L’Imperator, Morris says he’s “excited to be participating” in the Lonesome Glory, which will be run at 2 1/2 miles over National fences.
“I think it’s the thing to do; wasn’t my first choice, but why not?” Morris said. “I don’t think we’re risking too much with him in the big Grade 1.”
After a virtually rainless last four weeks in Queens, a half-inch or more of rain is forecast Wednesday into Thursday, which could potentially force the New York Racing Association to postpone the Lonesome Glory. Three times during the Saratoga meet inclement weather forced postponements or cancellations of steeplechase races.
Evie’s Prince has won three of his last four steeplechase races, including the Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes at Saratoga by 2 1/4 lengths on Aug. 28. In that race, he attended a glacial pace and kicked away during the last half-mile flat run. Prior to that, he won a handicap at Colonial Downs by coming from 20 lengths back to win by 16 1/4.
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“If it’s slow, he’ll be forward, if it’s fast, he’ll be in the back of the bus,” Morris said. “It doesn’t seem to matter, he just chugs along.”
In addition to getting a 14-pound weight concession from L’Imperator, Evie’s Prince will have the services of Graham Watters, the leading rider on the steeplechase circuit in 2024 with 16 wins – including six stakes – from 58 mounts. Watters did have the option to ride Welshman – who he rode to a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Commonwealth Cup – but chose Evie’s Prince, according to Jack Fisher, trainer of Welshman.
L’Imperator won the Grade 1 Beverly Steinman at Aqueduct in June and finished second to his longshot stablemate Merry Maker in the Lonesome Glory last year here. After running fourth in the A.P. Smithwick at Saratoga in July, trainer Arch Kingsley skipped the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard with L’Imperator and instead ran him in the Colonial Cup, a $150,000 flat stakes, where he finished third. In 2023, L’Imperator finished 12th in the Belmont Gold Cup, a flat race, before coming back to win a steeplechase allowance at Saratoga.
Kingsley admitted he has some concerns about the weight L’Imperator has to concede.
“I always found the weight seems to matter more at the racetrack for whatever reason,” said Kingsley, a former rider. “Going back to my riding days I always felt the lightweights were always dangerous. At the Hunt meets, it doesn’t seem to play in quite as much as the racetrack as far as my experience goes. That concerns me, but my horse is doing great and I got a great pilot.”
Gerard Gilligan, who is 5 for 52 this year over jumps, has the call at 158 pounds.
Trainer Keri Brion won the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard with Jimmy P, who galloped to a 34 1/2-length victory over the Brion-trained Going Country. While Jimmy P is skipping this race to await next month’s Grand National at Far Hills, Brion will run Going Country and Freddy Flintshire.
Freddy Flintshire was third in the Smithwick after running sixth in the Steinman, that race being his first in 11 months.
“I upped his training a little bit, he’s had a couple of really nice works,” Brion said. “If he comes forward again off the Smithwick, I know he stays all day so he’ll appreciate the two and a half.”
Brion was happy enough with Going Country’s runner-up finish in the Sheppard and loves the fact he gets into the Lonesome Glory with just 146 pounds.
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“I like both of them a lot,” Brion said. “Now we just have to hope the rain holds off.”
The aforementioned Welshman suffered a cut on the outside of his tendon, which is why he has been off since May, Fisher said.
Hidden Path and Westerland finished second and third behind Evie’s Prince in the Walsh, both having won maiden hurdles prior to that.
The Lonesome Glory is scheduled to go as the first race on Thursday’s card that begins at 1:05 p.m.
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