SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A change in tactics has led to a change in performance for Little Trilby. A winner of three of his last four starts, Little Trilby will seek a second consecutive Grade 1 victory in Wednesday’s $150,000 Beverly Steinman Hurdle Handicap at Saratoga.
Little Trilby was beaten 33 3/4 lengths in last year’s Steinman after chasing the pacesetting Carloun and inheriting the lead after Carloun fell over the fifth fence. Trainer Ricky Hendriks decided after that race to have Little Trilby come from off the pace and he responded with a 12 1/4-length victory in the Michael Walsh Novice Stakes at Saratoga. Little Trilby won the William Allison at Great Meadows in October before falling in the Grade 1 Colonial Cup at Camden in November.
Little Trilby kicked off his 6-year-old campaign with a 6 3/4-length victory in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup under Conor Tierney. Though Tierney was named to ride Hidden Path for Hendriks, that horse is going to scratch and Tierney will be back on Little Trilby. Jack Kennedy, based in Ireland, is not coming over to ride, Hendriks said.
“Conor gave him some beautiful ride,” Hendriks said about the Commonwealth Cup. “He was going down the backside and he was laying second and he could have just let him go and he would have opened up, but he just held him in, held him up, and then just made that one run with him and he ran really well.”
Hendriks will also run Coutach, who is coming out of a win in the Greener Pastures Stakes at Percy Warner in Nashville. He defeated McTigue and We’re Back Again, two horses who are in this field. We’re Back Again will have a rider change Wednesday from Danny Mullins to Conor Stone-Walsh.
Jimmy P is a multiple Grade 1 winner, having taken the Jonathan Sheppard Stakes here each of the last two years. When he won it last year, trainer Keri Brion removed blinkers for that race. After putting them back on for Jimmy P’s last two starts, Brion is removing them again for the Steinman.
“I just felt like we have to keep switching it up on him, he’s such a funny horse,” Brion said. “But we definitely have him farther along going into this than we did going into the Smithwick last year.”
Jimmy P finished fifth, 11 3/4 lengths behind Little Trilby in the Commonwealth Cup. Brion was actually happy with that effort.
“It was a little bit short for him, he needs a little bit farther than that,” Brion said. “But he actually gave an effort and he came back really blowing and I think he’s just been really exuberant at home, which is not like him.”
Jack Fisher sends out the pair of Ziggle Pops and Rocket One. Ziggle Pops, third in the 2024 Steinman held at Aqueduct, won the 2024 Smithwick here. He is coming out of a third in the Grade 1 Iroquois going 3 miles at Percy Warner on May 9.
“I hope it was just a bit too far, it wasn’t his fitness,” Fisher said.
Rocket One is coming out of a win in a novice stakes at Percy Warner on May 9 and now steps into Grade 1 company.
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