Winston C Scores Easy New York Turf Writers Victory

Been there, done that.

In brief, that was the story Aug. 22 in Saratoga Race Course's $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup Hurdle Handicap (NSA-G1). Hudson River Farms' Winston C had beaten all of his opponents in the track's $150,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial Hurdle Stakes (NSA-G1) four weeks earlier and was again pulling away from them at the finish line.

Despite conceding eight or more pounds to more experienced hurdlers at a longer distance, he repeated his Smithwick victory and added substantially to his winning margin, pulling clear by six lengths at the furlong pole and romping home by 8 3/4 lengths.

Riverdee Stable's Gibralfaro and Belisarius hooked up near the furlong pole and went toe to toe for the final 200 yards, with Gibralfaro prevailing by a nose for second over Belisarius, a 15-to-1 longshot owned by Gary Barber, Brous Stable, and Wachtel Stable.

Winston C, trained by Racing Hall of Fame member Jonathan Sheppard, went off at odds of 1-2 and paid $3.10 to win after running the New York Turf Writers' 2 3/8 miles in 4:38.16 on yielding turf.

While the race itself went pretty much according to script, the events leading up to it did not. Tom Garner, who played a major role in putting the Rip Van Winkle 5-year-old in the Hudson River Farms stable, was named to ride him at entry time.

On Saturday evening, though, he was sitting grass-stained on the far side of Colonial Downs' final fence holding his shoulder. Physicians dispatched him to a Richmond, Va.-area hospital with a possible broken collarbone.

The mount on Winston C was in doubt. But the collarbone wasn't broken and Garner was cleared to ride Monday. He showed no ill effects from his fall as the field of eight entered the inner turf course. At the end, the order of finish from the Smithwick had been pretty thoroughly scrambled, but the constant was Winston C, Garner, and Hudson River Farms owner Edward Swyer heading for the winner's circle.

Buttonwood Farm's All the Way Jose, bred and trained by Sheppard, laid down the early fractions in company with Jack Fisher-trained Gibralfaro, the second betting choice. Winston C was near the back of the field but, while roughly six lengths off the leader, was within striking distance, which he had not been in the Smithwick.

"They were just a tad closer earlier this time," Sheppard said. "It was probably a little slower pace, and he was able to have some closer contact with the leaders."

Garner tipped Winston C out on the final run down the backstretch and allowed his mount to draw closer to the leaders as the field jumped the final fence.

Harold A. "Sonny" Via's Hinterland, third in the Smithwick, struck to the lead a few strides past the last fence with Winston C to his outside. The 5-year-old quickly flashed his superior speed and swept past the Fisher-trained Hinterland approaching the stretch.

While Hinterland began to tire, Gibralfaro and Belisarius duked it out through the lane. Millimeters apart as they flashed by the finish line, Gibralfaro never allowed Belisarius to get past him.

The New York Turf Writers' $90,000 first-place purse raised his National Steeplechase Association earnings to $190,000 from three stateside starts. He scored his maiden victory over fences in January with now-retired Noel Fehily in the saddle, and his first U.S. run was a third in the Iroquois Steeplechase's Marcellus Frost Novice Stakes. Fehily and Garner brokered the sale of Winston C to Hudson River Farms.

Swyer said his ultimate goal for Winston C is the $450,000 Grand National (NSA-G1) Oct. 19 at the Far Hills Races in New Jersey. 

"He's such an honest, classy little horse," he said. "I think there is a lot more to come from him. He's still improving."