Upland Flats Racing’s Freddy Flintshire notched his first graded stakes victory in Thursday’s Grade 1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory, a 2 1/2-mile steeplechase handicap for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Keri Brion and expertly piloted by Stephen Mulqueen, the son of Flintshire capitalized on the sustained battle between frontrunning stablemate Going Country and Evie’s Prince, pouncing in the final turn while fending off the late rush of post-time favorite L’Imperator to land the one-length victory.
“He had a great trip – that was kind of the plan because Going Country just kind of stays, he doesn’t have a big turn of foot,” Brion said. “Our thought was there’s not much pace in the race, so just go out to the front and we wanted Freddy to sit in behind where he was comfortable. It just worked out well that he was sitting in behind the pace and had a nice lead the whole way around.”
After two false starts, the field of five got off to a slow beginning over the firm footing as L’Imperator broke off tardily and Going Country took charge. Evie’s Prince jumped the first fence better from second and took over from the latter, the first of several exchanges of command as the two set a moderate tempo with Freddy Flintshire in third and the Gerard Galligan-piloted L’Imperator just ahead of Hidden Path.
Approaching the third turn, Hidden Path was coaxed along the outside by Harrison Beswick to range up into contention and leave behind L’Imperator in last. That move would see Hidden Path track well in a wide third over the remaining fences before pouncing on Going Country in the final turn to stick his head in front at the top of the home stretch.
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Hidden Path’s lead would not last for long as Mulqueen angled Freddy Flintshire widest of all from behind to take dead aim at the top flight. A loaded L’Imperator gave strong chase behind, but was impeded by the wall of foes and could not make a move around the field until Freddy Flintshire accelerated to his outside.
“I was a little nervous around the turn,” Brion said. “He kind of got shuffled back but Stephen said he was never concerned; he always had the best horse.”
L’Imperator was unleashed late in the stretch to make up ground with every stride, but there was no reeling in Freddy Flintshire as he ran clear down the lane to complete the course in 4:45.31. L’Imperator finished second two lengths better than Hidden Path with Evie’s Prince and Going Country completing the order of finish. Westerland and Welshman were scratched.
Mulqueen said the stalking trip worked out picture-perfect.
“It was lovely, really. I just wanted to follow the pace around. He jumped great,” said Mulqueen. “I got a bit crowded turning in for home, but I’ve learned here it is quite a long way home. I knew if I just waited until I straightened up that he had plenty of flat speed, and he’s quickened up through gears and put the race to bed easy.”
Brion, who also won the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard in August with Jimmy P, said she learned a great deal about the Freddy Flintshire from his dull off-the-board effort in his seasonal bow in the Grade 1 Beverly R. Steinman in June here.
“We’ve taken our time and let him mature. He had some time off for small, little issues. We didn’t run him in the spring. I brought him to the Steinman here and I got it all wrong – he wasn’t fit enough,” Brion said. “Jimmy P also wasn’t fit enough, so I don’t think I trained very well this spring [laughs]. But coming into the summer, we had the plan to split them up and try to make both of them a Grade 1-winner and we did that. So, for once, mission accomplished.”
Brion added that Jimmy P is likely to be the one to fly the barn’s flag in the Grade 1 Grand National on October 19 at Far Hills rather than Freddy Flintshire.
“I don’t think he’s a Grand National horse,” Brion said of Freddy Flintshire. “I think he enjoys a flat type of track, so we’ll see. I also didn’t know that he got 2 1/2-miles, but he does. So, we’ll have to have a think. It’s a good problem to have two Grade 1 winners in the barn, so I won’t complain.”
Bred in Kentucky by AJ Suited, the 6-year-old gelding improved his lifetime record to 20-4-4-4 and banked $90,000 in victory while returning $10 on a $2 win ticket. He adds to a resume that includes additional Grade 1 placings when third in the past two runnings of the A.P. Smithwick Memorial at Saratoga Race Course.
Great Meadow Course ‘In Disrepair,’ International Gold Cup moved to Glenwood Park
The National Steeplechase Association (NSA), the national governing body for jump racing, has revoked the sanction for the running of the 2024 International Gold Cup at Great Meadow, scheduled to run on October 26. The NSA has deemed the Great Meadow racecourse to be “in disrepair and unsafe.” Without the NSA sanction, the races cannot continue at Great Meadow.
The safety of the horses and jockeys is the Virginia Gold Cup Association’s top priority as a race meet, and it is also the most important responsibility and focus of the NSA. The NSA has been monitoring the conditions closely at Great Meadow for years and has now taken action in keeping with its mandate to provide safe racing conditions.
The Virginia Gold Cup Association is a separate entity from Great Meadow. The Association leases the Great Meadow racecourse for its two race meets—the Virginia Gold Cup (spring) and the International Gold Cup (fall.) Within the lease contract, Great Meadow bears the responsibility of maintaining the racecourse to NSA standards.
Also recognizing the importance of the International Gold Cup to the horsemen and our guests, the Virginia Gold Cup Association has secured another venue on its originally scheduled race date of October 26th at Glenwood Park in Middleburg, Virginia.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
