Sheppard Takes Two Shots at A.P. Smithwick

Jonathan Sheppard's unparalleled record of 47 straight years with a Saratoga Race Course victory ended in 2016, but the Hall of Fame trainer will have two opportunities to return to the winner's circle July 26 in the $175,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase Handicap (NSA-G1). 

One, Buttonwood Farm's All the Way Jose, is talented and thoroughly experienced, with a grade 1 win in Belmont Park's Lonesome Glory Handicap (NSA-G1) last September. The second, Hudson River Farms' Iranistan, is young, undefeated over fences, and to this point untested. He has never been headed in his three jumps starts this year.

By Senor Swinger, All the Way Jose was bred by Sheppard out of the Northern Baby mare Maternity Leave. A novice champion in 2014, he regained his best form last year with earnings that doubled his previous total. He missed by two noses of winning the year's richest American steeplechase race, the $400,000 Grand National (NSA-G1). 

The current season has not gone as well. Fourth in the Temple Gwathmey Handicap (NSA-G2) in April, he made a modest mistake and fell while near the lead in the May 19 Calvin Houghland Iroquois (NSA-G1) at Percy Warner.

His class earned him the second highweight at 154 pounds in the Smithwick Memorial, behind 156-pound highweight Modem, who has the distinction of having finished second in five consecutive grade 1 races, beginning with the Smithwick and extending through the Iroquois. Jack Doyle, currently the sport's leading jockey, retains the mount on Modem for owner Robert A. Kinsley and trainer Elizabeth Voss.

All the Way Jose will have a new jockey, 2012 champion Ross Geraghty, while 2017 champion jockey Darren Nagle retains the mount aboard Iranistan.

Bred in Kentucky by Crossed Sabres Farm, Iranistan made his first jumps start for Edward P. Swyer's Hudson River Farms at the Carolina Cup Races in late March, set all the pace in the allowance hurdle for 4-year-olds, and won by 11 1/2 lengths. 

He won his next start, also for 4-year-olds, by 10 lengths, and then disposed of more seasoned competitors in the Iroquois Steeplechase's Marcellus Frost Champion Hurdle for novices by six lengths, again leading at every point of call. 

The 2 1/16-mile Smithwick Memorial will also be a yardstick for Magalen O. Bryant's Personal Start, a 7-year-old Jump Start homebred who also is unbeaten this year. After Personal Start won the Carolina Cup Hurdle Stakes for novices, trainer Richard Valentine put him in deeper waters in the Virginia Gold Cup's David Semmes Memorial Stakes (NSA-G2) May 5. 

Never far from the lead—but purposely reserved from setting the pace—Personal Start drew away in the stretch to an eight-length victory. Barry Foley retains the mount.